Certificate in Office Administration - General

at Centennial College - Progress Campus Canada

Centennial College's Pre-Business program will help you to discover your path in the business world. If you're looking to enter a program within The Business School but may not currently meet the admission requirements, you can apply directly to this business certificate program or it may be offered to you as a recommended alternative.

During the two-semester Pre-Business program, you'll work to build your fundamental business skills while exploring your career and educational options. As such, you'll complete courses in:

• Communications
• Mathematics
• Microsoft Office
• Canadian and international business practices
• Strategies for business success
• Accounting fundamentals

A supportive learning environment in small classes, with additional advising opportunities to learn about potential pathways for future success will ensure you're prepared for further education.

Upon successful completion of the Pre-Business program, you'll be eligible to transfer, with credits, to a diploma or advanced diploma program within The Business School. Among these programs are Accounting, Marketing, Business, Supply Chain and Operations and International Business. Additionally, you'll be able to take your newly acquired skills to entry-level positions in the workplace.

Centennial College's Culinary Skills program is well-rounded and will take just one year to complete. This college certificate program will emphasize a culinary skills foundation while sourcing local Ontario food products and teaching the art of seasonal cooking.

From industry-leading chef faculty members, you'll learn to prepare exquisite menus and dishes inspired by global food trends and flavours. These dedicated instructors will provide you with the  hands-on training and learning experiences that will ensure you master culinary fundamentals, ingredients, food preparation and all of the other skills required to enter this exciting industry. This training will take place in culinary labs, including Centennial College's cafe, restaurant and event centre. You'll also come to understand that a career in the culinary field is fueled by passion and rewarded through skill development.

Program Highlights

• This Culinary Skills program offers you exclusive experiential learning opportunities in new state-of-the-art kitchens, bake labs, restaurant, a cafe and event centre.
• You learn from instructors who have years of industry experience.
• The hands-on practice in a range of settings ensures you are prepared for multiple facets of the industry.
• Graduates of the Culinary Skills program can transition directly into the Culinary Management diploma program.

The two-semester Bookkeeping program at Centennial College will allow you to earn a certificate that will serve as a pathway to the Certified Bookkeeper designation from the Canadian Institute of Bookkeeping (CIB). Membership in the CIB will open the door to a variety of positions, including bookkeeper, accounts receivable/payable supervisor, payroll administrator and office manager.

Once you complete this certificate program, you'll also be eligible to transfer, with credits, into Centennial's two-or three-year Accounting programs to earn a diploma or advanced diploma.

In just two semesters, Centennial College's Marketing Management program will prepare you to become a marketing professional who carries out a broad range of marketing functions within business, government and not-for-profit organizations.

This Business graduate certificate program will cover marketing management along with related subjects in brand management, marketing project management, digital marketing, marketing services, integrated marketing communications, marketing research and international marketing strategy. As a result, you'll develop a solid understanding of domestic and international marketing issues.

Once you graduate, you'll be able to employ analytical, decision-making, organizational and communications skills to support the marketing activities of a wide variety of organizations. You may also continue your studies in a specialized area such as research and analytics or corporate account management.

In today's competitive marketplace, it's essential that every business develops, implements and monitors a strong marketing plan. Environmental factors such as evolving technology, societal and sustainable needs, demographic trends, regulatory changes and intense competition continue to challenge the marketing function to provide more return to an organization's various stakeholders. Understanding what customers want and providing products and services to them is the essence of marketing. This challenging graduate certificate program will give you with the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills applicable to today's workforce.

The goal of the Recreation and Leisure Services program is to teach students how to improve the quality of life for all citizens by developing healthy communities. The courses in this college diploma program are based on a curriculum that meets the demands of the ever-growing and in-demand recreation and leisure field. Throughout their studies, students will conduct needs assessments, create risk management plans, develop business plans and practice grant proposal writing, and plan and implement recreation programs for people of all ages and abilities. In addition, students will complete 880 hours of supervised field placement, which helps develop critical practical skills through the integration of classroom learning into real-life situations.

