Minds on.

Alasie is a 37 year-old single mother who has worked in the same job for thirteen years. While she tolerates her work, it no longer brings her the satisfaction and enjoyment it once did. Lately Alasie has found the challenge to be missing - the routine has become more and more mundane and, some days, she finds it difficult to stay motivated. On the horizon, Alasie sees no opportunity for advancement, movement, or change, particularly now that it appears her office might be closing. Given her seniority, she could always relocate to another office, but that would mean moving and pulling her daughter from her school, activities, and away from her friends. As well, the convenience of being in the same town as her sister and parents has made the challenges of being a single mother more manageable: another convenience she would hate to give up.

Alasie has often thought about pursuing a different career and she has an idea of the field which interests her. Given her responsibilities, however, she is not sure how undertaking this new endeavour would be possible.

Think About It: The Pursuit of Postsecondary Education

It is apparent that Alasie has career aspirations. She is well aware that a postsecondary education is the vehicle that will take her from where she is now to where she wants to be. Understandably, however, Alasie is fearful that her aspirations and goals may be unrealistic, given her current circumstances.

What are your thoughts? Are Alashie’s goals unrealistic or unachievable?

What are the the factors that Alasie will need to consider when pursuing postsecondary education? What are the supports and services that are available to Alasie to assist her in undertaking this endeavour?

Action.

Learn About It: Postsecondary Education

The value of postsecondary education… People who enter the trades, or earn a certificate, diploma or degree at a college, polytechnic or university, tend to earn more money and enjoy more stable employment than those who only finish high school. The lessons you learn in the classroom, or on the job site, will give you the edge that employers are looking for.

Government of Canada
This a cartoon-like image of a straight highway disappearing in the distance into a blue horizon. Underneath it, however, is a convoluted web of overpasses and underpasses, as well as yellow yield signs, each containing an arrow pointing to the left or right.

With so many options, how does one decide? It’s easy: simply plan your path and follow the signs.

Establishing a career goal, plotting your course, and embarking on the journey requires, as we have learned, careful and intentional planning. To add an additional layer, consider that for each occupation there are numerous education and training programs that will help you gain employment in that field. Fortunately, there are people (such as guidance counselors, career counselors, employment services and agencies, workers in the field, etc.) who can help. Of course, it will also take some initiative, investigation, and decision-making on your behalf because, in the end, nobody knows you better than you do.

Consider your current career aspirations. What do you hope to be doing for a living in the future? In this activity, you will locate and investigate different education or training programs that will prepare you for an occupation in your chosen field.

Let’s start by narrowing the possibilities. What type of program interests you? Is it offered through university, college, or an apprenticeship?

Learn About It: Apprenticeship

If you are unsure of what training is required, start by finding out if the career is a skilled trade. If it is, there are generally two pathways you can follow: a full college program or an apprenticeship program.

As an apprentice, you learn a skilled trade on the job. You work under the direction of experienced workers – and get paid while you do it.

You also learn in a classroom, from instructors who know the trade. This part of an apprenticeship may take place on a college campus or in a union training centre. There are usually two or three levels of classroom training for each trade.

For most trades you work for a year, then switch to studying in class for eight to twelve weeks, either full or part time. It takes between two and five years to complete an apprenticeship.

This is an image of a welder completing a small weld job.

Apprentices earn while they learn, meaning their training consists of both blocks of
classroom learning, as well as paid work placements at which they are paired with a certified tradesperson.

To prepare for the tasks that follow, you will first spend some time investigating a number of very valuable sites and services. It is important to review them carefully:  do not simply skim through these sections.

Take a few moments to visit the following websites and learn more about apprenticeships in Ontario to see if an apprenticeship is an option for the career you wish to pursue. If so, also try to determine if you qualify:

Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development: Start an Apprenticeship

Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development: Prepare for an Apprenticeship

Learn About It: College and University

This is an image of a large auditorium taken from the back. Most of the seats are filled with students who are listening to math lecturer who stands behind a lectern. Two projectors are casting large images of mathematical equations behind the lecturer.

Occasionally, college and university lectures are delivered in large auditoriums.

If an apprenticeship is not an option for the career you wish to pursue, or if it is an option but you prefer to go the full college route, you will need to turn your attention to colleges and universities. Take some time to explore the following Government of Canada and Government of Ontario sites and services.

