Have You Always Dreamed Of Being A Video Game Designer?

You’ve always dreamed of turning your love for playing video games into a career, but maybe you doubted that your ideal video game designer job could exist. Maybe you thought that if it did exist, it still would not  be accessible to you outside of your daydreams.

The reality is, there are many jobs out there that relate to video game design. From game creation and environment modelling, to animation, and more. Believe it or not, educational programs that can help you achieve your video game design goals are likely available at a private career college near you.

Here are 4 reasons you should consider enrolling in a Video Game Designer program. Become what you have always wanted to be—notably, a video game design professional—right now.

1. Do what you love 

Many people end up in dead-end jobs because they have followed someone else’s vision of what they should do or be. They have become something they never intended, and the daily grind starts to wear them out.

If you’re a video game enthusiast, imagine putting the passion you feel when you’re playing or thinking about games into your studies as a Video Game Designer student. When you’re passionate about something, it’s easier to put your energy towards realizing your goals. So, number one on our list of reasons you should pursue a Video Game Designer diploma now is that you’re more likely to succeed in a career you’ll enjoy.

2. Enter a growing industry

A report entitled “Canada’s Video Game Industry in 2013” was prepared for the Entertainment Software Association of Canada last year. Did you know that, in the Canadian video game industry: • the number of workers hired on a full-time (or equivalent) basis went up by 800, between 2011 and 2012 • a total of 27,000 full-time (or equivalent) positions were generated by the industry in 2012 • the industry spent 12.5% more, mostly in the area of game development activities, between 2011 and 2012 • the average salary, “across all job types and levels of seniority,” was around $72,500 per year • and that the video game industry hires the majority of its workers from within Canada? (pp. 3-5) Video games are a popular entertainment source, and it shows. The video game design industry continues to expand, so trained professionals in the field often find that they’re in demand as workers.

3. Accessible training 

You don’t need to move to a faraway country to become a video game design professional. In fact, you probably won’t even need to bus or drive too far at all. Video Game Designer diploma programs are available at colleges near you. Trillium College, for example, offers a Video Game Designer diploma program at its Oshawa and St. Catharines campuses.

4. Your career dreams could be funded 

Can you imagine training to become a video game designer—and being financially supported in your efforts? Our recent blog looked at different types of financial aid for college students. When it comes to supporting Ontarians in pursuit of their dreams, our government, banks, colleges and other organizations offer plenty of support options for which you may be eligible. Trillium College has a fantastic Financial Aid team who can help you find your eligibility for financial support now.

Becoming a video game design professional may have seemed like a far away dream. Now, however, it’s a true possibility. Your passion for gaming— when mixed with accessible related college programs, financial aid opportunities and a strong industry — can bring you closer to a career in video game design.

Enter the form below to get more information about the VGD program near you or call 1.855.234.2008 to schedule your FREE Career Planning Session. There’s still space in our Video Game Designer diploma programs, so you can take your first step towards a great new career!

Personal Support Workers support our sick and elderly. PSWs go to people’s homes, lift the immobile from their beds, and help clients take medicine correctly. Most importantly, perhaps, PSWs provide an ear for the lonely.

Trillium College-trained PSWs are in demand – but are male grads especially so? Here are 5 points to consider:

1. Client comfort can’t be ignored

Ontarians agree that people shouldn’t be hired – or fired – because of gender. The fact is, though, some clients feel more comfortable being helped by members of their own sex. Don’t believe this? Well, check online: While there’s a wealth of PSW jobs advertised, a number read, “Male PSWs Required…”

2. Baby boomers

We’ve heard over and over that the baby boomers are aging. Nonetheless, it’s worth mentioning here because, as more Ontarians enter their declining years, PSWs will experience growth in demand. The Canadian Home Care Association reports in-home care needs rose 55% in the past five years, and seniors represented the bulk of this increase.

On the other hand, 45% of PSWs are in their 50’s or older. According to the Canadian Research Network for Care in the Community (CRNCC), many will retire in the coming 15 years. Opportunities for PSWs of both sexes will continue to grow and grow, and Trillium College is helping our province meet that demand.

3. Strength

While only fossilized thinking casts all men as strong and women as weak – men’s added muscle mass and stature can help in the PSW profession. Remember, physically assisting the immobile is a big part of this career!

4. Underrepresentation to Equal Representation

Did you know that, in 2009, only 3% of PSWs were male? (CRNCC & PSNO, 2009). It’s time to fill the gap – and many employers are happy to help “even the playing field.”

