Public Courses & Seminars
The point of our website is to improve your access to training opportunities that can take the form of a traditional classroom setting (or a seminar room), a seminar or conference presentation, local affiliates that provide access to coached sessions, and explicitly working with a coach. The reason for flexibility is to overcome the rigidity of the traditional college format – while we still offer a traditional setting, there should be no reason why you could not opt for more flexibility. In addition to courses with a trainer in attendance we also have self-directed studies or distance studies as alternative options. That way, if the preferred option is no longer appropriate for you, there are other options you can switch to without any penalty whatever. Experience has shown a need for offering flexibility.
While working in a traditional private college we noted the rigidity and rules imposed by government funding through OSAP. If for whatever reason a student accumulated a 15% absent level that would be grounds for dismissal, the student would not finish college: OSAP would not reward the student with a loan discount, so the student was saddled with the full amount to be repaid and no diploma to show for their investment. It is fine to suggest attendance has to be monitored, but by the same token mothers have to be responsible for their babies’ well-being, and any hiccup with daycare would drive them one step closer to the edge of expulsion. We do not want to impose such draconian terms on students that want to qualify for new opportunities, but not at the expense of putting their children at risk of being taken by child welfare agencies. And, of course, we do not want to deny these mothers the opportunity to better their future prospects.
Our learning and financing model is a lot simpler: pay as you play – take individual courses and collect the credits at a rate that you can afford and that works around your childcare needs. You can opt for an independent learning program and get the credits while you provide your own childcare at home. You can team up with other mothers and have a facilitator come to your home to help you take the training as a group (creating your own classroom in effect) and keep your kids around. It might take a bit longer that way, but it is cheaper and you will not have a big debt waiting for you when you finish your studies. Nor do you spend a small fortune on transportation or parking, and daycare services; that can add a small fortune to your education costs.
The biggest concern people have with a flexible approach is that there is no diploma at the end, just a series of completion certificates. However, the traditional approach forces you into a program of study with courses you may not care much for: if you study what you need to know to get employed you can easily explain yourself and how you managed to get ahead despite all the odds, that you do not have a massive debt hanging over your head, and that you were able to take the courses you wanted. You will have a portfolio of achievements to show for your efforts even while you are continuing to take courses. The total cost of your education could be significantly less if you simply want to supplement the skills and knowledge you already have rather than to take all courses listed in a given program of study.
Classroom Training TDPS_CLA
We try to provide standard classroom training in public training facilities to make it easier for the students to benefit from a dialog with their instructor. The challenge is accessibility and timing, which is no different for any other training provider. We developed some models where we try to bring courses to your area, rather than to expect you to come to a central training location, so we can help you to keep training costs to a minimum. Public facilities include local libraries and other venues, as well as conference facilities, depending on the number of students attending a specific course at a specific location. We schedule classes on demand: unlike diploma schools we do not set a fixed time period with set course schedules that you must follow in an all-or-nothing approach to get your diploma upon graduating. Instead, we offer courses and give credits for all individual courses – you can follow a recommended program, or you can decide to create your own program based on your course preferences.
Seminars & Conference Centers TDPS_SEM
For larger groups of students (and for corporate clients) we adopt a “seminar” format and encourage people to work within small groups of 3 – 5 individuals. Although the training material is the same, there may be less of an opportunity to address individual questions. This format may be well-suited to courses that are of a more general nature and/or where the experience of other students can be shared in a meaningful way to enrich the experience for all in attendance, such as career strategies. Check the course calendar for information about planned seminar sessions.
Affiliate Training Options TDPS_AFF
Our training programs are available through Pm4hire.com or through affiliate training providers in order to broaden the accessibility of learning opportunities in different geographic areas, and to accommodate larger numbers of students within certain geographic areas. We also affiliate with companies that are in related fields, such as HR consulting, where training is identified as an important need to address client issues. Instead of driving an hour or more each way to attend classes in our primary location you can hop over to the local affiliate and have access to the same courses and options, the same notebooks, the same study guides and testing facilities.
Coach facilitated Training Options TDPS_COA
One of the driving forces behind establishing these training programs is a first-hand observation of the challenges faced especially by single mothers. With dependent children at home they may not always meet the attendance requirements because they may have a sick child to attend to. Someone who is at home for other medical reasons might want to beef up their skills to make a career change. One of the options we sponsor is for a group of people to get together and then collectively take courses at home with mutual support and thus bypassing the challenges of going to a classroom location. There are in-person coaching options, and there are internet-options like Skype that can be used to deliver the training experience at your chosen meeting place. For someone with an afternoon job that makes it difficult to schedule study time this can also be a great format to accumulate the knowledge and skills for career development in a different field.
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