Centennial College Ashtonbee Campus

Centennial College's Developmental Services Worker program is highly regarded by established professionals, graduates, families, service agencies and people who have intellectual disabilities.

The two-year college diploma program falls under the School of Community and Health Studies and will offer a strong foundation in the field of supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This health program's curriculum will reflect best practices, current and relevant knowledge and address up-to-date issues. It will emphasize a deep understanding of:

•  The life experiences of people who have disabilities 
•  The nature of intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities and Autism
•  Valued social roles
•  Advocacy
•  Critical and reflective thinking
•  Problem solving
•  Effecting positive change
•  Communication and teamwork
•  Personal support requirements and techniques
•  Teaching skills
•  Time management
•  Accessing resources

Helping people to fill valued social roles as a part of society, teaching and the provision of personal and educational support are among some of the skills you'll develop. These skills will be applied through in-class hands-on practice as well as field placement opportunities. As such, the Developmental Services Worker program will ensure you're equipped with the critical skills and knowledge to start your career directly upon graduation.

Once you complete the Developmental Services Worker program, you'll support individuals of all ages who have intellectual or developmental disabilities. Support can be provided to individuals in their homes, at work, in schools and to their families. Your goal as a developmental services worker will be to enhance the capacity of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities to function in all aspects of community living and to support their full inclusion in all aspects of society.

Please note: This program is taught using a combination of modalities. Courses may be delivered face-to-face, online, or in a blended/hybrid combination of both online and traditional classroom teaching

As a Developmental Services Worker program grad, you'll have the ability to:

• Conduct yourself in an ethical, competent and accountable manner in all professional relationships;
• Provide person-directed supports and services that respect and promote self-determination for people with developmental disabilities;
• Provide for the safety of people with developmental disabilities, self and others in compliance with all applicable legislation, regulations and standards of practice;
• Support the health and well-being of people with intellectual disabilities;
• Employ and adapt formal and informal strategies to support the learning of people with developmental disabilities;
• Provide leadership in the development of inclusive communities;
• Develop strategies and plans that lead to improved personal job performance and the maintenance of you own well-being.

The General Arts and Science - English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program is an intensive, full-time academic English program that will help you to build on and improve your language skills for success in college or university.

EAP will offer you the opportunity to study English in a supportive college environment while you develop effective academic communication skills by focusing on the key areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking. You'll have the opportunity to participate in communicative activities, interactive exercises, group work and presentations. Through this program, you'll also gain access to helpful resources and services such as tutoring, the library and counselling.

When you join EAP, you'll be placed in one of three levels depending on the results of a placement test. Each level will last one semester. There are pathways from Level 3 to college communication courses if you meet the necessary criteria.

Advantages of EAP

• Prepares you for admission to college or university programs;
•  Helps you to develop academic study skills;
•  Qualifies for OSAP funding;
•  Starts three times a year (January, May, September);
•  Provides a pathway to college COMM courses.

The Centennial College Social Service Worker program will prepare you to be a critical practitioner, advocate, problem solver and agent of social change as you examine the expanding professional roles and responsibilities of social service workers within a rapidly changing society.

As a Social Service Worker student, you'll develop the knowledge, skills and values to support diverse individuals, families, groups and communities to enhance their individual and collective well being. 

This two-year college diploma program will integrate the principles, philosophies, skills and theories of social service work from an anti-oppressive and social justice framework. Themes related to professional competencies, group dynamics, interprofessional practice, interpersonal communication, counselling, community development, advocacy, social movements and social policies will be examined. Through critical thinking and reflective practice, meanwhile, you'll identify how values and ideologies contribute to the construction of social problems and solutions.

As a graduate of the Social Service Worker program, you'll meet the educational requirements for registration as a social service worker in the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW).

Program Highlights

• The Social Service Worker program curriculum is reviewed on an annual basis to ensure courses are current, relevant, and based on evidence-based research and best practices in the field.
• Program faculty members are all trained in social service work and social work practice, and have extensive knowledge, expertise and field experience.
• During your two years in the program, you'll have the opportunity to obtain a Stackable Certificate in Indigenous Studies: First Peoples in Canada. 
• Two specialized field placements will provide you with valuable opportunities to integrate classroom learning, knowledge and skills in professional practice. Facilitated two days per week in the third semester and four days per week in the fourth semester, these experiences may include a variety of settings (governmental services, community centres, settlement agencies, social service agencies, shelters, residential group homes, employment counselling agencies and educational institutions, among others).
• As a Social Service Worker student, you'll have the opportunity to apply for an international field placement in your final semester. The program has a history of strong partnerships with global organizations.
• Learning experiences will include community engagement, developing and writing funding proposals, social action plans as well as simulated client interviews and assessments.
• You'll have the opportunity to engage in interprofessional collaboration and practice with other programs within the College community, such as Early Childhood Education, Police Foundations, Community and Justice Services, and Nursing.

