‘The best way to stay competitive and qualified’
Education is an ongoing love affair — even after you graduate with professional qualifications.
But the thirst for lifelong learning is often more than personal interest and intellectual curiosity. Many associations require their members to take a certain number of hours of continuing education each year to keep their professional credentials valid. Members, for their part, seek training at a reputable institution like Concordia.
“It’s the best way to stay competitive and qualified in your field,” says Catherine Vigeant, assistant director of marketing and business development at Concordia's Centre for Continuing Education (CCE). “But it’s a challenge for professionals — engineers, accountants, nurses, nutritionists, lawyers, managers, psychologists — to find appropriate, meaningful training.”
Attuned to this market need in the community, Vigeant and her team at CCE developed a new series of 30 professional skills seminars. Topics are arranged into seven categories, including Business and Administration, Legal Studies and Communication. Each seminar is available on both Concordia campuses in English, and on the Sir George Williams Campus in French.
Convenient sessions during the week
Offered from Monday to Friday, in one- to five-day sessions that last seven hours, the seminars are scheduled to be compatible with traditional business hours, when companies expect employees to do their continuing education training.
After finishing their seminars, participants get a document of completion stamped by Concordia.
“The seminars represent a unique opportunity to build career skills, find out-of-the box ways to balance personal life and discover paths to take towards a more sustainable society,” says Vigeant. “We expect a wide range of participants, from business people to boomers.”
For professionals, by professionals
High-quality trainers are the cornerstone of the seminar series, according to Vigeant, who insists on hiring accomplished experts — trendsetters, even — in their fields.
Sophie Lemieux, a Montreal-based management consultant with Gestion Solem, will be leading three CCE seminars this term: The Art of Delegation, The Art of Recruitment and The Art of Facilitating Changes in Organizations.
“All the seminars provide something concrete,” says Lemieux, a certified management consultant and registered corporate coach. “Participants will come away with tools and practical information. It’s based on industry theory, best practices and case studies.”
Art and personal advancement options
While the seminar topics cover traditional business interests, they also include a variety of arts and personal advancement subjects. For example, you can learn about stress management for the 21st century, or how to publish a non-fiction book.
“The seminars help people maximize their performance and reach the next level,” says Vigeant. “We’ll be adding new topics each term, so keep checking the CCU seminars website.”
Arts and personal interest seminar fees start at $295, while most other seminars cost $495. There’s an early bird discount of 10 per cent, and a cumulative discount of another 10 per cent for alumni. Most English sessions have two sections. Class sizes are between 10 and 20 participants. Lunch will be provided.
Register for Concordia's Centre for Continuing Education seminars online.