So, while it’s safest to say opportunities have grown – and are growing – for PSWs of both sexes, there are certainly some strong reasons men should step into this noble field. Become a PSW now and support your community! Learn more about our Personal Support Worker program.

7 financial aid options that could help you follow your career dreams

Many people struggle to cover their daily financial costs of living. According to renowned motivational speaker Dr. Wayne Dyer, in his book Excuses—Begone!, however, “I can’t find the money” is an excuse many people use to avoid making important—but challenging—changes in their lives.

Have you been making excuses to avoid going back to school? Or are you legitimately worried about how you’ll afford the costs of retraining for a new career? To help you clear away some of your own limitations and make the move to come back to school, here are some forms of financial aid that may well be open to you. With start dates just around the corner, we’ve even provided specific links, so you can look into these areas of potential financial aid now!

Student loans, grants, scholarships and bursaries

Financial aid may be available to those who qualify. To find your eligibility for financial related programs, visit www.ontario.ca/page/student-loans-grants-scholarships-and-bursaries.

Second Career

To help retrain recently laid-off workers for new careers, the Government of Ontario created the Second Career program. This program provides financial aid to eligible candidates for tuition, living, dependent care, transportation and study materials expenses—among other things. You must visit an Employment Ontario assessment centre near you to determine your eligibility. Visit http://secondcareerontario.com/web/second_career/landing/ for more information.

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)

The WSIB works in conjunction with registered Private Career Colleges in Ontario to help people train for job market re-entry. If you’ve been injured and want to retrain for your previous job or even enter a new career, visit the link here. You may be eligible for financial aid in the form of tuition funding, job counselling and job search support.

Lifelong Learning Plan

The Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) helps Canadian residents withdraw money from their Registered Retirement Savings Plans in order to fund their own full-time education—or that of their spouse or common-law partner. Students seeking to study part time may also participate if they meet disability conditions. Visit http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/tpcs/rrsp-reer/llp-reep/cndtns/menu-eng.html for information about LLP financial aid.

Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP)

If you’re named under your family’s RESP, you may be able to use these funds to pay for your part-time or full-time studies in an eligible post-secondary program. Visit http://www.canlearn.ca/eng/savings/using_resp.shtml for more information.

Aboriginal & First Nations

The Post-Secondary Student Support Program is offered by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, and can provide financial aid to Inuit and First Nation students to help cover their travel, living or tuition costs. Students seeking post-secondary education on full or part-time bases at eligible institutions can apply. Visit http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100033679/1100100033680 for more information.

Trillium College Payment Plans and Financial Aid

In addition to the programs listed above, Trillium College offers its students financial aid. All Trillium College students qualify for our no-interest, in-house payment plans. If students require reduced monthly payment schedules, we may extend their monthly payments beyond their graduation date. Also, Trillium College has developed partnerships with several banks with student budgets in mind. These banks may provide you with a low monthly payment plan so you can afford to go to school. Visit our Financial Aid Page to learn more about funding at Trillium College now.

Still have questions?

Trillium College’s representatives can help. There’s still space in our programs for you to take your first step towards a great new career this September! Call 1.855.234.2008 to schedule your FREE Career Planning Session.

So you’ve decided you want to go back to college. Why not meet with a knowledgeable college representative who can help answer your questions? It’s time to meet with a Career Coach! Imagine some loud clapping and cheering—because this decision represents your first step towards a new and better life.

Trillium College is glad to have you—and your positive energy—on board.

So you’ve made the decision to change your life for the better, however, what should your next step be? Well, it’s always a great idea to explore the campus of your choice. Each of our campuses have a team of Career Coaches who are eager to help you make great choices for your education. No matter which of our four campuses you choose to visit, meeting with a Career Coach at Trillium College will set you a step ahead for a number of reasons.

Meeting with a Career Coach will allow you to learn more about your future career

From class scheduling, to tuition costs and more, our Career Coaches here to answer all of your questions. Career Coaches can speak with you about your goals, the kinds of employers that hire our students, and the industry you’re hoping to enter. They’re friendly and happy to chat, so don’t be shy: Come by Employment Services anytime!

Meet with your future instructors

It’s important, in the world of academics, to get to know your instructors. They are the people who will lead you along the path to your new career, and they are a wonderful source of not only knowledge, but support as well. Working in the college system as they do, and having gone through years of studies themselves, our faculty can advise you and help you succeed. Trillium College Career Coaches can help you put your best foot forward with your soon-to-be instructors. Additionally, you will be able to obtain valuable information about the studies and school experiences awaiting you.

