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Immigration Courses for Professionals, Enthusiasts, and Everyone in Between

Immigration Courses for Professionals, Enthusiasts, and Everyone in Between

April 25, 2022/in Careers Katelynne Lamothe /by Katelynne Lamothe

There are a variety of benefits to continuous learning and keeping yourself up to date with any recent changes within your career. Continuous learning is an important part of being a leader in the field of immigration practitioner, especially within Canada where there is constant change and development which can make it challenging to stay on top of what’s happening at all times. At Ashton College, there are many opportunities to continue your education within the field of an immigration practitioner through our online courses.  

All Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) must complete a minimum of 16 hours of professional development each year. The professional development must be approved activities by the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC). This can be done through programs offered and arranged through the ICCRC, or through courses approved by the ICCRC and offered by accredited partners such as Ashton College. 

Courses That Qualify for CPD Hours  

  • Certificate in Family Class Immigration Law 

The intent of the Certificate in Family Class Immigration Law course is to reunite Canadian citizens and permanent residents with close family members. By undertaking to support sponsored members of the family class, the sponsor promises that, for a specified duration, they will provide for the basic needs of their family members, so they do not have to rely on social assistance. This course will examine all family class applications for permanent residence that are submitted at the same time as the sponsorship application to a Case Processing Centre (CPC) in Canada. CPCs are the primary offices responsible for processing family class sponsorship applications. This course will also explore why some family class eligibility determinations may be made at other Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offices where required. 

  • Certificate in Refugee Class Immigration Law* 

The Certificate in Refugee Class Immigration Law is intended for professionals in the field. It is designed to bridge theory and knowledge with practice, introducing learners to a specific area within the professional working environment. The focus is placed on refugee class within the practice of Immigration Law, preparing learners with strategies to approach, case studies and discussions led by experts in this field. 

*In the process of getting approved by CICC*

 

  • Certificate in Business Immigration Law*  

This Certificate in Business Immigration Law will deal with the Quebec Investor Class, Quebec Entrepreneur Class, Start-up Business Class, and Self-employed Persons Class. In addition, this certificate will deal with the Provincial Nominee Class as relates to entrepreneurs and Service Canada’s Owner/Operator Labour Market Impact Assessments. 

*In the process of getting approved by CICC*

 

Other Immigration Courses for Everyone 

  • Certificate in Canadian Citizenship  

This course of Certificate in Canadian Citizenship will explore the process of Canadian Citizenship. Students will become familiar with the different ways someone can become a Canadian citizen as well as the necessary steps and documentation for the application. This course will look at the rights and legislation surrounding Canadian citizenship and how citizenship is granted by the Citizenship Commission. Other topics covered in this course will be the citizenship test and oath, resumption of citizenship, renouncing, revoking and appeals of citizenship. 

  • RCIC Entry to Practice Exam Prep Course  

Ashton’s RCIC Entry-to-Practice Exam (EPE) Prep course is offered to prepare graduates of the Graduate Diploma Program or an Immigration Practitioner Program (IPP) within the last three years, for the RCIC EPE examination. The course is designed as a review of the body of knowledge established by the College of Immigration Consultants (CICC) for the new RCIC EPE examination. 

These courses and more are beneficial for lawyers, paralegals, individuals interested in citizenship or Immigration Consultants who are members in good standing with the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council or members of a non-profit society who provide services to refugees. These courses are also beneficial for those who wish to gain more knowledge with the immigration process.  

The immigration sector is full of opportunities and our continuing education courses will help you reach your goals. Register now for one of our coming immigration courses and advance your career. 

https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Blog-Images-58.png 672 1158 Katelynne Lamothe https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ashton-logo-black.png Katelynne Lamothe2022-04-25 21:59:002022-04-26 22:24:28Immigration Courses for Professionals, Enthusiasts, and Everyone in Between
How Meditation Can Improve Your Mental Health, and Your Quality of Life

How Meditation Can Improve Your Mental Health, and Your Quality of Life

February 28, 2022/in Careers CJ McGillivray /by CJ McGillivray

Whether or not you struggle with a mental health condition, meditation is a powerful tool to support your mental health. There are countless mental health benefits including reduced stress, decreased anxiety and improved quality of life. Continue reading for a short overview of how meditation can improve your mental health and how you can begin your journey. 

