Be Career Ready with Online Courses
Individuals who have immigrated to Canada sometimes face the prospect of starting a new career because their previous training and experience don’t mesh with Canadian regulations and systems or perhaps they see coming to their new country as the ideal time to look at different job options. It’s definitely a big challenge to explore a new career, but fortunately there are a number of career ready courses for immigrants that will make the transition easier.
What Career Education Options are Available Online?
Ensuring you have the right training is key to landing your first (and subsequent) job in your new career in Canada. It’s essential to identify online courses suited for immigrants so that you can research the various careers that may be of interest to you that will have an education program available when you decide which field to pursue. Knowing that the design of the online courses is a fit for immigrants helps as well because there are likely to be others in the program who are immigrants also going through the same need for education and change. Similarly, you’ll likely find a more straight-forward approach in the how the education is delivered because it will be designed as career ready courses for immigrants and it will focus on presenting the information in formats suitable for those who weren’t born in Canada.
A web search of online courses for immigrants may return education programs that focus heavily on ESL or simplified offerings. This isn’t for you. You’re looking for a career! Instead turn to programs delivered by institutions designed by leaders who understand the challenges faced by immigrants. For example at Ashton College, the focus is on career ready courses for immigrants and others in a wide range of fields. For online programs, this includes areas like bookkeeping, education assistant course, home inspection course, human resources management, immigration courses and red seal exam preparation. This gives immigrants the ability to upgrade their professional credentials in certain fields and/or explore new career options in other fulfilling areas.
Many post-secondary schools offer online courses suitable for immigrants so take the time to do the research and learn what is available and what most appeals to you in terms of your future career.
Why Online Courses for Immigrants?
Online courses are an excellent option for immigrants for the same reason they work well for anyone who is busy and is trying to earn a new education. For the most part, the biggest concern of both new immigrants and those who have been in Canada for a while, is flexibility. Usually, there is a need to balance education with family demands and a current job. That job may have unusual hours as shift work, may be part time or may fall on different days each week. Therefore having flexibility in course structure is perhaps the best thing an online program can deliver.
Online courses are offered in fairly standard formats. They include: video lectures, video labs and a course classroom communication platform. So long as you have access to a device with a video camera, microphone and internet access, you’ll be able to take part in the lectures and labs. These are generally offered live, or after the session as a recording, and include the instructor providing information and/or direction. Alongside the video will be a “chat box” where students can enter questions and interact with the instructor as well as with each other. This delivers a classroom-type environment where students can build off the education being shared.
Of course in a recorded session provided later, students will only be able to watch the video and see the comments made by students so the same synergy of learning isn’t possible, but for those who have to miss the online class now and then, there is no worry of losing out on the education. Plus, the course classroom platform allows for interaction between the lecture and lab sessions. Students are able to log in, see assignments, submit assignments, receive grades, ask questions, access learning materials and reach out to other individuals in the course, including the instructor. It’s essentially an interactive chat room for those in the program with the ability to upload and download files.
Eliminating Unnecessary Contact and Travel
Online learning is a wonderful option that ensures students are able to continue their education regardless of certain limiting challenges in the world and their environment. In an era where COVID-19 is a dominant topic, it’s important for students to know they can continue learning and be safe. Online education delivers the same top-quality information without the worry of maintaining physical distancing standards.
The online accessibility also eliminates the need to travel to a campus for regular lectures, labs or lessons. Some schools even offer exams online through the use of an online proctoring program. Because there is no need to travel to a campus constantly, students can take courses they otherwise would have overlooked due to a drive that was too far, lack of public transit, expense in parking and the time involved in getting there. All that is required in online learning is a trip to a desk, chair or couch with your device with internet access.
Perhaps one downside of online learning is that it does require students to be structured and consistent in how they apply themselves. They need to be prepared to fit in the lectures and labs as well as the required coursework within their own schedule. Therefore a certain amount of self-discipline is necessary.
If it’s time for you to pursue a new career, online education can open up a wide range of options and opportunities. It will take research to determine the right fit in terms of field and the education required and it will also take a high level of commitment, but online offerings give the flexibility many immigrant students need in order to bring a new focus into their lives while working around the demands of a busy daily life.