Learn about our financial options

Trillium College’s Student Finance Department can help you find out everything you need to know about obtaining financial aid and paying for your education. Whether you have questions about scholarships, low-interest loans, OSAP, using your RRSPs to pay for schooling or registering as a First Nations student, our financial aid advisors can help you find the funding assistance you need.

Friendly faces are a good thing

No matter how confident you are, starting classes at a new college can seem scary. An appointment with a Career Coach will give you the chance to meet faculty, staff and other students. Your first day of classes will be less nerve-wracking with a few familiar faces around.

Read about our Career Coaches as well as other student services offered at Trillium College here.

So, you’ve been researching the Personal Support Worker field and wondering about making a career change. You’ve read that PSWs are lucky heroes of sorts, who help the sick, have job schedule flexibility and work in an industry facing growing demand. But do you really have what it takes to be a PSW? At Trillium College, we teach our PSW diploma program students the importance of these 5 traits:

1. Positivity

Sometimes it’s hard for the sick and elderly to stay positive. Pain and loneliness can be realities for the unwell, and an important part of a PSW’s job is lending a helping hand – both physically and mentally. As a PSW, your positivity makes a world of difference.

2. Physical Strength

While you don’t have to be a legendary strongman (or woman!) to become a PSW, physical strength is an asset. PSWs assist immobile or physically restricted individuals on a regular basis, lifting them out of bed, into the bath, and so forth. It helps to be strong – or at least in good shape – as a PSW!

3. Compassion and Patience

Can you imagine how hard it must be to need others’ help to eat, bathe, or go to the washroom? You can? Well, that suggests you have empathy. And, with empathy, comes patience. People who need PSWs often face extreme physical and/or mental limitations due to illness or age. It’s your job to help them live the best lives they can – without fear or embarrassment.

4. Team Work Skills

No matter where you choose to work, be it a long-term care home (LTC), hospital or individual’s house, you’ll need both independent and team work skills. As a valuable member of our health care system, you’ll have to work alongside medical professionals and the clients you represent!

5. Organization Skills

Visiting multiple clients’ homes, helping them take the right medications and coordinating with other health care professionals: all this takes organization, which is an important skill for a PSW to have.

Think you have what it takes to become a PSW? Call us today at 1.855.234.2008 to learn more about Trillium’s Personal Support Worker diploma program.

Trillium College’s PSW diploma program can lead you to the career of your dreams!

Trying to find a career that will both make you happy and cover your costs of living can seem like a difficult task. Wouldn’t it be great if the job of your dreams would make itself known – and if there were easy instructions to follow to achieve your dreams? Becoming a Personal Support Worker is the answer to many career-minded, caring people’s job wishes, and Trillium College’s Personal Support Worker program is helping them train to excel in this growing field. Here are five reasons becoming a PSW might be right for you:

1. You have a chance to help your community

People often wish they could “make a difference.” As a PSW, you really can. From helping clients bathe, eat and take the proper amounts of medication. To being the all-important person they confide in and trust, you’ll play a major role in restoring your clients happiness, health and dignity.

2. It’s rewarding, and makes you feel good

Ever noticed how good it feels to help friends and family, or even a stranger? It’s proven that helping others helps us feel our best too and it is an important part of a PSW’s daily routine.

3. There is a growing demand in the field

Ontario’s baby boomers are aging, our hospitals are full and the home care sector is one that – as The Globe and Mail’s Tavia Grant puts it – “can’t keep up with demand” (2012). Not only this, but almost half of all PSWs are 50 to 59-years-old, and will be retiring soon (CRNCC & PSNO, 2009). There couldn’t be a better time to step into the field!

4. You can be proud of your career

Trillium College’s PSWs enter a profession they can be proud of. They work alongside medical professionals in a range of health care settings, like long-term care homes, hospitals and individuals’ homes, restoring well-being and dignity to the sick.

5. You won’t waste time as a PSW

Four-year university programs take a long time to complete. Often enough, there is unfortunately no defined job at the end of the tunnel. Trillium College’s Personal Support Worker diploma program has its graduates fully prepared to enter the PSW field in 25 weeks.

There’s no better time to become a PSW. Click here to learn more about Trillium’s PSW diploma program and support your community now!

