Certificate of General Arts and Science - One Year

at Conestoga College - Brantford Campus Canada

If you enjoy troubleshooting complex problems, utilizing some of the latest technology and working with your hands, consider taking a program leading to a career as an automotive service technician. Through a combination of hands-on activities and theory-based classes, graduates from the Motive Power Fundamentals - Automotive Repair certificate program are well-positioned to enter and be successful working in this trade area. Throughout the duration of your program, you will develop a strong foundation of technical skills needed for the automotive field.
You will develop safe working practices in the use of tools, machinery, and equipment and will apply fundamental communication, documentation, information technology, and computer skills to support a motive power-related work environment. To round out your training, you will be introduced to the basics of running a motive power business and relevant legal issues.
As a graduate of the certificate program, you will have an opportunity to receive automatic exemption from Level 1 of the Automotive Service Technician apprenticeship in-school training should you choose to pursue that career pathway.

Accelerate your career by learning best practices, tools, techniques and cutting-edge technologies to be a successful Business Analyst in today's data-driven digital economy. The role of the business analyst is evolving from just gathering requirements to one helping align and drive organizational strategy. In this Ontario College Graduate Certificate program, you will discover how to enable change in an organization by articulating needs and recommending solutions that deliver value to stakeholders. You will develop the ability to write detailed requirements for system changes and enhancements and ensure system changes are well tested by developing test cases and managing defect resolution along with coordinating user acceptance testing. A solid grasp of the end-to-end process of making effective decisions with data will give you an edge to facilitate enhanced decision making. In addition, you will learn leading industry software to build a solid skills portfolio in data modelling, emerging technologies, project management, and change and risk management.

Recognition of the need for managers with sustainability expertise continues to grow as local and global organizations are re-positioning sustainability as a central value. The Sustainable Business Management graduate certificate program provides students with the diverse skill set needed to succeed in this dynamic and exciting field. Whether developing a new product or service, enhancing an existing one through a triple bottom-line approach, leading an organization to more sustainable operations or managing change and promoting engagement for sustainability, graduates will be able to apply their skills in a variety of settings. Students are provided with flexible project options, including opportunities to work with local clients and community partners in developing plans to generate greater value, enhanced corporate responsibility and innovative marketing solutions. Students may also take advantage of experiential learning opportunities that extend beyond the classroom, such as volunteering at a local sustainability-oriented organization, and attending field trips, workshops and networking events. Upon program completion, graduates will be well positioned to write the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) exam and become a Sustainability Associate (SA). The optional co-op stream includes one co-op work term.

The Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness (OHSW) graduate program provides a focused body of knowledge and skills for individuals interested in developing and building their knowledge and skills in occupational health, safety and wellness. In today's work environment, a balance of work and personal wellness is critical from both the personal and organizational perspective. The workplace is a priority target setting for health promotion initiatives as set out by the World Health Organization, with the end goals of protecting and promoting both individual and organizational well-being. Therefore, employers are required to manage occupational health, safety and wellness from a legal perspective, and have moral and ethical imperatives to do so. Additionally, there is an economic advantage to employers who seek to maximize productivity and engagement in the workplace since healthy workers are more productive, more engaged, and have lower absenteeism and presenteeism rates.

The program is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in how occupational health, safety and wellness initiatives can be developed and implemented in businesses and organizations to address these imperatives. Students will research and analyze existing health, safety and wellness trends and utilize that research to develop programs that address health, safety and wellness concerns within the workplace.

In just 30 weeks, graduates of the Reception and Customer Service program are prepared to assume roles in a front desk or customer service role. You will develop the skills and strategies required to interact with customers in a professional and appropriate manner in a diverse business environment. This Ontario College Certificate program prepares you to use various office equipment and technologies, while gaining hands-on experience in customer engagement, scheduling appointments, document system maintenance, and purchasing and inventory management. Through a variety of projects, case studies and interactive learning opportunities, you will develop the workplace interpersonal skills needed to support all phases of your career. A field placement is included; allowing you to translate theoretical knowledge from the classroom into applied practice in a workplace setting.