Less Stressed, More Blessed 

Stress reduction is one of the many profound benefits of meditation. So many people experience chronic stress on a regular basis, which takes a toll on our bodies and minds. When we pause and meditate, we have the opportunity to decrease the stress response in our bodies and declutter our minds. There is also no right or wrong answer when it comes to how long you meditate for and where you meditate. You could pause for 5 minutes while on the bus, or spend 10 minutes of your lunch break in a silent, meditate state. You could meditate in the shower, or first thing in the morning when you wake up. However you choose to meditate, you are sure to benefit from reduced stress levels over time, which is connected to a decrease in anxiousness and feelings of irritability or tension. 

Over time, meditation has the power to shift your perspective and encourage a more positive outlook of gratitude and contentment. The process could even help you reframe negative experiences as opportunities for learning and growth. Because of the positive mental health benefits, anyone who has taken an addictions and mental health program or a personal support worker program should consider introducing meditation into their practice as an additional support for clients. 

Recommended Meditations 

There are many countless styles and types of meditation for you to explore. Ideally, the process should be inclusive and adaptable. What works beautifully for one person may not be ideal or comfortable for you. Depending on your style and preferences, you may prefer listening to a guided meditation with spoken words from a meditation teacher or spiritual guide. You may also enjoy silent meditation with or without a simple timer on your phone, or meditating to ambient music or even binaural beats. There are many accessible and completely free mobile apps you can explore, including Insight Timer, Calm, or Headspace. If you are fairly new to meditation or are unsure where to start, here is a shortlist of recommended guided meditations to get you inspired: 

  • The Southern Sea by Garth Stevenson 
  • Becoming Pure Consciousness by Devin McCrorey 
  • Living with Gratitude and Abundance by Lauren Ash 
  • Finding Calm and Serenity by Russell Brand 
  • Making Your Life Sacred by Sarah Blondin 
  • The Nordland Night Train with Erik Braa 
  • Completely Immersed in Love by Great Meditation 

Meditation and Addiction 

Meditation plays an integral role in many alcohol and drug recovery programs, because of the numerous mental health benefits. There is also plenty of research to support this. An extensive study was conducted in 2018 on the integration of transcendental meditation into treatment plans for alcoholism and substance abuse. The study featured participants from a number of substance abuse treatment centres in Maryland, Baltimore and the research was conducted in association with Maharishi Foundation International, University of Maryland, and Friends Research Institute. The findings were overwhelmingly positive. Over a period of three months, the more consistently participants practiced transcendental meditation each and every day, the less they experienced chronic stress, cravings or thoughts of relapse. The daily practice of meditation also positively impacted psychological wellness, with fewer participants reporting feelings of distress. Most impressively, people in recovery who practiced transcendental meditation on a daily basis were statistically safer from relapse. On average, 25% of the participants who meditated returned to drinking, compared to 59% of the participants who did not meditate.

Continuing Education 

Recognizing and appreciating the mental health benefits of meditation is particularly worthwhile if you are considering completing a mental health worker certificate program or a developmental services worker program. Mindfulness and a strong foundation in education will help you do a lot of good, whether or not you have lived experience. To learn more, you can also check out our previous blogs about emotion regulation for improved interpersonal effectiveness and how to explore mental health through open and accessible conversations. 

https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/pexels-cottonbro-4553272_optimized-scaled.jpg 1706 2560 CJ McGillivray https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ashton-logo-black.png CJ McGillivray2022-02-28 23:45:432022-03-17 18:37:50How Meditation Can Improve Your Mental Health, and Your Quality of Life

Is Technology Killing Your Creativity?

February 22, 2022/in Careers CJ McGillivray /by CJ McGillivray

Do you think it is possible or even probable that technology is making you less creative? Technology enthusiasts and creative types are bound to disagree on this debate, and there are some fascinating arguments on both sides. Read on to learn how technology can both challenge and simplify creative processes, causing us to question romantic notions of creative ingenuity and technological superiority. 