It’s been years since you were last in school. Actually, you may even have finished high school and thought, “Into the working world I go!” You never imagined you would be considering going back to school or taking adult learning courses. You have passed your teen years, maybe even your twenties, you’re “mature” now. Yet, here you are: your evenings are spent dreaming of a career change. During your lunch hours, you’re perusing online listings for adult learning courses or college programs that can help you get the job of your dreams.

So you’re ready to become a student again, but can you handle it? Of course you can, because mature students – Trillium College has found – often come back in a stronger position to achieve success in the halls of academe. Here’s why adults, whether they’re taking adult learning courses or full college programs, tend to make the most of their return to college life:

Mature students know what they want

You’ve spent a few years out in the working world. Also, you’ve simply lived more. These experiences have shown you what you want out of life. They’ve also shown you, however, what you don’t.

Mature students often come back to school with a plan. They have an idea of the job field they’d like to move into, or the specific promotion a diploma will help them acquire. Mature students’ enhanced understanding of their own needs and desires helps them stay focused and on track, whether they’re taking an adult learning course, or an entire program.

They respect life’s opportunities

We’ve all missed a great opportunity at some point in our lives. And we may not have realized the chance we lost until years later. Part of growing up and maturing, however, is coming to recognize a valuable experience when we see one.

Mature students, with the benefit of, at times, painful hindsight and life experience, are better able to value the great opportunity going back to school can be. Many are able to recognize – more clearly, perhaps than an average teen – the learning, enhanced work opportunities, possibilities for promotion and self-respect that a college diploma or adult learning courses can bring.

Returning to school is an investment

It’s a universal truth that daily living costs money. It can be expensive to cover the rent, dental bills for the family and, oh, so much more.

Because going to college can cost money, it requires careful thought and planning. With the reality check of daily payments and bills firmly in place, mature students realize they are putting valuable funds into improving their future situation and as a result, the experience means more to them. If you feel your financial status is a barrier to pursuing education, however, never fear: Trillium College is able to help many students acquire funding, scholarships or financial aid. Call 1.866.661.2070 today to find out how Trillium College can help you afford adult learning courses or a diploma program today.

Attitude is everything

Perhaps, back in high school, you frequently skipped classes, or didn’t see the value of attending school. Then you entered the working world. While it was great to have a paycheque coming in, maybe that paycheque is no longer enough—or maybe you wish you’d valued the knowledge your teachers were trying to impart more.

Mature students tend to have a better understanding of the value of formal education. They have also had the “wake up call” of the working world – and especially of a working world that’s been facing an economic downturn. Mature students, then, tend to be excited to return to school and motivated to make the most of the experience – and this often translates directly into student success.

Are you a mature student who is considering a return to college? Trillium College offers financial aid options, flexible schedules and adult learning courses to help mature students succeed. Also, most of our diploma programs are under a year long. Call 1.855.234.2008 to set up your FREE Career Planning Session, and learn how you can take the first step towards a new career – without disrupting your current one – today!

Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.
These poignant words, written by famous American poet Walt Whitman, may seem overly cheery to some. But good cheer rarely held a man or woman back in life. And it certainly made living a more enjoyable experience.

Sometimes those interested in adult learning allow a negative mindset to hold them back. With adult learning, as with many of life’s challenges, however, “attitude is everything” – and mature students must learn how to attack restricting thoughts and beliefs head on. Here are some of the negative thoughts that can stifle the pursuit of adult learning, as well as “replacement thoughts” that can help you push towards your career dreams.

Negative Thought #1

-“I’ll never be able to succeed, so what’s the point in trying?”

Positive Replacement
-“I can succeed if I try!”

It can be scary to come back to school and pursue adult learning. You’ve been out of the education world for a long time, and maybe you’re frightened that you just won’t be able to manage. Or perhaps your experiences in high school weren’t the best, and this has left some anxiety about succeeding in the academic world.
Well, the thing is, you won’t even have the opportunity to prove your worst fears are incorrect unless you TRY. Also, many colleges have student advisors, who can help you put your best foot forward as you apply for or start a new adult learning program. In fact, the chances are, you probably have most of the prerequisites to begin the program of your choice, so kick out those self-limiting thoughts, do a little research and reach out to the college of your choice for support as you make impressive steps towards a better life.

Negative Thought #2

-“I could never afford to go back to school!”

Positive Replacement
-“Let me look into financial aid at the college of my choice!”