Program Highlights

• Courses include: Program Planning, Community Development, Recreation Management and Marketing, Inclusive Recreation, Gerontology, Child & Youth Development, and more!
• Supervised field placements take place in the second semester (two days a week), and in the third and fourth semesters (three days a week).
• An example of industry partners who host field placements include, but are not limited to: The Centre for Dreams, Viva Pickering, Bridgepoint Health, Sienna Living (various locations), the City of Toronto, the City of Markham, Variety Village, and Crescent Town Club.
• Students will have the opportunity to participate in supplemental training sessions, such as Sensory Training and High Five’s Principles of Healthy Child Development and Quest 2.
• Parks and Recreation Ontario (PRO) offers two province-wide student awards during its annual educational forum to students in their graduating year. Centennial College Recreation and Leisure Services graduates have captured these prestigious awards for 13 consecutive years (2007 to 2019).
• Established by the 2011 graduation class, the Sandy Foster Student Award of Merit is awarded annually to one student entering the second year of the Recreation and Leisure Services Program at Centennial College. This award recognizes a student who consistently demonstrates a commitment to their studies and a passion for recreation and carries a $2000.00 cash value.
• There is another bursary.

As a Recreation and Leisure graduate, you will be able to reliably demonstrate the ability to:

• Develop, implement and evaluate inclusive recreation, leisure and wellness programs and events for individuals, groups and communities that respond to assessed needs, interests, abilities and that use available resources and incorporate best practices.
• Apply administrative and customer service skills to support the delivery of recreation, leisure and wellness programs, events and services.
• Analyse, develop and implement marketing strategies to reach diverse individuals, groups and communities for programs, events, services and facilities using current communication technologies.
• Contribute to the development of fiscally sustainable and responsible recreation, leisure and wellness programs, events and services using current and relevant principles and practices of business, finance and social entrepreneurship.
• Supervise, lead and support the development of staff and volunteers involved with recreation, leisure and wellness programs, events and services.
• Apply safety and accessibility practices to the efficient operation and administration of recreation and leisure facilities and settings.
• Promote the benefits and values of recreation, leisure and healthy active living and recommend inclusive programs, events and services to individuals and groups.
• Apply community development strategies that engage citizens and community partners while advocating for healthy communities.
• Develop strategies for ongoing personal and professional development as a recreation and leisure services professional.

The Baking Skills program has been specifically designed to meet industry demands for professional bakers. Whether you aspire to work within a large company or want to pursue your own baking business, the fundamental baking skills you'll learn in this culinary arts program will get you there.

You'll hone the skills employers are looking for in Centennial College's baking and pastry labs, which include a one-of-a-kind commercial bake lab as well as a cafe, restaurant and event centre. From covering fine decorating and finishing skills to large quantity production techniques, this program will make you work-ready upon graduation. To further increase your employability, you'll leave the Baking Skills program with important industry certifications such as Smart Serve, Safe Food Handlers and CPR.

Program Highlights

• The Baking Skills program features the type of experiential learning opportunities that prepare you for a range of scenarios you may encounter in your career.
• Progress campus houses state-of-the-art live labs that include a lab specially designed for commercial baking, culinary labs, a restaurant, a cafe and an event centre.
• The realistic, practical experiences within the offering truly set you apart from the competition.
• Graduates from the Baking Skills program can transition directly into the second year of the Baking and Pastry Arts Management Program.

Centennial College's International Business Management program will ensure you obtain the key industry knowledge to successfully conduct business on a global scale in any international corporate environment.

This college program will offer a unique global perspective on business, as the field will require you to have knowledge of specialized international business management topics such as:

• International business law
• International finance and banking
• International marketing
• International entrepreneurship and innovation
• Global business research and analysis
• International business planning
• Corporate social responsibility and international development
• Business networking

As you become familiar with these topics in the International Business Management graduate certificate program, you'll also take core business courses such as project management and business communications.

To ensure you're career-ready upon graduation, the offering will feature a practical approach that will include gaining technical knowledge and skills through hands-on learning. A full-time 14-week experiential learning opportunity (internship) with a participating organization will further round out your industry knowledge and experience in international business.

Centennial College's Business – Marketing program will prepare you to be the essential link between an organization and its customer base. You'll start this certificate program by learning business basics such as accounting, organizational behaviour, business software, customer service and international business. These topics will create a solid foundation for the marketing courses and topics that will follow, including:

• Marketing theory and case-based problem solving;
• Marketing communications, which will include advertising and promotion;
• Account management;
• Sales and service.

