News

Sometimes, you fluke into a job on the first try. More often than not, however, finding employment is a time-consuming challenge, one made more daunting when you start finding you don't have the necessary qualifications for the types of work you want. There's nothing worse than attending a job interview only to discover you're perfect for the job but for the fact you don't have a specific certification the company requires.

Luckily, Grace Community College specializes in helping people from all backgrounds acquire the certifications they need to land the job they want.

Sean Welch, Director of Training, says the new Grace Community College is currently offering a variety of certifications in five key areas: first aid (O.S.A., WCB, Standard, CPR), safety (WHMIS, T.D.G., Foodsafe, Worksafe), security (BST 1& 2), mobile equipment (forklift) and tourism (SuperHost). However, the school has plans to expand course offerings significantly in the coming months as government approval for several in-depth training programs comes to fruition.

"Our goal," says Sean, "is to give people opportunities for employment in the short-term, as well as life-long learning."

He says people should always be looking to improve themselves so they can find a job, keep a job, or advance in their career.

"That's just the way it is today. You need to keep educating yourself so you will never have to worry about being unemployed."

Sean says his own career has been a classic example of not having the right certifications when seeking work. He knows the difficulties people have because he himself has lost opportunities. At one point he decided to go out and get as many certifications as he could so that situation could never arise again. It was that experience of getting educated, combined with an interest in health and safety issues that came as a result of a motorcycle accident in 1986, that prompted him to start developing his training concept.

"I've taken the best from every job and training program I've ever had, and combined it all to create the programs we use at Grace Community College. We use all new equipment, in a very comfortable classroom, with the latest technology, to provide superior training.

"We also specialize in offering all of our programs to people with varying backgrounds, including those who have English as a second language. Such people often have difficulty finding courses they can take because other schools aren't always so accommodating, but the people backing Grace Community College financially believe everyone must have the same opportunities to succeed.

"Our philosophy is that once you have the education, they can never take it away from you. When you invest in yourself, it pays. We want to provide as many opportunities as we can under one roof."