The following Government of Canada site will provide detailed information on graduates of educational and training programs, information on specific programs offered by particular institutions and information on funding through grants, bonuses, bursaries, scholarships, and loans:

Government of Canada: Explore Careers by Education Program

Below are two Government of Ontario sites that will provide you with general information on colleges and universities, particularly those located in Ontario, and the programs they offer:

Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities: Ontario Colleges

Ontario Ministry of Training, College and Universities: Ontario Universities

Next, let’s turn to a non-government site, Schoolfinder.com, that is an excellent source of information on careers, their requirements, and programs of study. To access all of its functionality, such as comparing programs, you will need to create a free account (it only takes a moment and is well worth it)... Take some time to become familiar with this excellent resource.

Try different searches (e.g., Try searching by Career, by Program, and by School) and also try the ‘Refine Results’ function and the ‘Compare’ feature.

Alternatively, or in addition to this, you may also use Career Cruising or My Blueprint (whichever is available in your school).

Work With It: Portfolio - Choosing a Postsecondary Program

This is an image of an empty grey lobby with several doors that the end. The doors in the centre of have a spotlight on them, making them appear more prominent in the image. One of these doors is red, while all others in the image are grey.

With so many options available, how do you decide which institution and which program is best for you?

You have two options for this task:

Option 1: Apprenticeship Pathway

If you are interested in pursuing your career aspirations via the apprenticeship route, construct a written plan (approximately 500 words), a slideshow, or a visual (e.g., an infographic, a diagrammatic, such as a flowchart or timeline, etc.) of your choice, that provides details about:

  • the career you are pursuing;
  • the steps you will take in preparing for and starting an apprenticeship, including specifics on applying to the pre-apprenticeship training near you; Employment Ontario's "Find Employment and Training Services" will be helpful.
  • details on the program in which you plan to register; and
  • available loans, bonuses, scholarships, etc.

The government and Ontario College of Trades websites shared above will be extremely useful, but do not feel you need to limit yourself to them.

Option 2: College or University Pathway

Your task is to locate at least three (3) pertinent college and/or university programs that will prepare you for employment in the career you aspire to pursue.

The government and SchoolFinder websites shared above will be extremely useful but do not feel you need to limit yourself to them.

First, you will need to determine the criteria that are most important to you in assessing different colleges/universities and programs. The following are some examples but, as this is a personal decision, it is important to think of others that may be personally significant and relevant:

  • admission requirements;
  • duration of program;
  • tuition and other program costs;
  • opportunities for Cooperative education (co-op), work-study programs, summer employment opportunities, exchange, and others;
  • success of graduates;
  • available grants, bonuses, bursaries, and scholarships;
  • convenience (e.g., location, proximity, accessibility, transit, etc.);
  • accommodations;
  • living costs;
  • campus and facilities; and/or
  • other criteria PERSONALLY important/relevant to you.

Construct a table as follows to record the information you acquire (an example is provided below):

Criteria
Weight		 Queen’s University
Bachelor of Commerce		 INSTITUTION AND PROGRAM 2 INSTITUTION AND PROGRAM 3
Cost $18,059.00 per year
$15,007 residence/meal plan		 Record information here Record information here
Weight Weight
5		 Rank
1		 Points
5		 Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?		 Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?
Criteria 2 Record information here Record information here Record information here
Weight Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?		 Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?		 Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?
Criteria 3 Record information here Record information here Record information here
Weight Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?		 Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?		 Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?
Criteria 4 Record information here Record information here Record information here
Weight Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?		 Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?		 Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?
Criteria 5 Record information here Record information here Record information here
Weight Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?		 Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?		 Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?
Criteria 6 Record information here Record information here Record information here
Weight Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?		 Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?		 Weight
?		 Rank
?		 Points
?
TOTAL POINTS     Points
?		     Points
?		     Points
?

Step 1: Assign a ‘weight’ to each of the criteria in your table – a value between 1 and 5 that represents how important that criteria is to you in making your decision. Two or more criteria can have the same weight and you do not have to use all of the numbers between 1 and 5. As cost is extremely important to me in choosing an institution and program, in this example it was given the highest weight of ‘5’.

Step 2: Determine the ‘rank’ for each of your institutions/programs for each criteria (or row). If you have three options (as in the example above), you need to assign ‘ranks’ of 1, 2, and 3 to the institutions/programs for each criteria. IMPORTANT: When assigning ‘ranks’ in a decision-making matrix like this, the HIGHEST number is the BEST option. So, in our example, the Queen’s University Bachelor of Commerce program receives a rank of only 1 as it is the most expensive of the three options.

