Former SAIT grad champions tech college for making ready her for ‘actual world’

Yekaterina Giyasova by no means thought of herself a high pupil.

The SAIT enterprise graduate had earned a level in Thailand earlier than she returned to Calgary to attend the polytechnic college.

She graduated in 2017 from the Southern Alberta Institute of Expertise with a President’s medal, which acknowledges excellent pupil achievement.

“It was superb, I actually excelled at SAIT,” stated Giyasova.

“I by no means considered myself as somebody who was significantly good or something however at SAIT, due to the eye I obtained from the instructors for desirous to study, I actually felt included and I simply pushed myself more durable.”

Giyasova graduated in 2017 with a Enterprise Administration diploma with a significant in Accounting.

She was valedictorian and credit her success to small class sizes and extra “one-on-one together with your instructors.”

“I completely adored the truth that the teacher knew me by title,” stated Giyasova.

“If I had a query, I may elevate my hand and they might come over and reply my query in entrance of the entire class and the entire class may hear me.”

She added her instructors had been professionals of their discipline — earlier Licensed Public Accountants from audit corporations and business and “they weren’t simply academia.”

“They had been in a position to clarify issues from real-world conditions and put together us for the actual world.”

That is likely one of the main promoting factors from tech and trades colleges as Canadians emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sarah Watts-Rynard, CEO of Polytechnics Canada, stated the colleges have positioned college students to enter the workforce with hands-on coaching.

“It’s actually a matter of with the ability to apply what’s being discovered in a manner that business would acknowledge as being expertise,” stated Watts-Rynard.

“It is sensible to herald individuals who perceive the gear, perceive the challenges, perceive the atmosphere.”

Watts-Rynard stated employers typically advise on curriculum and have indicated that there’s “unimaginable worth in a easy college to work transition.”

Eleven polytechnic colleges throughout the nation have launched a marketing campaign known as Function Utilized to spotlight the hands-on, utilized studying and the high-demand jobs college students could discover after they graduate.

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This previous summer time, Leger was commissioned to ask Canadians their perceptions of tech and trades colleges.

As soon as thought of second finest to different schools and universities, the Leger survey confirmed polytechnic colleges at the moment are a high contender.

Of 1,300 mother and father of kids between 13 and 25 years outdated, half stated they’re more likely to encourage their little one to pursue a polytechnic schooling.

Of the 600 human sources professionals questioned, three-in-five stated they’re more likely to hunt down graduates who attended a tech college.

Watts-Rynard harassed as Canada emerges from the pandemic, polytechnic graduates in know-how adoption, local weather change, and careers centered on an growing older inhabitants can be more and more essential.

She stated these jobs turned much more essential over the previous couple of years — to maintain the lights on and supply front-line care.

“How do you not solely train someone be a nurse,” Watts-Rynard stated, “you present them do it.”

Having work placement as a part of this system was what lured Desmand King to BCIT, British Columbia Institute of Expertise.

King, 42, already had a job as an expert driver however the pandemic compelled him to make a U-turn in his profession.

“That is my alternative to truly get my foot within the door at an organization and get some expertise,” stated King, “get my title on the market.”

King stated he took evening courses whereas holding down his day job however determined to make the leap for full-time education. He’s at the moment in his first 12 months of the two-year Digital Design and Improvement program.

He known as the hands-on expertise with up-to-date know-how invaluable.

“We’re working with business instruments, we’re working with business software program and we’re studying from specialists that got here from the business.

“I’ve at all times been fascinated with tech and computing and I’ve at all times had this dream to work within the tech discipline, particularly video video games. That’s really my curiosity.”

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King stated the sphere “blew up” over the pandemic as extra folks stayed residence and had time to spend money on gaming.

“I’m excited for the prospects once I’m executed college.”

Watts-Rynard stated polytechnic colleges additionally present alternative for upskilling and reskilling to advertise life-long studying.

“The world is altering too rapidly,” added Watts-Rynard. “These are engagements that occur finest once you’re speaking to someone who’s closely engaged with the challenges business is going through immediately.”

After Giyasova graduated she labored as an auditor at KPMG for 3 and a half years, earlier than switching her present job.

She is now a senior analyst in company accounting at Enbridge.

Even when tech colleges have needed to pivot to on-line studying, Giyasova stated she thinks smaller class sizes nonetheless make an enormous distinction.

“You may nonetheless attain out to your trainer after a category even when it’s on-line, by e-mail and they’re going to nonetheless give you the chance that can assist you.

“They’ll have 40 college students versus two to 300.”