The Death of Creativity 

How does technology cut us off from creativity? Some would argue that through mass production and standardized creative processes, technology can move us away from our more authentic folk art roots and individual styles. Heavily processed and overproduced content arguably robs us of originality, ingenuity and individuality. It often seems as though everything has already been done before. Consider the excess of reboots and relaunching old media for a new audience. Perhaps this too is a byproduct of our expanded technological capabilities, because we have limitless access to external content and endless opportunity for comparison. Technology does so much for us that we can often rely on clever software and other digital processes to fill in the gaps in our creativity. 

With our pop culture obsessions and celebrity worship, society certainly has a tendency to romanticize what it means to be an artist or creative person. We have this romantic notion of the starving artist who is unconstrained by technology or corporate financing. But is that really an accurate picture? Could technology actually be helping our creativity? 

The Birth of Efficiency 

This may sound counter-intuitive, but technology has the power to enhance, empower, and challenge us. When used with intention and mindfulness, technology can unexpectedly inspire us and support creative processes by removing routine obstacles. One of the most impactful ways that technology supports our creativity is through automation, simplifying repetitive processes to free up more mental energy and creative capacity for our critical thinking and ingenuity in other areas. Did you know that can even create your own music using a coding language such as Python? How cool is it that computer science professionals who earn their Python certification could use their coding skills to compose beautiful symphonies or hypnotic electronic dance music? 

Adaptive Design 

Technology is a powerful tool that can help us elevate and improve our work, but software limitations and rigidity can often hold us back. In an academic article on the impact of technology on creativity in design, researchers Nathalie Bonnardel and Franck Zenasni assess whether or not new technology enhances or hinders the creative design process. They argue that “technologies can contribute to both divergent and convergent processes, which underlie creativity” and the creative process. They also describe how people who have a higher “tolerance for ambiguity” are ideally suited for creative thinking and finding unconventional connections between disparate ideas. These qualities and characteristics could potentially be included in design software to make the technology better suited for creativity. Overall, Bonnardel and Zenasni emphasize the importance of adaptability in software design. They envision a future where “a more intelligent system would be able to adapt… parts of the creative process to the personality of the creators.” We all have a better shot at creative success when we use technology in conscious ways instead of allowing the technology to do the thinking for us. 

Unexpected Creative Uses of Technology 

Are you passionate about creative problem solving and finding clever solutions to common business problems? Continuing education and ongoing curiosity can help you to work with technology instead of fighting against it. A good place to start is with storytelling training, where you can learn about narrative structure and explore emerging digital platforms such as virtual or augmented reality. By combining literary analysis with technology, you will develop a stronger understanding of both disciplines. 

People who love creative problem solving may also enjoy the challenge of pursuing their Azure certification or AWS certification in cloud foundations, architecture, development and operations. But if cloud computing is not your style, there are plenty of AWS courses with a focus on machine learning or data analytics. You can also read up on artificial intelligence or take a robotics course if you really want to fall down the rabbit hole. Whatever inspires you, look for purposeful uses of technology to support and even expand on your creative processes. 

Further Reading 

Looking for additional reading material? Check out our previous blog featuring a list of the best science fiction to motivate your technology studies or read up on how businesses are coping and adapting in the world of digital transformation. 

https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/BLOG-869-×-504-px.jpg 1160 2000 CJ McGillivray https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ashton-logo-black.png CJ McGillivray2022-02-22 23:00:512022-03-17 18:39:47Is Technology Killing Your Creativity?
Deciding Between a Career in Mental Health or Developmental Support

Deciding Between a Career in Mental Health or Developmental Support

January 25, 2022/in Careers Ronda Payne /by Ronda Payne

You’ve already made a big decision. You know that you want to work in a field that allows you to directly help people on a day-to-day basis. Narrowing down the choices in health care and human services can be challenging, especially since there is a lot of overlap in certain careers. 

If you’ve been trying to decide between taking a mental health worker certificate program (health care) or a developmental services worker program (human services), this information is for you!  

Basics of the jobs 

First, let’s explore the basics of these two roles. Someone who has taken an addictions and mental health program will be focused exclusively on helping individuals with mental health issues and substance addictions. Education programs to gain skills in this role will look at mental health issues and addictions as separate issues as well as looking at them as concurrent issues. This type of work will focus on improving a person’s health, aiding in prevention and encouraging harm-reduction strategies.  

