Diploma in Design and Manufacturing Engineering Technology

at Saskatchewan Polytechnic - Saskatoon Campus Canada

Agricultural Equipment Technicians diagnose, repair, modify, overhaul, service and maintain some of today’s most technologically advanced machines—tractors, combines, cultivators, seeders, sprayers. If you like working with ag equipment and troubleshooting mechanical problems, it’s a great career choice.

You’ll find your skills are in demand at leading equipment dealerships. You might work as a technician in a fully-equipped service centre or travel to farms and rural areas on service calls. You can also transfer your skills to other industries, such as mining and construction.

Agricultural Equipment Technician is a one-year certificate program offered at Saskatchewan Polytechnic Saskatoon campus . Get hands-on training in:

• Air conditioning, heating and electrical
• Engines, fuel systems, hydraulics, power trains
• Gas and arc welding
• Harvest, hay and forage equipment
• Onboard computer and global positioning systems (GPS)
• Seeding, tillage, sprayers and applicators
• Shop procedures and safety
• Tractor set-up and pre-delivery

If you enjoy working on cars and trucks, Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Automotive Service Technician program can fast-track you into a career. In less than a year, you could be working as a technician in an automotive shop, car and truck dealership, specialty shop, service station or transportation company.

You’ll need good problem-solving skills, mechanical aptitude and manual dexterity. At the end of the program, you’ll have transferable skills you can apply to other trades, including agricultural machinery technician, heavy duty equipment technician, truck and transport mechanic.

Automotive Service Technician is a one-year certificate program offered in Moose Jaw and Saskatoon. You’ll learn how to diagnose, repair, service and maintain advanced mechanical and electrical systems in today’s vehicles. Get practical, hands-on training in:

• body and trim
• brakes and chassis
• charging, ignition and starting systems
• clutches and drive lines
• electronics and electrical systems
• engine repair and rebuilding
• fuel and emission systems
• general shop procedures

Bioscience technologists use applied science to research problems and develop solutions to some of life's many important questions, ranging from food safety to new medicines. Saskatchewan Polytechnic's BioScience Technology program (formerly Biotechnology) is a two-year diploma program that emphasizes a hands-on style of learning. Your classroom time includes theory, practical exercises and labs. A four-week practicum gives you on-the-ground experience working in a laboratory, so at the end of your program you're ready for the workplace.

The program is designed to give you a strong foundation in both scientific principles and analytic practices. The emphasis is on developing your lab skills to prepare you for work in the biosciences, biomedical research and applied research fields.

You'll develop the skills you need to:

• Analyse DNA, RNA and protein samples
• Follow good laboratory practices (GLP) guidelines
• Handle and prepare laboratory chemicals
• Organize and supervise laboratory activities
• Record, process and report data
• Use analytical instruments
• Work with plants and animals in a research setting
• Work with microorganisms

Saskatchewan Polytechnic's one-year Early Childhood Education (ECE) certificate program gives you the knowledge and skills you need to work in a variety of child care settings. You can take the program in Prince Albert, Regina or Saskatoon , through regional colleges around the province, or through distance learning wherever you live.

The ECE program integrates current research on early childhood education into all of your courses. You’ll develop strong communication, observation and documentation skills. You’ll receive well-rounded training in:

• Child and adolescent development
• Child guidance techniques
• Role of early childhood educators
• Role of play in programming
• Values and practice of early childhood education

programming for creative arts, language, cognitive, social and emotional development
The emphasis on observation and documentation is market-driven - these are essential to building positive relationships with families, and employers are eager to hire grads with well-developed skills.

Working with Children

You’ll interact with young children throughout your program, thanks to Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s partnerships with community and campus child care centres. Saskatoon students also have access to a unique learning opportunity - 10% of all your courses are based on work in our Early Childhood Demonstration Centre.

At the end of your first and second semesters, you’ll also participate in practicums (i.e., 4 weeks and 6 weeks), in a child care or preschool setting. This real-world learning gives you a competitive edge in the workforce.

Want to Open More Doors?

When you graduate, you’re eligible to apply to become a licensed Level II Early Childhood Educator (ECE). Many child care centres and preschools only hire licensed ECEs. You can also go on to earn a diploma in Early Childhood Education with one more year of study. Or, you can transfer some of your credits to the University of Regina’s Bachelor of Education degree program in Elementary Education.

Part-time students may take the following courses prior to admission, but must apply and be accepted to the program thereafter, in order to graduate and receive a credential: COMM 291, ECE 106, ECE 142, EMPL 180, HUMD 100, and HUMD 183.

Demand for health-care workers is high, and that includes demand for continuing care assistants. If you enjoy caring for others, and if you want to get into the workforce quickly, Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Continuing Care Assistant program might be just what you’re looking for.

As a continuing care assistant, you’ll work directly with clients in long-term care, home care, assisted living, some areas in acute care, and even special needs classrooms. You’ll help them with mobility, personal care, assisting them to eat their meals, and medication monitoring. It’s a face-to-face, people-focused job.

The program combines hands-on classroom learning with practical clinical experience. You’ll build knowledge and skills in

• Addressing individual psychosocial needs;
• Administering personal care;
• Dementia management strategies;
• Gerontology (a major area of study);
• Long-term care philosophy in different settings;
• Promoting independence in a safe environment;
• Working with individuals with different physical and cognitive impairments; and/or
• Working with people of different cultures.