Step 3: Determine your ‘points’ for each institution/program for each criteria… To do so, simply multiply each ‘Weight’ and ‘Rank’. In this example, 5 x 1 = 5.

Step 4: Total the points for each institution/program by adding down each column and placing the total points where the question marks are shown in the table above. The one with the most points is - based on this approach - the best option!

save a copy of your completed table in your portfolio.

Learn About It: Postsecondary Financing

Given today’s competitive labour market, postsecondary education or training is often mandatory in job postings. Not only do these experiences open doors to more opportunities, but they will also provide you with a competitive edge, helping to ensure you are adequately prepared for the tasks and responsibilities of an occupation, enable possibilities for advancement or promotion, as well as keep you up-to-date on the latest technologies, methods, and trends in the field. As well, as many programs also include Co-op and work experience components. Postsecondary education can broaden that vital network of connections in the field, providing access to potential mentors and references and, most significantly, present opportunities for you to get your ‘foot in the door.’

While there is no debating the significance of postsecondary education or training today, it can be expensive. Not only must you consider tuition, but there are also other expenses, including application fees, program fees, facility and service fees, as well as books and supplies, living costs, and transportation. You may find that you have difficulty working to supplement these costs while studying, depending upon the demands of your program. Take a few moments to check out the following pages for an estimate on how much a postsecondary education may cost you:

Are there expenses described here that you did not consider? How about the estimated costs – did any of these surprise you?

This is an image of a side view of glass jar filled with hundred dollar bills. The jar is labelled ‘college.

There are many expenses associated with attending college or university. Fortunately, you do not need to have all of this money on hand.

Fortunately, it is not expected that you have all of this money on hand, as you will discover in a moment when you look at various sources of financial resources and support. However, it is very important to think about precisely how you will finance your program and take the necessary steps to acquire the funding you will need.

First, consider the various sources of financial resources available to students in our country. They include:

The following will provide specific information about many of the above and will be extremely useful to you in your next task. Scan through and become familiar with these now to save you time:

Work With It: Portfolio and Reflection - My Postsecondary Budget and Finance Plan

Your task is to create a table or spreadsheet where you will outline postsecondary expense items and sources of financing. In your table or spreadsheet, you will:

  • list the expenses you will incur in postsecondary education;
  • estimate the approximate costs of each; and
  •  name the sources of financing you will access (including specific steps that you will need to take to apply and /or acquire it).
This is an image showing a small portion of a budget sheet. On top of the budget sheet is a calculator, as well as a person’s hand holding a pen pressed against one of the values on the spreadsheet.

Preparing a budget can take some time but, in the long run, will help ensure you have planned properly and reduce the potential for financial challenges or issues.

Note: Not sure where you might go or what might do? That’s okay, just pick one of the more interesting options from the previous task and continue working with that example.

Note: Attempt to account for as many of the expense items that you will incur as possible and be as precise as you can when estimating costs. It is understood, however, that in many instances, it may be your ‘best guess’ based on the information you have available.

Another great tool you may choose to use for this task, particularly if you require more direction is The Government of Canada: Student Budget Worksheet

Lastly, to help guide you through identifying and estimating your expenses, you may choose to use an online student budget calculator such as this one from Bank Rate.

Note: If you simply do an Internet search for “student budget calculator,” you will find many tied to specific lending institutions (e.g., banks, financial groups, etc.).

Name your document, “My Postsecondary Budget and Finance Plan.”

Consolidation

After completing this activity, you should have a reasonable idea of the program you may pursue, the cost items you need to consider, and how you may finance your education. Of course, without taking any action, plans are worth little more than the paper on which they are written. With that in mind, why not get started today?

Initiating My Plan of Action

To bring this lesson to a close, choose a single item to tackle which is related to any of the task items you completed above. For instance, you could:

  • contact an institution for more information on their program(s). You may even arrange a visit or tour;
  • inquire about accommodations and/or transit;
  • determine, inquire about, or even apply to a scholarship/bursary/grant or government incentive program for which you may qualify;
  • reach out to a local apprenticeship office;
  • meet with a guidance counsellor;
  • contact a local employment services agency; or,
  • another task of your choice.

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