Those who have taken a personal support worker program will have a different, but slightly overlapping focus. As a developmental services worker, individuals aid others in creating more fulfilling, independent lives. This comes in the form of exploring a variety of personal life areas including mental health, developmental disabilities, communications and behaviours.  

The overlap 

In both jobs, there is a keen awareness of mental health and how working with any individual on personal matters involves exploring the way they think, how they are feeling mentally and emotionally and improvements that can be made to create a more enriched life. There is also a look at behaviours in both roles. This is an area where education can help significantly. Understanding what certain undesirable behaviours mean being able to assist the support worker in assessment and helping the client change.  

Ongoing involvement and differences 

Where the differences between the two jobs show up is in the very early analysis stages and in the later stages after a relationship is formed.  

For example, in the role of a mental health and addictions support worker, there will be a lot of time spent at the start of the interaction to better understand the mental health and addiction issues and some of the behaviours around them. The individual may not have been diagnosed, may have been misdiagnosed or may have new challenges. The support worker will attempt to unravel the current situation and past issues. 

Mental health is complex and when interwoven with addictions, it can become increasingly challenging to determine the issues and how to start treatment. Once the characteristics of the individuals’ issues are defined, the relationship expands and the work to treat the conditions really gets underway.  

People a development services worker works with will generally have an existing diagnosis of a disability, behavioural issue, impairment or other challenges. Mental health will be explored in the early stages of forming the relationship, but as the care worker and the individual get to know each other, mental health will be dealt with along with other areas of growth.  

This could be the case when a support worker is at a residential group home with individuals who have a range of disabilities. The support worker would initially need to get to know the individuals, understand their specific cases and needs and begin developing a relationship. As the relationship progresses, trust is built and the case worker can start adding various techniques into daily life to encourage more independence or satisfaction in life. This may include tools around mental health or mobility, life skills or training or a number of other elements.  

The job market is strong 

Another area where both mental health workers and developmental services workers are aligned is in the growth of the number of jobs. Providing individuals and families support are high demand areas, therefore there is a growing need for trained, skilled support to improve lives.  

https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Blog-Images-6.png 672 1158 Ronda Payne https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ashton-logo-black.png Ronda Payne2022-01-25 23:38:512022-01-25 23:38:51Deciding Between a Career in Mental Health or Developmental Support
How to Discover Your Coaching Niche

How to Discover Your Coaching Niche

December 11, 2021/in Careers Lindsay McKay /by Lindsay McKay

Your life coach certification training is complete, and you are ready to start practicing but now what? While your training would have covered the basic steps to start your business, create a welcome package, the initial consultation, and provided mentorship, the one thing it would not have covered is how to discover your niche or if you need one. While not every coach has a specific niche or needs one, for example if you are already getting clients and enjoy the work you do with them, your niche kind of gets created itself because your happy clients will refer you to others with the same issues as them. If this is your case, there is no need to discover your niche unless you want to completely rebrand yourself. However, for most people, whether you are planning on becoming a life coach, business coach, or career coach, it is helpful for yourself, your future marketing efforts, and future clients to choose or create a niche for yourself. 

The basic outline of discovering your unique coaching niche includes: 

  • Identifying your interests, passions, and what you enjoy doing in your work life  
  • Identifying potential problems you can solve, be as creative and specific as you look  
  • Do some research to see if others are in your niche, or a way to make it more specific and unique to you  
  • Testing your idea by talking with others and seeing if people have other problems you did not think of that you could also look at solving for them 

During your coach certification training process, you may have specialized in a specific area such as adult ADHD coaching, executive coaching, career coaching, and others; if you particularly enjoyed one of these areas this may be a great place to start as it has piqued your interest and you are passionate about it. Those specific areas can be looked at as broad categories of coaching and through doing research into the market and discovering problems that need to be solved combined with your personal experience, values and interest you should be able to brainstorm some truly unique niche possibilities.   

Let’s walk through an example for someone who really enjoyed the specific area of career coaching, what should they do next? There are two options: first, they could research niche possibilities under career coaching to see what is out there, or they could look at their personal experience and interest and connect that career coaching and any potential problems in that area that people need solved.  