In addition to classroom theory led by experienced faculty members, the Business – Marketing program will employ a hands-on learning approach. You'll explore the various areas of marketing through case studies, guest lectures, presentations, projects, computer simulations and technologies.

Centennial College's two-year Mechanical Engineering Technician – Design program will combine strong conceptual thinking with a practical knowledge of machines and how they work. You'll learn engineering theory and develop computer-assisted drafting and computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) skills.

The courses in this engineering diploma program will employ a project-based approach to learning. This will include working in small groups on specific projects, learning how to plan, schedule, create, design and build as a team.

You'll have the choice of continuing into a third-year Technology option and specializing in modern manufacturing and production processes.

Program Highlights

• In the Mechanical Engineering Technician – Design program you gain experience in machine shop operation, tool design and computer numerical control programming.
• Industry-current computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software instruction as AutoCAD, Inventor, SolidWorks and Mastercam is included.
• This program uses state-of-the-art CAD/CAM equipment.
• There is a 60-40 balance between theory and practice.
• The project-driven program gives you practical experience in designing, building and testing an original piece of equipment.
• The project approach simulates actual workplace assignments.

If you're fascinated with law and crime and want to help at-risk people and communities, the Community and Justice Services program is for you. 

Facilitated by the School of Community and Health Studies, Community and Justice Services courses will help you to gain the expert knowledge and practical skills to work in diverse settings that address youth and adult populations that are at risk, currently incarcerated involved with the criminal justice system, or involved in rehabilitation programs.

In this diploma program, emphasis will be placed on:

• Prevention, intervention and rehabilitative strategies
• Practical communication
• Treatment approaches
• Group dynamics
• Program development and facilitation
• Case management and security skills

This program will include more than 400 hours of placement in and around Greater Toronto Area jails, group homes, community centres, courthouses and schools.

Program Highlights

• Active participation in the Community and Justice Services program is essential as you'll learn counselling, case management, risk assessment, care and control, and crisis and suicide intervention skills.
• You'll develop a professional portfolio.
• The third and fourth semesters will include field placements two days a week, with the other three days spent in class.
• The Community and Justice Services program has forged connections to the field that will provide you with an exceptional field placement learning experience and employment opportunities.
• Hands-on experience, work with diverse client groups in a variety of settings, and exposure to the criminal justice and community services field will open doors to the employment market.

As a Community and Justice Services graduate, you'll demonstrate the ability to:

• Communicate in a manner consistent with professional ethics and practice, and a respect for self, others, and relevant law, policies and legislation.
• Employ all relevant static and dynamic safety and security techniques to ensure the protection of the public, staff, and clients in institutional, residential, and community settings.
• Intervene with clients, individually and in groups, in order to address and manage barriers to promote inclusion, positive growth and personal development.c
• Collect information, observe, monitor, record and assess client behaviour accurately in compliance with legal and organizational requirements.
• Assist in the prevention, management and resolution of conflict, crises, and emergency situations using intervention strategies as prescribed by relevant legislative requirements and industry standards and/or certification.
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with colleagues, supervisors and community justice stakeholders to maintain a productive, professional and safe working environment.
• Engage in program planning, implementation, assessment, and evaluation to meet the needs of clients, staff, community and administration within the context of an interdisciplinary setting.
• Apply knowledge of the history, philosophy, and diverse models of corrective action, of detention, rehabilitation, and reintegration to decision-making and institutional practices.
• Develop and implement self-care strategies using self-awareness, self-inquiry and reflection.
• Work in a manner consistent with professional ethics demonstrating respect for self, others and relevant legislation, policies and procedures in a multi-disciplinary workplace.
• Assess and respond to the strengths and needs of clients, including complex responses impacted by mental health, addictions and other social factors in order to support and promote positive change.
• Promote inclusive practices within community and justice services to increase understanding within the community and meet the needs of diverse populations.
• Propose innovative solutions to address gaps in programs/services in the criminal justice sector through collaborations with community partners.
• Discuss how to engage in decolonizing actions within the professions of Community and Justice Services in the collective pursuit of reconciliation.