Advanced Diploma in Child and Youth Care

at Algonquin College - Ottawa Campus Canada

This Ontario College Graduate Certificate program, delivered in a 42-week consecutive format, prepares you for a career in the field of recreation therapy. Recreation Therapists work with individuals facing key health issues and cognitive, physical and/or mental health challenges across the lifespan from children, youth, adults to seniors. In this program, you develop a strong foundation of skills and knowledge to use the tools of recreation and leisure to ensure people of all ages and abilities have a healthy social, physical, emotional and cognitive lifestyle.

Develop advanced knowledge of how to complete client assessments, create individualized and group programs and document client outcomes. Apply a variety of facilitative techniques to promote meaningful recreation and leisure participation, improve functional ability, and enhance quality of life and wellness. Through collaboration, teamwork, research and professional involvement, you learn to adapt, implement and evaluate recreation activities to meet the needs of people in a wide range of settings including hospitals, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centres, municipal community programs and mental health agencies. Through a combination of theory and industry-based work terms, you gain theoretical and practical knowledge and experience.

As a current institutional member of Therapeutic Recreation Ontario (TRO), students enrolled in the Therapeutic Recreation program receive a Therapeutic Recreation Ontario Student membership for the duration of the program. Graduates may apply to become registered members of TRO and/or other professional associations. As well, Algonquin College is working closely with TRO in seeking recognition of this program, thus allowing graduates to apply to become a Registered Therapeutic Recreation Ontario member.

Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Provide for the safety of clients, self and others in compliance with applicable legislation, regulations, standards and ethical practices.
• Assess individual needs, strengths, challenges and interests of people experiencing barriers to healthy leisure lifestyle in order to assist them in meeting their goals.
• Maintain accurate documentation in accordance with ministry guidelines, professional standards of practice and organizational policies and procedures.
• Plan, implement and evaluate holistic individual and group recreation therapy programs which respond to identified needs, align with assessment results and adhere to current best practices.
• Provide individual and family therapeutic functional intervention, leisure education support, and opportunity for recreation participation.
• Research, analyze and evaluate recreation therapy activities and programs using evidence based practices.
• Plan, implement and evaluate community, private and institutional programs and/or services and processes to enhance quality of life for clients.
• Collaborate with individuals, caregivers, interprofessional teams, volunteers and community service providers using a person-centered approach to promote personal, social, economic and the health-related benefits of recreation therapy services.
• Develop and plan for ongoing personal and professional growth and development.
• Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

The one-year Mechanical Techniques - Plumbing Ontario College Certificate program equips you with the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a career in plumbing or other construction fields.

This program gives you entry-level skills that you can use to seek a recognized plumbing apprenticeship. You may also discover a career in a construction-related field.

Throughout the program, you learn a broad overview of the plumbing trade. Using both theory and hands-on practice, you learn:

• Principles of design
• Health and safety requirements
• Soldering techniques
• Inter-professional communications
• Practical installation practices

If you are new to design, plumbing, and construction, this program will help develop your skills. You learn the skills and knowledge needed for a career in the trade.

Graduates of this program may find employment in fields related to plumbing. These can include:

• Construction labour
• Retail and wholesale sales
• Marketing of plumbing-related products

If you are looking for advancement in the field of plumbing, this program gives you the credentials to pursue a certified apprenticeship and become a licensed plumbing journeyman.

The two-year Business - Management and Entrepreneurship Ontario College Diploma program provides you with the knowledge and skills for a successful career in management or ownership of a small or medium-sized enterprise.

This program has a strong focus on business trends, developing an entrepreneurial mindset, and innovation in a digital economy. It encourages your creativity, strategic thinking and originality, as you cultivate the skills to start up and run a small business.

Explore your talents and creativity through hands-on projects that can be customized to your interests. Learn about business concepts and how to:

. Develop a good business idea . Create a business model . Validate your business through market research . Manage people and resources . Understand financial information . Gain customer attention and sell . Create a digital presence . Launch a business

Create a start-up idea that you develop and enhance throughout the program. Complete multiple team-based projects, including the creation of an online store as well as the presentation of a comprehensive business plan.

Our campus is the ideal place for an entrepreneur. Faculty consists of entrepreneurs and business owners who continue to keep up with trends in their areas of specialization. You have access to the Discovery, Applied Research and Entrepreneurship (DARE) District, our entrepreneurship and innovation centre, and several other business supports and competitions. Activities such as the AC Market, B-ME Grill and Wolves Den provide you with opportunities for hands-on, experiential learning.