Option One:  

Doing some simple research on career coaching it can be discovered that there are quite a few specific niches including: 

  • Career promotion/advancement 
  • Interview skills and confidence 
  • Resume and cover letter writing 
  • Finding your purpose 
  • Strength assessment 
  • Improving public speaking 

While all these are great, the fact they can be so easily found might also mean that the market is saturated with many coaches that focus on this aspect of career coaching. They will not know without doing more research. 

Option Two: 

Let’s look at their personal experience and work experience. Their work experience involves various jobs in the nonprofit industry with a focus on the arts, sports, and newcomers to Canada. They got involved in this work because they grew up seeing their parents struggle to get work as newcomers as well as their parent’s friends and children. Do you see a problem here to solve that is more personal and unique than option one? Let’s focus on the children, who are now the age of the individual in our example, and they have noticed many of them are struggling to find careers they enjoy leading to a coaching niche for our example of “Finding Purpose in Your Career Journey as a Child of Immigrant Parents.” Is this a niche that is needed though? The next step of testing the idea with others will provide more answers and insight.  

Discovering your niche in the coaching industry can be a long and emotional process, if you are really struggling taking other continuing education courses that align with your values and interest will help.  

https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Untitled-design-2.png 1080 1920 Lindsay McKay https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ashton-logo-black.png Lindsay McKay2021-12-11 00:37:392021-12-11 00:38:44How to Discover Your Coaching Niche
Why Does Sustainability Matter?

Why Does Sustainability Matter?

December 1, 2021/in Careers CJ McGillivray /by CJ McGillivray

So… why does sustainability matter? The answer may sound obvious or intuitive on a personal level, but there is certainly no consensus among politicians or the general public. From an ethical or philosophical standpoint, you may be wondering what we owe to the environment, the natural world around us. How can you sell sustainability to a skeptic or convince them to make environmentally conscious decisions? And why should you put your time and effort into environmental science courses or an online sustainability course? Researchers and advocates are continually working to articulate the importance of sustainability and radical action against climate change. No one can cover the entire scope of the issue, but here is a simple breakdown of ten reasons why sustainability should matter to everyone. 

  1. Sustainability matters because caring for the planet is an expression of our humanity and interconnectivity 
  2. Sustainability matters because climate change has measurable social, economic and medical consequences 
  3. Sustainability matters because the adverse effects of climate change disproportionately affect less wealthy countries and individuals who are already struggling 
  4. Sustainability matters because society has concrete obligations to future generations who will inherit the world 
  5. Sustainability matters because environmental responsibility is an expression of Indigenous sovereignty and land claims 
  6. Sustainability matters because biodiversity will continue to suffer unless we take more radical action to preserve and protect endangered species 
  7. Sustainability matters because many of our natural resources are finite and irreplaceable 
  8. Sustainability matters because food scarcity and insecurity are of real concern to families and societies around the world 
  9. Sustainability matters because pollution can originate anywhere and be experienced across borders 
  10. Sustainability matters because we cannot accurately project how or when technological advances will assist us in overcoming environmental issues 

There are countless reasons beyond these ten, but they are a good starting point for anyone who is concerned or confused about the issues at hand. Scientific researchers are constantly building on their knowledge and revising previous assumptions, which makes it prudent for everyday people to do the same.

Continuing Education 

What can you as an individual do? Get informed and educate yourself about what needs to be done to combat environmental degradation on a global scale. Remember that affordable and accessible continuing education is a powerful tool to combat climate change denial and misinformation. Look for online environmental courses that focus on the correlations between society, environmental degradation and possible engineering solutions or policy changes. Depending on your career path and focus, you may benefit from learning about sustainable efforts for businesses and corporations. ISO certification training covers the rationale and business application of an international standard for quality management and sustainable business practices. 

Political Action 

Steps are required beyond our individual efforts to educate ourselves, recycle more and consume less. Environmental advocates, researchers and Indigenous land protectors are calling for policy change and political action around the world. Industry leaders need to be held accountable and consumers deserve to be informed about the environmental impact of various products and services they use. Sustainability matters and we have a moral imperative to do something about it. 

https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Sustainability-Blog.png 900 1600 CJ McGillivray https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ashton-logo-black.png CJ McGillivray2021-12-01 23:56:372021-12-23 22:37:09Why Does Sustainability Matter?