Adult learners, beware! While financial concerns plague us all, fear of monetary stress can be an unnecessary barrier to your educational pursuits and career advancement.
Sure, professional training costs money – but many colleges offer scholarships, special low-interest loans, bursaries and other access to financial aid. Trillium College, for example, has formed special agreements with certain banks and may offer scholarships with student financial needs in mind.

Negative Thought #3

-“I’m too busy to go back to school.”

Replacement Thought
-“Many colleges support adult learning with flexible scheduling options.”

Life gets busy, and this is a reality. But many colleges are aware of this fact, and cater to adult learning needs. Flexible scheduling, in the form of night or day class options, is something Trillium College offers to help combat the barrier of a busy life when it comes to adult learning.

Negative Thought #4

-“I don’t have the energy for adult learning.”

Positive Replacement
-“Energy is a state of mind.”

Don’t have the energy to go back to college? Worried that you’ll lose your motivation if you enrol in a college program? Well it’s time to get your mojo back.

First, thinking more positively in and of itself will help you live with more energy, and this blog should help with this. Second, resist the bag of chips and another hour spent on the couch and get moving. Go outside. Exercise. Whatever. But get moving, get your eyes beyond a television screen and look to the beauty of the world around you. It’s amazing how choosing to think positively, getting more exercise, eating healthier foods and opening your eyes to new experiences can help bring new ideas and energy into your daily life. With the motivation you’ll gain from a few habit changes, you’ll have the ability to pursue your dreams and take steps in your life that will lead to an improved reality.

Negative Thought #5

-“I don’t have any information about adult learning programs.”

Replacement Thought
-“A quick call or internet search will tell me all I need to know.”

Maybe it seems that a college diploma is out of your reach, simply because you don’t know the processes for application, or what’s involved. Yet, a simple Google search could bring a world of opportunity to your fingertips. Or even better, a call to the college of your choice gives you a personal connection to all the information you need to move forward. Trillium College’s career advisors and admissions reps, for example, can help answer your questions. They can also book you in for a free Career Planning Session today.

References to the “power of positive ideas” or putting “mind over matter” are surely clichéd – but it doesn’t mean they don’t hold truth. If negative thinking is holding you back from adult learning, a college diploma and the career of your dreams, it’s time to re-evaluate your thinking and make a change right away.

Call 1.855.234.2008 to get more information about Trillium College, and to book your FREE Career Planning Session, today.

As a professor of cognitive psychology, I teach about memory, especially about when and why our memories often fail us. Students are excited to apply this material to their everyday lives.

During a recent class, a student asked whether other faculty were familiar with this research and remarked that it would be helpful if everyone structured their lessons with this knowledge in mind.

I offer the following tips taken from basic memory research. All of these findings can be easily applied to how you teach your classes and advise students.

1. Attend to information.

How often are your students checking text messages while listening to your lecture, arguing that they are really good at multitasking? Remind your students that most failures of memory are not problems with retrieval but with encoding. Most of the time we do not have difficulty pulling information out; the problem is that we never got it in to begin with. To make this point, I use the classic Nickerson and Adams (1979) penny task and ask students to draw the head of a penny from memory. They quickly realize that they have “forgotten” which direction Lincoln is facing or are unsure which phrases are on the heads or tails side. Explain to your students that they didn’t forget what a penny looks like. The truth is that they never bothered to encode the information. To remember something, they need to engage in controlled processing. They have to block out other distractions and focus on the task at hand.

2. Engage in deep processing and self-reference.

Deep processing involves thinking about the meaning of the information and connecting it to personal experiences. To make this point, I use a modified version of Craik and Tulving’s (1975) study and present students with a list of adjectives, such as “creative,” “methodical,” or “serious.” For some of the words they are asked a question about how it is spelled; for example, “Does the word contain the letter T?” For other words, they are asked, “Does the word describe you?” Later, students are asked to recall as many of the words as possible. Students are significantly more likely to recall words from the “describe list” because they had to think about the meanings and apply the words to themselves. Simply reading over a paragraph of text or listening to a lecture does not guarantee encoding it into memory. What one thinks about while listening or reading is what matters.

3. Generate cues.

Students often request that I provide more examples of the concepts we are discussing. Although instructor-provided examples and explanations are important, I teach my students that it is more important that they come up with their own examples and cues. Research by Mäntylä (1986) reveals that participants recalled 36 percent more concepts when using self-generated cues than when using cues developed by someone else.