Upon graduation, you are ready for a variety of career paths. You may start a business, manage an existing business, continue your education or find a career in:

• eCommerce
• Marketing
• Digital marketing
• Visual merchandising
• Store planning
• Professional sales
• Social media
• Marketing research
• Purchasing
• Retail
• Customer service and management

The three-year Child and Youth Care Ontario College Advanced Diploma program prepares you to help vulnerable children, youth and families with complex needs.

Learn to develop and implement a wide range of prevention, intervention and treatment strategies to foster positive change and healthy development in clients. Apply the principles of relational practice with clients, while respecting their unique culture and diversity.

In classes, you learn practical and theoretical concepts and then apply them in field placements.

Working with clients in field placements helps you to develop into a confident and competent child and youth care practitioner. By the end of this program, you have practical experience in two different work environments in the field of child and youth care.

This is the only Child and Youth Care program in Ontario to offer two courses in therapeutic outdoor activities. In these courses, you learn to facilitate therapeutic activities in the outdoors while on a camping trip with fellow classmates and faculty - a truly memorable learning experience.

There is a wide variety of work opportunities for you after graduation. As a child and youth care practitioner, you may find employment in a:

• Group home
• Hospital
• Mental health treatment centre
• Shelter
• School
• Youth justice program
• Community resource centre

The two-year Fitness and Health Promotion Ontario College Diploma program prepares you to perform the roles and responsibilities of fitness and health consultants who plan, promote and deliver a wide variety of services. These include activity and educational programs that enhance the health, fitness and well-being of individuals and groups in diverse settings.

In this program, you learn the skills and knowledge to live a fit and healthy lifestyle, which, in turn, allows you to help others achieve their own health and lifestyle goals.

Field placements in the program provide on-the-job training. These varied placements allow you to apply the skills and knowledge gained in classes to a workplace setting, as well as gain exposure to potential employers and add to your overall marketability and employability after graduation.

Nationally-recognized certifications in Group Fitness and Personal Training are part of the program, further enabling you to meet the demands of a growing market in fitness and health promotion.

Upon graduating, you may find employment in the fitness industry in a variety of settings. These may include:

• Fitness and health clubs
• YMCA/YWCA corporate
• Recreation and fitness programs
• Public and private fitness programs
• Community institutions for special populations
• Municipal recreation departments

Earn a flexible diploma that shows you are aware of all areas of business, and that you also have specialized education in accounting.

Accounting is one of seven majors available to Business Administration students. This three-year Ontario College Advanced Diploma program starts with three semesters, learning a variety of essential business skills, before ultimately deciding on a major.

The program prepares you for a challenging and rewarding career in the accounting industry. Accounting is often referred to as the backbone of business - businesses need skilled accountants to monitor financial accounts in order to operate effectively and efficiently.

This program enables you to provide businesses with the complete and accurate financial picture they need to thrive.

Study all major areas of accounting including:

• Financial accounting
• Managerial accounting
• Taxation
• Financial management

Practise recording financial transactions, preparing/presenting financial statements, reports and other documents, and using current accounting software.

You may find employment in both the public and private sectors in roles such as:

• Accounting assistant
• Accounting associate
• Accounting clerk
• Junior financial analyst
• Junior staff accountant 

There are opportunities in a variety of work environments, including:

• Accounting firms
• Small and medium-sized businesses
• Service organizations
• Government departments
• Financial institutions 

International Business is one of seven majors available to Business Administration students. The three-year Business Administration Ontario College Advanced Diploma starts with three semesters where you learn essential business skills to build a strong foundation before ultimately deciding on a Major.

The Business Administration - International Business program provides you with a wide range of international business skills, to pursue a career in the growing competitive global marketplace. This comprehensive program covers all aspects of international trade, and provides you with the confidence and expertise to be successful whether you work in government or as an international entrepreneur and a business leader in the global community.

Through activities, projects and case studies, you are fully immersed in the international business environment, including:

• International marketing
• Research
• Business plan development and management
• Supply chain management
• Law
• Market-entry strategies
• Finance

This one-year Ontario College Graduate Certificate program prepares students for a career in design research and strategy. Professionals in this field examine the intersection of research, technology, business and design to apply a human-centred approach to solving problems. These professionals work in a variety of fields, including private, public and government organizations, to provide strategic direction for system, product, policy and/or service design. The skills gained in this program complement a myriad of professional backgrounds, from designers, computer programmers and engineers looking to update their skillset to public servants and social scientists looking for new ways to draft policies and model services.

Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Apply a universal, interdisciplinary design approach to overcome complex problems and create intelligent solutions that address social, technological and economic challenges.
• Manage a holistic, human-centred process to deliver design strategies, products, systems and services for government, corporations and non-profit organizations.
• Design collaboratively in an interdisciplinary studio environment to produce communication, products, systems and service projects for a variety of media.
• Apply primary and secondary research methodologies to the design process using a think/make practice model to achieve project outcomes that meet user needs and adhere to industry standards.
• Adhere to the professional practices of a design studio to facilitate and manage the success of design teams in achieving project goals.
• Participate in an iterative, multi-phase design process in order to create testable prototypes and realized products.
• Liaise and negotiate project direction and process with stakeholders to produce strategies and outcomes that align with business objectives.
• Present and defend research results and design outcomes to a diverse audience using effective communication strategies.
• Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

The three-year Biotechnology - Advanced Ontario College Advanced Diploma program gives you a strong overview of the science that drives biotechnology. With a mix of laboratory and theory courses, you learn about:

• Cell biology
• Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Molecular biology
• Microbiology
• Bioinformatics
• Statistics

You also gain a foundation in the social and ethical implications of this field, giving you the ability to make informed choices. As a student, you have the opportunity to carry out experiments and use state of the art laboratory instruments and tools throughout the program. Some of the topics you encounter include water analysis, soil analysis, quality and safety of food and beverages, DNA manipulation, and protein purification and analysis. You have the opportunity to work with government and industry professionals through optional

Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Perform laboratory duties independently and in compliance with pertinent legislation and regulations, as well as biotechnology standards and guidelines.
• Collaborate in implementing and evaluating quality control and quality assurance procedures to meet organizational standards and requirements.
• Select and implement best practices for sustainability.
• Complete complex biotechnological applications using advanced principles of chemistry, biology and biostatistics as well as basic principles of physics.
• Co-ordinate, implement and validate laboratory procedures to carry out quantitative and qualitative tests and analyses.
• Co-ordinate, implement and validate standard cell culture procedures under aseptic conditions.
• Co-ordinate, implement and validate molecular biology procedures.
• Manage biological data to support biological scientists and researchers in capturing, organizing/summarizing and storing data.
• Prepare, analyze, interpret, maintain and communicate scientific data effectively.
• Develop and present a strategic plan for ongoing personal and professional development to enhance work performance.
• Apply basic business principles to biotechnology practices.
• Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

Students also have the option to gain real-world experience through a paid co-operative education (co-op) work term (see Additional Information for more details). Please note that places in the co-op version of the program are subject to availability. Students who elect to apply to the non co-op version of the program may not have the opportunity to transfer to the co-op version at a later date.

The two-year Office Administration - Executive Ontario College Diploma program prepares you for a rewarding career as an administrative professional in the public or private sector.

Develop essential skills through extensive applied practice in a simulated office in the areas of human resources, social media, office management, domestic and international travel, event planning and finance. Enhance your MS Office suite abilities through document production, transcription, desktop publishing, accounting practices, and database and project management.

Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Conduct oneself professionally and adhere to relevant legislation, standards and codes of ethics.
• Manage the scheduling, coordination and organization of administrative tasks and workflow within specific deadlines and according to set priorities.
• Coordinate the collection, analysis, distribution and response to communications in the workplace to facilitate the flow of information.
• Operate and provide support related to the use, maintenance and procurement of office equipment and technologies.
• Evaluate, establish and administer a variety of records management systems* to ensure confidential, secure, accessible and organized electronic and paper records.
• Produce financial documents and reports by identifying and compiling relevant information and using accounting software.
• Prepare and produce a variety of business documents using available technologies and applying industry standards.
• Use interpersonal, leadership and client service skills to respond to diversity and to support the vision and mission of the organization.
• Research, analyze and summarize information on resources and services and prepare summary reports with recommendations.
• Select and use information technologies to support communication with internal and external stakeholders and to promote the organization.
• Organize and coordinate meetings, conferences, special events and make travel arrangements, including the preparation of related documentation.
• Support the implementation of projects by applying basic principles of project management.
• Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.