Diploma of Professional Studies (DEP) in Health, Assistance and Nursing

at Lester B. Pearson School Board - Pearson Adult Career Centre (PACC) Canada

The Health Assistance & Nursing program prepares you with the skills to deliver health care to patients in order to support their optimal quality of life. Nursing assistants carry out a variety of essential tasks and are an important part of a health care team.

Our exciting learning spaces include interactive classrooms and laboratories that simulate a true to life hospital environment. Working in small groups, you will benefit from co-operative learning with your classmates. All of our teachers are former nurses and they share their experience through hands on learning and support. Learning theory is complemented by real world experience in a hospital setting through our student placement program.

Skills you will learn:

• Care of patients
• How to administer medication and perform medical procedures
• Understanding how body systems work
• CPR and PDSB

The Pastry Making Program teaches you to prepare, cook, decorate, and present pastries and desserts. You will explore the latest trends and techniques in the fine art of pastry making.

Our seasoned teaching staff are food industry experts and accomplished chefs, and we are the Centre of Expertise in Quebec for the food industry. We will guide you step by step in the creation of beautiful pastries. From chocolate bon bons, to soufflés, to amazing showpieces, you will learn a broad range of skills. We prepare you for a career as a caterer, shop owner, pastry chef, baker and chocolatier to name just a few possible career choices. Our state of the art cooking facility is set up with the latest equipment and we encourage you to collaborate with your classmates as you learn. You will complete your studies with a stage in the food industry to gain real world, first hand experience.

Skills you will learn

• Traditional French pastries and contemporary cooking techniques
• Understanding pastry products and ingredients
• Time management and working in teams

Professional Cooking is a fast-paced and hands-on program that readies you for an exciting career in the food industry. Home cooks, food lovers, or aspiring chefs learn the latest cooking techniques at the premiere Quebec Centre of Expertise for the culinary cooking arts.

You will work with our seasoned chef instructors in our state of the art facilities. Through hands-on and collaborative learning you discover how to translate your passion for food into a professional career. Our professional cooks gain the knowledge and ability to manage all facets of food preparation, from mise en place, to service, to food preparation and menu creation. We guide you step by step through our easy to learn cooking modules. You will have the opportunity to cook for guests in our Le Saucier dining room, as well as train in some of the top Montreal restaurants as part of our student placement program.

Skills you will learn

• Blending a range of ingredients and food types
• Different styles of international cooking
• Professional skills to work in or start up your own food related business

The Pharmacy Technical Assistant program prepares you to work with a pharmacist in either a private pharmacy, community setting, or in a health care establishment. The main role of a pharmacy technical assistant is to help the pharmacist in issuing prescriptions, maintaining and updating patient files, as well as the sale of medications and pharmaceutical products.

Our teachers are industry experts and provide you with hands on training in a friendly environment. Our program blends theoretical learning with real world education, as well as training students on the latest computer based management programs. We work with you to make sure you successfully transition into a professional career.

Skills you will learn:

• Preparing various forms of medication
• Using specialized software programs
• Preparing and filling prescriptions

The Bread Making program is designed for food lovers who want to learn the art of making artisanal breads from scratch. Our program readies you for an exciting career in the food industry or complements the skills of the aspiring chef.

Discover the taste, touch and smell of perfectly baked bread. Our experienced teachers guide you step by step through the creative process as well as the science behind bread making. Learning is very hands-on and collaborative. You will work in small groups and knead, shape, and bake your way to the perfect loaf of bread. Our partnership program with Première Moisson provides you with the opportunity to apply your newly learned skills in a real world setting. We are proud to be the Centre of Expertise in Quebec for the culinary cooking arts.

Skills you will learn

• The chemistry of successful bread making
• The use of basic ingredients and seasonings
• Developing a palette for great tasting bread

The Dental Assistance program will train you to perform chairside assisting procedures and related office and laboratory tasks under the direction and supervision of a licensed dentist. Dental assistants ensure that everything is ready for the day’s treatments, including preparing instruments and materials required by the dentist.