4. Create context.

Instructors know that students often come to class unprepared. Students argue that they prefer to hear the lecture before reading the chapter. To explain why skimming the chapter before class is important, I read my students an oddly worded passage from a study by Bransford and Johnson (1972). First, I show half of the class a picture that creates context for what they are about to hear. For this half of the group, the strangely worded passage is clear, and they find they are able to recall large portions of it after hearing it just once. The group not shown the picture fails to make sense of what they have heard and have difficulty recalling details. Without looking at material before class to create context, it is difficult for new material to make much sense.

5. Test frequently.

This is the easiest strategy and can have the most impact on students. Contrary to expectation, Roediger and Karpicke (2006) found that seeing a passage only once and then forcing yourself to recall it from memory leads to better retention than repeatedly reading the passage. Incorporate brief tests or quizzes into your course, and encourage your students to self-test as they study. Reading a passage and then stopping to ask yourself what you just read is going to be more effective than reading it twice. Students may have heard much of this advice before. However, taking the time to put students through these demonstrations will allow them to experience how these small adjustments can influence their recall. They will then see the value of changing the way they study.

References

Bransford, J.D. & Johnson, M.K. (1972). Contextual prerequisites for understanding:

Some investigations of comprehension and recall. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal

Behavior, 11, 717-726.

Craik, F.I.M. & Tulving, E. (1975). Depth of processing and retention of words in episodic

memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 104, 268-294.

Mäntylä, T. (1986). Optimizing cue effectiveness: Recall of 500 and 600 incidentally

learned words. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 12, 66–71.

So you’re community-minded, and want to make a difference. Social justice, equality and being a “helping citizen” are ideas that appeal to you, and you’ve been eyeing ads for Social Worker programs for years. Lately, however, postings for “Community Service Worker” (CSW) and “Personal Support Worker” (PSW) programs keep catching your attention. What do CSWs and PSWs do—and how do they compare to Social Workers? A combined description of these “helping” professions follows, to help you make your choice.

What do Social Workers, CSWs and PSWs do?

Social Workers – The Canadian Association of Social Workers states that, “Social work is a profession concerned with helping individuals, families, groups and communities to enhance their individual and collective well-being. It aims to help people develop their skills and their ability to use their own resources and those of the community to resolve problems. Social work is concerned with individual and personal problems but also with broader social issues such as poverty, unemployment and domestic violence” (2014). In other words, Social Workers help people who aren’t functioning optimally in society become the best, happiest and most successful people they can be.

Personal Support Workers and Community Service Workers – Like Social Workers, CSWs and PSWs help people. Service Canada (2013) states that CSWs “administer and implement a variety of social assistance programs and community services, and assist clients to deal with personal and social problems.” PSWs, on the other hand, provide for the comfort, safety and well-being of clients in need in both institutional and community settings. They often help people facing immobility issues with the daily tasks of living, or with taking medications and self-care as needed.

Where might I find work as a Social Worker, CSW or PSW?

Social Workers – According to OntarioColleges.ca, Social Workers can find careers in the education, corrections and health fields (n.d.). The Canadian Association of Social Workers highlights that Social Workers often find employment in family and children’s aid agencies, school boards, correctional facilities, hospitals and more (2014).

Personal Support Workers and Community Service Workers – CSWs may find a wealth of rewarding employment opportunities as addictions support workers, group home support workers, community service workers or shelter support workers. They may choose to work in shelters and community facilities, among other settings. PSWs may find fulfilling employment in a number of areas, including long-term care facilities, home care agencies, senior citizens’ recreation centres, hospitals, group homes, and respite and palliative care centres.

How long does it take to become a Social Worker, CSW or PSW?

Social Workers – Social work programs at Ontario colleges range from 35 weeks to 2 years in length. A Bachelor of Social Work from an Ontario University can take from 2 to 4 years, on the other hand, depending on whether you have done prior studies in the field.

Personal Support Workers and Community Service Workers – In Ontario, you can train to become a PSW in under a year. Trillium College’s PSW program, for example, is 25 study weeks long, while their CSW program is 45 study weeks long.

Our communities need YOU:

Going into the “helping professions” is a great choice—whether you decide to become a Community Service Worker or Personal Support Worker, or simply a Social Worker. For more information about entering the social services field today, and to set up your FREE Career Planning Session, contact Trillium College at 1.855.234.2008.

We are currently accepting students into our many exciting diploma programs, and with 3 campuses around Ontario, we’re here to help you succeed.