How to Inspire and Motivate Others with a Life Coach Certification

December 1, 2021/in Careers Lindsay McKay /by Lindsay McKay

When you are feeling defeated and need some motivation or inspiration what do you do? Many people look to exercise, reading books, mediation or other mindfulness training techniques to get them going again. But wait, did you know motivation and inspiration are two different things that many people wrongly use interchangeably? Don’t worry if you did not know the difference, many do not but those that do tend to be great leaders and life coaches. So, what is the difference between the two and how can you motivate others or be the reason someone gets inspired?  

Motivation vs Inspiration 

To start explaining the differences between motivation and inspiration let us first look at the definition of each one: 

Motivation is the “act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something.” Or “a force or influence that causes someone to do something.” 

Inspiration is “something that makes someone want to do something, or that gives someone an idea about what to do or create.”   

Simply put, motivation is a rational thing, an external force, and the reason for you to do something. While inspiration is an emotional thing, an internal drive or the desire that propels you to do something. Motivation can happen immediately through reminding yourself of your reason to do the task or listening to energizing amped-up music. It tends to be short-term in nature, which works perfectly when you are trying to get a certain task done or goal accomplished that you are resistant to. Inspiration is more of a process that moves you to do something, it can happen spontaneously when you hear someone speak, read a certain passage in a book, hear a song, a person you meet, or maybe even just something that you see. It will ignite you, inspire you on the inside and connect you to a state of excitement, purposeful, and productivity in a way that is everlasting.  

It is important to note that one is not better than the other, and a lot of times there is a need for both and working on one can evoke the other. One thing that is always helpful is gratitude, whether you are looking for motivation or inspiration, being grateful and counting your wins, small or big, will help you.  

How a Life Coach Can Help 

Many people can struggle to become motivated, and this is where a life coach with a life coach certification can help. People that are lacking motivation are most likely lacking other things in life, such as confidence and the knowledge of their goals and passion. Life coaching training will provide you with the tools to evoke this confidence in your clients and teach you how to cultivate a safe space of openness to explore their passions. As a life coach, you will empower your clients by providing them with the resources they need to succeed and educating them on how to reach their goals. This will help them develop confidence which will turn into motivation and even inspiration. 

https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BLOG-869-×-504-px-6.png 504 869 Lindsay McKay https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ashton-logo-black.png Lindsay McKay2021-12-01 16:48:502022-02-24 17:27:57How to Inspire and Motivate Others with a Life Coach Certification
5 Great Specialized Human Resources Careers

5 Great Specialized Human Resources Careers

November 30, 2021/in Careers Ronda Payne /by Ronda Payne

Human resources is often thought of as the department that’s all about people. While obviously true, there is plenty more that goes on behind the scenes in this essential field. In today’s changing world, the HR department is moving faster than ever to ensure employee and organizational needs are met. People are always at the core, but sometimes the work includes analysis and data mining, while other times it includes data entry and reporting.  

The fact is that HR takes a complete team of both generalists and specialists. Some may have taken a human resources program and spend their days completing the stereotypical tasks. Others may have more technical work that is a far cry from the image of interviews, onboarding and providing support when employees have challenges. It comes down to what is needed for the organization to move forward positively. 

It’s an exciting department to be part of and the job diversity is vast. Consider these 5 growing specialized HR roles: 

  1. Employee relations manager

This is the ideal job for someone who likes to create harmony between two parties within the organization. An employee relations manager facilitates positive relationships between employees and the management team. While this is sometimes done at a group level (think union and management) this HR specialist also intervenes to improve relationships between individuals (think supervisor and employee on the same team, or co-workers having a conflict). Training, like a conflict resolution certificate, can help them identify, de-escalate and resolve. Additionally, they may also have a mediation certificate which helps in negotiating contracts and procedures and they will also have advanced knowledge in applicable labour laws.  

  1. Manager of employee experience

This role is all about creating a more enjoyable, inclusive workplace that ensures happiness and job satisfaction are on everyone’s minds. Diversity and inclusion training are essential for this job (although most HR jobs will require this kind of training) as are other elements to consider when creating programs and activities that create a positive company culture. There may be an employee committee that works with this individual while other tools like surveys and random informal interviews may contribute to organizational knowledge.  