Our state of the art dental clinic is the perfect environment in which to learn. You will be encouraged to collaborate with classmates as you explore dental theory and learn the latest dental techniques. Our dedicated and experienced teachers help you every step of the way as you make your journey from student to professional dental assistant. We are the only English language public dental assisting program in Quebec. We have been training dental assistants for over 30 years and we are an integral part of Montreal’s dental community.

Skills you will learn:

• Patient care duties, such as post operative and oral hygiene instruction
• Assisting skills for a variety of dental treatments
• Techniques for sterilization and disinfection and preparing treatment rooms
• Dental charting and maintaining patient records

The Institutional and Home Care Assistance program prepares students to practice the occupation of a health care attendant in the public and private health care sectors. Institutional and Home Care Assistants provide care, support or guide clients in organizing and carrying out activities of daily living.

Learning is a combination of theory and practical competencies.  Our exciting learning spaces include interactive classrooms and laboratories that simulate a true working environment.  All our teachers are health care professionals who share their experience through hands-on learning and support. 

645 hours of theory in the Centre, is complemented with 225 hours of industry training in an institutional or home care setting in the public or private sector, for a total of 870 hours.  Graduates may work in the public, private or community health networks.

Skills you will learn:

• How to provide basic care and assistance with activities of daily living
• PDSB (Principes de déplacement sécuritaire des bénéficiaires)
• We are ASSTSAS acredited (Association paritaire pour la santé et la sécurité du travail du secteur affaires sociales)
• First Aid 
• Administration of medication
• Distribution of medication
• Basic invasive care

The Professional Sales program is designed for the student who wants to develop the skills to become a successful sales person. The Professional Sales Program trains students in the sales of products or services, to offer solutions that correspond to their customers’ needs, to provide advice, establish a climate of trust and build customer loyalty by offering personalized service that meets customer expectations.

Our teachers are accomplished business leaders who guide you step by step through the program. A combination of multimedia, lectures, and guest speakers provides you with a curriculum that covers the skills you need to learn in sales. You will have the opportunity to network with experienced sales people who will share their real world experience. Students learn from actual case studies and have the opportunity to get on the job experience with two internships (stages). The flexible hours and part-time schedule allows students to enroll in the program while managing other personal and work related commitments.

Skills you will learn:

• Greeting customers
• Applying sales techniques
• Closing a sale
• Setting up merchandising displays
• Organizing promotions
• Taking inventory
• Using cash register and computerized sales system

The Secretarial Studies program teaches you a broad range of skills and readies you to take on a career in an office setting. Expertise in writing and formatting business documents, in bookkeeping, and in word processing makes administrative professionals indispensable to almost every type of business.

All of our classrooms are equipped with the latest technology and business software. Our teachers are seasoned experts who understand business dynamics and how to thrive as a working professional. You will work independently and in small groups and will be encouraged to build new skills through collaboration, sharing, and hands-on learning.

Skills you will learn

• Latest business software.
• Business meeting management, effective business correspondence, desktop publishing techniques, basic accounting procedures, and French language correspondence.
• Leadership and teamwork building, interpersonal communication, and effective time management strategies.

The Retail Butchery program teaches you the processes and products associated with all things meat. From understanding the whole animal to exploring the finest cuts, you will learn all of the skills necessary to take on a career in the food industry.

Our program is mostly focused on hands-on learning. Our seasoned butchery experts guide you step by step through cutting and preparing techniques in our state of the art kitchens. You will also learn about the history of butchery, and explore a range of meats from beef, veal, pork, lamb and chicken. We’re proud to have the only bilingual butchery program in Quebec and a very high rate of student success. Beyond the classroom, we help you transition into a career through our placement program which provides you work experience in a real world setting. We are proud to be the Centre of Expertise in Quebec for the culinary cooking arts.

Skills you will learn

• Everything to do with meat from the farm to the counter, including charcuterie products
• Cutting operations for different types of meats
• Working with meat related machines (slicers, grinders, and cutters)