Your clinical work experiences will give you a taste of different work settings. Under the supervision of a buddy or staff member, you’ll work directly with clients in home care, long-term care and acute care settings. It’s a great way to build your skills and your confidence.

Does a career of working one-on-one with youth and families interest you? Check out the Youth Care Worker program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. You’ll find two options: the one-year certificate or the two-year diploma. Whichever you choose, you’ll need a steady personality, strong listening skills, compassion and respect for others.

Graduates of the one-year certificate program are qualified for jobs as youth or family service workers in educational, residential, social services or community-based agencies.

The one-year Youth Care Worker certificate program is offered full time at Saskatchewan Polytechnic Saskatoon campus and part time (some day and evening courses) through Continuing Education, Saskatchewan Polytechnic Regina Campus, as well as through distance education. Qualified instructors with experience in the field will help you develop the skills you need to build therapeutic relationships with children, youth and families. Your studies will focus on:

• Indigenous awareness;
• Addictions and the criminal justice system;
• Behavioural intervention strategies and therapeutic activities;
• Communication, employability and problem-solving skills;
• Crisis prevention/self-protection strategies;
• Health & wellness, human growth and development; and
• Planning and implementing activities.

Metal fabricator-welders are in high demand—in the oil patch, mining, manufacturing and construction. It’s a trade that requires a high level of skill and a comprehensive knowledge of industrial welding and joining processes. The payoff is high wages and good career mobility.

It's a great way to jump into the workforce … in either the welding or steel fabrication trade.

Fabricator-Welder is a one-year, dual certificate program offered at Regina and Saskatoon campuses. You’ll learn from experienced instructors how to interpret drawings and use different welding processes and metal forming machinery. Working in Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s well-equipped shops, you’ll be trained in:

• Benchwork and trade safety
• Communications, trade math and print reading
• Layout, template development and fitting
• Gas metal arc and gas tungsten arc welding
• Oxy-fuel processes and plasma arc cutting
• Rigging and electric overhead crane operation
• Shielded metal arc welding
• Shop management

You’ll also fabricate several projects, complete your Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) welder qualification tests and participate in a one-week work experience.

Leadership, volunteerism, social awareness—these are characteristics shared by people working in recreation and community development. It’s a growth industry, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic's new Recreation and Community Development program will help turn your passion into a dynamic career.

Be a recreation director, manager of sport, recreation and culture, community development officer, facility manager or special events manager. Your skills are in demand in rural and urban communities.
Recreation and Community Development (formerly Recreation and Tourism Management) is a two-year diploma program offered at Saskatchewan Polytechnic Saskatoon Campus. The comprehensive curriculum is relevant to real world trends, thanks to strong support from the industry. You’ll learn:

• Event planning
• Communication and computer skills
• Community and economic development
• Environmental sustainability
• Management skills
• Leadership skills
• Legal aspects
• Camp practices

With average class sizes of 20-25 students, you’ll enjoy a personalized learning experience and one-on-one time with instructors. You’ll gain both industry-specific knowledge and core management skills.

Today’s library technologist is tech-savvy, socially engaged and passionate about life-long learning. It’s a great career for anyone interested in literacy, learning and innovation.

Library techs are in demand—because libraries have become the go-to place for everything from traditional books to e-books, multi-media and online resources.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic's two-year Library and Information Technology diploma program has been developed in accordance with the Canadian Library Association Guidelines to address ongoing advances in technology and changing library user needs. Offered at our Saskatoon campus, the program prepares you to support librarians in any type of library—or to manage day-to-day operations on your own in a small library.

You’ll take a variety of introductory academic courses to familiarize yourself with a wide variety of subjects, from world history to literature. You’ll discuss the impact of new technologies, the political and economic factors impacting information sharing, the benefits and risks of digital storage, and more. Through lectures, labs and hands-on projects, you’ll develop knowledge and skills in:

• Acquisitions, circulation and interlibrary loans
• Archives and records management
• Computer-based and traditional library management
• Database searching and reference research
• Descriptive and subject cataloguing
• Programming and public relations
• Reader assistance
• Website design and social media

Take to the skies with Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s award-winning* Commercial Pilot program, offered in partnership with the Saskatchewan Aviation Council (SAC). The growing aviation industry means qualified pilots are in demand—there’s never been a better opportunity to build your career as a commercial pilot.

The Saskatchewan Polytechnic/SAC Commercial Pilot program is one of the most innovative, highly-respected programs in Canada. When you graduate, you’ll have your Commercial Pilot Licence with multi-engine instrument rating or single-engine instrument rating.

The Commercial Pilot diploma program provides a strong foundation in the basic principles of aviation. You’ll alternate two ground school training sessions at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Saskatoon Campus, Koyl Ave. with actual flying experience at your home flying school.

You’ll learn about:

• Advanced aircraft systems and flight operations
• Aircraft engines, instruments and pilot electronics
• Aviation business, crew resource management and cultural awareness
• Canadian aviation regulations
• Meteorology
• Instrument flying
• Navigation
• Theory of flight