Bow Valley College offers new selection of online courses

Times Reporter

 

Bow Valley College (BVC) has some pretty exciting things lined up for Strathmore, including four new online courses in each business and administration. 

“A lot of people are working, but they’re maybe not working in the job they want to be in. They want to still study, but they can’t leave and go away to college,” said Teri McKinnon, Regional Lead of Education & Business Development BVC for Strathmore and Chestermere.

BVC understands the struggles some people face when striving for an education, which is why they are always looking for ways to bring the school to its students. 

On the business side there is an accounting and financial management certificate program.  There is also an event management certificate, a human resource management certificate and an interior decorating certificate.

For the administrative side the four new online programs being offered are an administrative professionals certificate, a hospital unit clerk certificate, a medical office assistant certificate and a legal assistant diploma.

“The diploma I believe is just a stepping stone, and often you’ll find that a lot of the programs that the college runs, we like to call them stepping stones. People want to get into the workforce quickly,” said McKinnon. 

“The legal assistant that’s like the hospital unit clerk, it gets you into the industry, into the hospital and then see the scope of what you can do whether you choose to be an LPN or a registered nurse or a tech or any of those things.

“It’s always nice to get in and sort of understand the industry before you commit to a full degree. We often find that people like to just take a certificate or diploma first just to get themselves in the door.”

One of the great parts about the online courses is that students can work at their own speed, potentially completing courses sooner, or taking their time if need be. 

A GED prep course is now available online but for those who might want a facilitator right in front of them, they can go to Chestermere to Rocky View Community Adult Learning. It will still be an online course, but it is considered Real Time Online because there will be a facilitator   

“We recognize a lot of people need to stay at home, they’re living their lives, but finishing high school is mandatory for people to get into some of their career programs and this gives them a flexible option. If they have Internet access they can be doing their upgrading while they’re working and trying to love their lives,” said McKinnon. 

On campus in downtown Calgary there are also new and exciting programs being offered. An Aboriginal addictions certificate is available on campus this year. A two-semester public relations diploma has just been introduced. Normally it is a degree program but this again will help people get their foot in the door into the work force sooner, said McKinnon. BVC has partnered with Grant MacEwan University, so people who maybe want to finish the rest of the degree can do so at the University. There is also a global tourism management and marketing diploma that is again another stepping stone into the industry, and a course on sustainable business management is being offered. Anyone wishing for more information can contact Teri McKinnon at 403-462-2550.