Successfully completing the Social Service Worker program will give you the ability to:

1. Develop respectful and collaborative professional and interpersonal relationships that adhere to professional, legal, and ethical standards aligned to social service work.
2. Record information accurately and communicate effectively in written, digital, verbal and non-verbal ways, in adherence to privacy and freedom of information legislation, in accordance with professional and workplace standards.
3. Integrate a practice framework within a service delivery continuum, addressing the needs of individuals, families and communities at micro, mezzo, macro and global levels, and work with them in achieving their goals.
4. Plan and implement accessible and responsive programs and services, recognizing the diverse needs and experiences of individuals, groups, families and communities, and meeting these needs.
5. Examine current social policy, relevant legislation, and political, social, historical, and/or economic systems and their impacts for individuals and communities when delivering services to the user/client.
6. Develop strategies and approaches that support individual clients, groups, families and communities in building the capacity for self-advocacy, while affirming their dignity and self-worth.
7. Work from an anti-oppressive, strengths-based practice, recognizing the capacity for resilience and growth of individuals and communities when responding to the diverse needs of marginalized or vulnerable populations to act as allies and advocates.
8. Develop strategies and approaches to implement and maintain holistic self-care as a member of a human service profession.
9. Work with individuals, groups, families and their communities to ensure that service provider strategies promote social and economic justice, and challenge patterns of oppression, discrimination and harassment, and sexual violence with clients, coworkers and communities.
10. Develop the capacity to work with the Indigenous individual, families, groups and communities while respecting their inherent rights to self-determine, and to identify and address systemic barriers that produce ill-effects, developing appropriate responses using approaches such as trauma informed care practice.
11. Develop creative approaches to social service work practice that meet social enterprise objectives and the needs of a changing workforce.

The Auto Body Repair Techniques program is a one-year offering that will lead to an entry-level career in the auto body industry – even if you have no previous experience.

Based on the Level 1 apprenticeship curriculum, with some valuable additions, the Auto Body Repair Techniques courses will cover theoretical knowledge and practical skills to ensure you have a competitive edge in the auto body repair field. Graduates will receive an Auto Body Repair Certificate and will be credited with Level 1 of the Ontario Auto Body and Collision Damage Repairer (310B) Apprenticeship in school training. You apply for this Prior Learning Acknowledgement Recognition (PLAR) through your Ministry Training Consultant once you become a registered Apprentice.

Among included topics will be:

• Personal and shop safety
• Vehicle and body construction
• Detailing and refinishing equipment maintenance
• Applied mechanical systems
• Mathematics
• Communication
• Trade tools and shop equipment
• Non-structural repair fundamentals
• Refinishing surface preparation
• Oxyacetylene and gas metal arc welding

During about 40 percent of program time, you'll gain hands-on practice in a spacious, state-of-the-art auto body lab that's outfitted with new equipment. By learning from faculty members who have years of industry experience and are committed to seeing you succeed by helping you maximize your skills, you'll become confident in your abilities.

Once you complete your studies, you'll have the opportunity to gain credit for your apprenticeship requirements. As a graduate, in one year you will have earned an Ontario College Certificate and the first level of the Auto Body and Collision Damage Repair Apprenticeship. You will then be ready to start your journey as a registered Apprentice which will prepare you to return to school for your level 2 on a traditional apprenticeship.

The Automotive - Motive Power Technician program is for you if you've ever wondered how an engine works or what makes a transmission drive.

With an emphasis on motor vehicle technology, this dynamic and inclusive offering's theoretical and practical Motive Power Technician courses will prepare you for work in the transportation industry. The trade-relevant skills and knowledge you'll acquire will help you undertake challenging positions in a variety of employment opportunities.

In keeping with Ministry and the Ontario College of Trades standards, the program will deliver content that meets the requirements for Level 1 and Level 2 in-school apprenticeship training. Additionally, you'll actively participate in comprehensive hands-on training activities in fully-equipped modern transportation lab facilities.

Graduates will receive a Motive Power Technician Diploma and will be credited with all two levels of Automotive Service Technician apprenticeship in-school training.

If you're looking for a challenging and rewarding experience where wrenches and technology meet, you'll find it in Centennial's Motive Power program.

Co-op Option
The program's co-op option will provide you with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience while you work one term as a paid employee in the field. This opportunity will not only allow you to put classroom learning into practice, but it will also provide valuable contacts for future careers. For more information on the Co-op option, please go here.