  1. Change management specialist

As economies, markets and regions shift, organizations will also need to change. It’s no doubt that change can be harder for some than others and many organizations turn to a specialist to help employees with the preparation and outcomes. No matter what the project is – a new internal communication system, blending of departments, re-alignment of the workforce to meet new needs – people will need assistance understanding how they fit into something new. A change management specialist will likely have change management certification and will work closely with all project stakeholders to understand the situation, suggest opportunities and implement solutions to minimize negative outcomes.  

  1. Compensation and benefits manager

One of the primary elements of a job offer is the compensation package. Compensation and benefits managers assist with organizational success by ensuring these packages are competitive and able to attract (and retain) the best talent possible. This is a more detailed role that gets into the nitty-gritty of salary ranges, market standards, benefit programs and how these fit within organizational budgets, needs and structure. There are a lot of spreadsheets and data mining for this individual to tackle. A compensation and benefits manager will also work in an educator role to help managers and supervisors understand regulations around compensation as well as assessments of changes.  

  1. Remote work advisor

While not quite a commonplace job title, the remote work advisor (also known by flexible workforce advisor or other titles) is exactly what you’d assume from the job title. This individual liaises with employees, managers and team members to identify needs and opportunities for a remote work force. This may include ensuring equipment and safe work environments are in place outside of the traditional office space, but it may also look at tools for interactivity, work hours and structure of a remote employee’s role. With COVID forcing many employees to find new places and ways to work, the move to more of a remote workforce is likely to continue and a remote work advisor will be a key part of facilitating that positively. 

HR is all about people, but in different roles, the amount of human interaction varies. Depending upon what you like to do, you may feel excited by one of these, or another new and growing role in HR. 

https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/hr-managers-having-job-interview-with-female-candi-2021-08-26-16-32-29-utc_optimized-scaled.jpg 1962 2560 Ronda Payne https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ashton-logo-black.png Ronda Payne2021-11-30 22:32:552021-11-30 22:32:555 Great Specialized Human Resources Careers
The Best Way to Become an Accountant

The Best Way to Become an Accountant

November 17, 2021/in Careers Ronda Payne /by Ronda Payne

There are a lot of accounting designations and training programs available in the world, but some rise above others when it comes to being recognized on a global level of business acumen, experience and strategic vision. Accountants who invest in their continuing education will stand out from the crowd because their efforts prove to others that they know dollars and cents as well as leadership and how to create a positive impact on a business. Read on to learn about the importance of continuing education in accounting and financial services and how ongoing learning will make you better at your job.  

Moving Beyond the Basics 

So where should you start? Employers and clients look for accountants who can their knowledge of finance and extend it to all areas of the business to connect departments and activities for efficiency and effectiveness. This goes far beyond overseeing an accounting team and the creation of financial statements. People value working professionals who have their financial planner certification training or who have invested their time in ongoing learning. You can bolster your resume through a Canadian taxation course, Canadian Securities course or administrative payroll courses. Remember that your software proficiency matters too, so look into Sage or Quickbooks training and be sure to build your foundation the right way. 

An accounting certificate is ideal for those in finance or accounting who want to be recognized for their skills and expertise on a global and wide-scope level. Moving through the Ashton College accounting program will be faster for some individuals based on their previous knowledge and education. First, you must focus on adding to your core knowledge and short-term decision making. Students will then study taking the long-term decisions made by executives about the future of an organization into mid-range plans. This will include an understanding of financial statement analysis, business modelling, organizational performance and other factors that make a difference to the over-all operation of a business. You will also study the unique features of Canadian accounting, which will make you invaluable to future employers. 

Why an Accounting Certificate is Right for You  

Like all certifications or designations, earning one takes time and money. It has to return benefits to you in order for it to be worthwhile. Fortunately, your Canadian accounting education will be recognized across the country in every industry. This puts you among the leaders in the accounting field regardless of where you choose to apply your time and talents. With proven education comes the ability to command a higher salary because of the contributions you will be able to make to an organization. 

With the training and skills you will earn from the Ashton College Certificate in Accounting Program, you will be able to become part of an organization’s leadership team. You’ll bring a strategic point of view with an eye to both the financial side of the business as well as an awareness of how the financial aspect ripples into all other areas of the organization. This allows you to give other leaders greater information to make beneficial decisions to connect all aspects of the organization and positions you as an ally to others on your team. You will be making a significant contribution to an organization each and every day giving you the opportunity to accelerate your career towards the executive level or even leading your own business to great success.  

