| Private training programs
One of the ways to find out about private training programs is to look in the yellow pages under Schools. Some of the sub-headings are: Business and Secretarial, Language, and Trades and Technical. People usually go to these schools so they can learn a skill that will get them a job. While the school is in the business of offering courses, finding the job is up to you. It is generally a good idea to start by figuring out what kind of job you want to get. This is especially important if you are thinking of getting your training from a private school. While a diploma from a public school is generally recognized, a diploma from a private school may or may not be recognized by potential employers. You want to make sure before you sign up for a course that your training is going to help you get into an existing job market. The Private Post-Secondary Education Commission run by the BC government is working on a set of standards for private training programs. This commission is part of the Ministry of Advanced Education, Training and Technology. At the moment what they do is register private schools. You can find out if a school you are interested in going to is registered by phoning 660-4400. This registration only means that you are protected under the Consumer Protection Act if you want a refund. It does not tell you that this training is recognized by employers.
Say, for example, you think you want to take a course to be a long-term care aide. Call up Employment and Immigration Canada (EIC) employment services and ask if there is going to be a continuing need for long-term care aides in your area. Ask if they will fund the training. Find out who trains long-term care aides. Then call hospitals and nursing homes and ask which programs they hire graduates from. If that question is too general for them, pick a program you are interested in and ask if they hire graduates from that program. Once you have an idea of what the potential job market is and what programs are recognized by employers, you can start talking to private trainers about what their program is like, whether or not you could do it and how you will pay for it. Computer courses are very popular right now and there are many private schools that offer computer training, but there is a difference to be aware of in the kinds of computer training. Diane called a secretarial business listed in the yellow pages and asked if they would hire someone who had learned WordPerfect TM at a private school. The woman who answered the phone asked her why she wanted to know. Diane said she was thinking of taking a course from them and wanted to know if she could get hired after. The woman said, "Listen, you want the scoop, I'll give you the scoop. I've been through the whole thing, computer courses, government-sponsored training, the whole thing and I'm right back where I started from ten years ago, in reception. If you want to get anywhere you have to learn about computers, not just software programs. That's my advice. And shop around." Many women have learned to use particular programs like Word- PerfectTM or Microsoft WordTM without really understanding how computers work and have come to realize that this does not open up the world of computer technology to them. When it comes to finding a private training program that fits your needs, shop for it the way you would any major expense item like a car. You can ask to see the course materials and talk to the instructor, then you can go home and think about it. You can phone around and comparison shop. It's also a great idea to talk to someone who's taken the course. If you're careful you can get a good deal. Checklist for private training programs:
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