Program Outcomes

• Employ customer service strategies, practices, techniques and technologies for reception and front office administration to perform various required tasks specific to the role both individually and as part of a customer service team.
• Build rapport with customers and team members using relevant communication styles and strategies to provide professional customer care.
• Manage various customer service and collaborative situations using interpersonal skills, critical thinking strategies, and relevant negotiation and conflict resolution skills to ensure a professional level of customer care.
• Support business needs specific to the role using the IT tools available to produce documents, electronic communications, spreadsheets and presentations.
• Evaluate career-related personal values, strengths, and opportunities to support career goals and the development of a personal and professional career plan.
• Employ professional workplace behaviours to locate and maintain work in a variety of environments and successfully manage workplace expectations.
• Adhere to workplace laws, organizational structure, and ethics that impact job maintenance and employee rights and responsibilities

With the current pace of construction in Ontario, there is a high demand for skilled equipment operators to support this industry. Completion of the Heavy Construction Equipment Operation program will position you for success in the industry. This program includes a significant amount of hands-on experience, safely performing basic maintenance and operating various pieces of large equipment at one of our two program locations (South Guelph or Brantford Airport). You will also be exposed to compact equipment and paving operations. This practical experience is complemented with related theory including environmental practices, soils, concrete and asphalt, surveying and site plans. By the end of the program, you will be well-prepared for success as you enter employment in the heavy construction and paving industries as an equipment operator. As a graduate of this program, you will have the opportunity to receive automatic exemption from all of the apprenticeship in-school training for the three Heavy Equipment Operator trades (Tractor-Loader-Backhoe, Excavator, Dozer) should you choose to pursue that career pathway.

This one-year certificate program is designed for students who wish to acquire a general education in the arts and sciences while having the flexibility to explore further educational options within the college or pursuing a degree at a local university. Students will acquire knowledge and skills in communication, critical thinking and research, while exploring contemporary issues in today's global society. Students will select and explore a topic of interest through the construction of a research project, paper, and portfolio that culminates in a presentation to an audience. During this program, students will participate in a course that will enable them to discover career opportunities. In the second semester, students will consult with their program coordinator to select from a variety of post-secondary courses in disciplines of their choice. The program is designed to allow students to explore options that meet future academic goals either through selecting courses in a major discipline or courses eligible for credit transfer to local university partners (courses are subject to availability). After successful completion of this program, students may wish to transfer to the Two-year General Arts and Science Diploma program, apply to programs within Conestoga College, or pursue further education at other institutions.

Customers today want all information to be accessible on a website and they want that information fast. This four-semester Ontario College Graduate Certificate program is designed to provide hands-on, comprehensive training for those who desire to work in the field of web-centric business application development. The primary focus of the program is on user-centered design supported by extensive back-end programming and front-end use of graphic design, multimedia, video, animation, and e-commerce applications to facilitate a fully functional website. Students will apply human interface guidelines, standard-based structures, and design and development principles to create accessible, usable, and captivating web experiences geared to today’s marketplace.

Today's manufacturing sector requires highly skilled individuals with in-depth knowledge of current quality assurance and management practices. If you have the desire to be part of a quality movement, and want hands-on experience with the tools to support your career goals, then this program will be of interest to you. This two-semester Quality Assurance Manufacturing and Management Ontario College Graduate Certificate will provide you with the knowledge and techniques to improve the delivery and quality of goods and services. This program focuses on the use of modern quality improvement methods that support the achievement of performance excellence in manufacturing and associated business processes. A combination of theoretical and practical learning opportunities will prepare you for a variety of management and quality assurance organizational opportunities.

Program Outcomes

• Implement and document quality processes that ensure conformance to international quality standards.
• Evaluate the results of experiments for process improvement and product development to form recommendations using various process improvement tools.
• Evaluate quality issues, opportunities, and performance metrics using current and relevant tools such as Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Root Cause Analysis.
• Lead advanced product quality planning activities in an industrial environment using accepted quality assurance techniques including Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP).
• Plan the implementation of quality management processes within an industrial organization using accepted philosophies.
• Select the correct device or instrument to accurately measure product parameters and conduct a Measurement System Analysis (MSA).
• Conduct audits for Quality and Environmental systems in order to report findings and recommendations to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Apply test procedures and techniques to confirm that product design requirements are met.
• Communicate technical information effectively to customers and various internal stakeholders in management, engineering, manufacturing, marketing, and sales.
• Interpret information from a variety of technical and specialized sources to support quality processes.

This advanced-level graduate certificate program provides individuals with the knowledge and techniques to improve the delivery and quality of products and services. The material that is taught in this program can be applied within any area of an organization. The focus of this program is on the achievement of performance excellence through the use of modern quality improvement methods. The program develops the skills required to perform process quality roles in a broad range of organizations and sectors.The program content aligns favourably with selected American Society of Quality's (ASQ) Bodies of Knowledge. This program is non-industry specific as it provides the proficiencies demanded by organizations in today’s market place.