Conclusion 

If you are ready to take your accounting career to the top of the ladder on a world-wide level, you will want to check out the Ashton College accounting program as a way to get there. You will be joining others who are leading some of the most recognized and successful organizations around the globe.

https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/accountant-is-calculate-the-budget-2021-08-29-01-20-32-utc_optimized-scaled.jpg 1707 2560 Ronda Payne https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ashton-logo-black.png Ronda Payne2021-11-17 00:27:592021-11-17 00:41:56The Best Way to Become an Accountant
Questions You Should be Asking Your CISO About Your Cybersecurity Plan

Questions You Should be Asking Your CISO About Your Cybersecurity Plan

September 27, 2021/in Careers Marla Ovenden-Cooper /by Marla Ovenden-Cooper

Gone are the days when CEOs ask if they will experience an attempted breach. Now CEOs and the C-Suite know that cyber breaches are a significant threat and that waiting for an event to occur before developing a plan is poor practice. Having an effective plan can prevent data loss, minimize damage to the brand reputation, and prevent financial losses due to downtime or fines.

It Is More Than Just Checking Off Boxes

The need for an incident response plan is well supported, however, the incident response plan is not about checking off a box that says “We have a plan in place”. If you are a member of the C-Suite you have likely already been asking yourself are we prepared for an event? Of course, if you are a CISO or CIO you likely already know the answer. However, leaving the responsibility of being able to assess the effectiveness and preparedness of the company in the hands of one person can be problematic. Other C-Suite members should remember that they have a vital role to play regarding information security and cybersecurity. The role will need to increase as technology accelerates. Consider when was the last time that you reviewed the incident response plan? How much time has been devoted to analyzing cybersecurity, information security and their potential impacts on the company? The past two years have seen significant changes in digital transformation and cybersecurity. If time has not been dedicated to this within the past two years, now is a great time to do so.

Of course, deciding to review the IT security measures and evaluate effectiveness is the easy part. Knowing the questions to ask the team is another.  Below you will find a list of our top 5 questions that you should be asking your CISO.

    1. What is our biggest cyber risk right now?

You need to know your enemy before you can create a plan to combat them. Knowing what the biggest risk is today will allow you to strategize or assess the strategy you are currently using to determine effectiveness.

    2. How are we dealing with third party vendors?

There are three key components to this question that need to be addressed.

First, how are the third-party suppliers or vendors vetted? Are they required to have cybersecurity policies that align with your company? For example, requirements such as annual or quarterly cybersecurity training for all staff. Are they asked to meet specific information security standards such as being IS0 27001 certified?

The second important concern surrounds access. Is the concept of least privilege being applied to third parties? Are they only allowed access to what is absolutely required?

Finally, what is being done regarding the inventory of third-party access and devices? Where can this inventory be found?

    3. How much time is devoted to the incident response plan? When was the plan last reviewed?

Incident response plans require testing so that the team can practice and also that there can be regular improvements made. Teams need to review challenges found in the last test and update strategies and the plan to overcome these challenges.

    4. Are legal and communications included in our incident response plan?

The areas of legal and communications are key when an incident occurs. Do these teams participate in the testing scenarios? If not, when was the last time that the plan was actively reviewed with these team members?

    5. How would you rate the company culture as it relates to cybersecurity?

Human error is one of the largest cybersecurity concerns, gauging the temperature of cybersecurity awareness for all employees is key to any cyber plan. Does the team require cybersecurity training? Are there members of the IT department that are looking to upskill and take additional IT training courses that will benefit the security team’s ability to address long-term information security plans?

Looking to find more information on questions to ask your security team? Check out our blog Questions CEOs and CFOs Should Ask Their Cybersecurity Teams

https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/annie-spratt-hCb3lIB8L8E-unsplash-min-scaled.jpg 1680 2560 Marla Ovenden-Cooper https://www.ashtoneducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ashton-logo-black.png Marla Ovenden-Cooper2021-09-27 21:38:472021-09-27 21:38:47Questions You Should be Asking Your CISO About Your Cybersecurity Plan
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