I wanted to improve myself but had no idea where to start.
Given up already on your New Year’s resolutions? The LearningHUB can provide the support needed to help you stay on task with your personal goals to improve job skills, finish your high school education, get your GED, or work towards post-secondary education or apprenticeship. It also offers “new” bundled online courses specifically targeting these goals.
“We help adults in Ontario who are unable or who don’t want to go into a classroom to prepare for their goal. And, we offer a wide variety of curriculum and courses,” says Heather Robinet, Program Specialist with The LearningHUB. “While this amazing program serves adult learners across Ontario, it is based right here in our own community of Huron and Perth Counties.”
A FREE online learning program for Ontario adults aged 19 and up, The LearningHUB is offered by Avon Maitland District School Board’s Centres for Employment and Learning through funding provided by Employment Ontario and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU). Since its inception in October of 2007, the LearningHUB has grown from 90 learners served in its first year to 2900 learners helped annually in more recent years. Learners participating in The LearningHUB come from all across Ontario, including rural and remote areas that have limited face-to-face programming available.
“If you need to upgrade your skills but don’t feel you have time, online learning should work for you. It is easier to fit into an already busy day-to-day life schedule because you can work on your lessons 24 hours a day, at a time that suits your personal schedule, and from your own home or wherever you have a computer and internet access,” says Robinet. “Online learning can help you feel more comfortable using a computer, keeping up with the demands of changing technology and of social media.”
LearningHUB courses will also help adults improve job skills in order to be more qualified to get a job, keep a job or get a promotion. “If you’ve been laid off from a job and need to find a new one, we can help you learn the skills you need for it,” says Robinet, adding that “many laid off workers just need to refresh certain skill sets in order to make them eligible for a wider range of jobs. Some of those skill sets include document use, report writing, math or digital technology use”.
The LearningHUB’s new course bundles are designed to group together curriculum that would benefit learners on a specific goal path.
A new Retail and Customer Service bundle offers curriculum directed at adults on the path to Employment and includes courses on: Customer Service Essentials; Conflict Resolution; Computer Skills; and On the Job Report Writing. An Apprenticeship bundle brings together courses on Exploring Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Math along with other related courses.
“We consider labour market information when creating our programming and jobs in retail are in demand in this area and across the province,” says Kelly Harrison, LearningHUB Program Analyst, who adds that The LearningHUB’s curriculum is always growing. Eight new online courses have been added over the past year, many of them aimed at improving job skills. Examples of these are: My Dream Career; My Role Models; and Social Media and Your Job Search.
While getting workers ready for employment is always a big focus at The LearningHUB, a new bundle on Personal Growth can help students prepare for a variety of goals. Courses on Goal Setting, Maintaining Healthy Self-Esteem, How I Communicate in Different Places and even Creative Writing can help anyone move into the future with confidence.
Bundles on GED Prep and College Readiness will help aspiring students finish their high school education and move on to post-secondary study. Independent study lessons, which you can complete at your own pace, and online live classes can help you upgrade your math, science, social studies, reading and writing skills as you prepare for your GED test. Courses such as: College Readiness Tips; Memory and Study Tips for Students; and Understanding Your Learning Style will also help you prepare for college or university.
“A lot of people say they want to improve themselves but they have no idea where to start. Our online courses give you a starting point and make your goals realistic and relevant,” says Robinet. “We can help you present your best self to the world, your employer and your friends and family. We can help you gain a better understanding of who you want to be and what you want to accomplish.”
She stresses that you don’t have to be an expert on the computer to sign up for The LearningHUB’s online classes – in fact, courses and classes covering basic computer concepts, Internet and Email, Microsoft Word and Excel and social media will help you improve your understanding and use of digital technology.
For more information about The LearningHUB, visit www.learninghub.ca or call 519-482-1700 x 206. To register for online learning, access our online registration form by clicking #2 – ‘Get Registered’.