The college will launch two new programs in September, 2019: one to teach students how to construct websites; and the other to teach them to construct, well, construction.
The programs were introduced to, and approved by, St. Clair’s Board of Governors (BofG) during its December 4th meeting.
WEB DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNET APPLICATIONS
Web Development and Internet Applications is a two-years-long, diploma-awarding program.
This program replaces the college’s previous offering of a three-years-long program called Internet Applications and Web Development, which ceased intake this past fall.
The revamped program was described in a report furnished to the BofG by Vice-President, Academic Waseem Habash:
A Full Stack Web Developer combines the knowledge and skill-sets of a dedicated front-end developer, who can manipulate information presented on a website to make it appealing and effective, with the expertise of a back-end developer, who can write code and scripts to “serve up” websites from on-premise infrastructures or cloud-based platforms. In this two-year diploma program, students will learn the foundations of programming (e.g. Object Oriented), practice with a variety of popular platforms, explore core languages, and design web applications. Students will develop skills across a wide breadth of languages (e.g. HTML/CSS, JavaScript, and C#) and technologies. The program offers ample opportunities for practical experiences with control structures, performance optimization for applications, modern browser rendering, and common platforms-as-a-service (PAAS) to upload code and have applications run with little configuration or server maintenance. Students will also explore products and services to help with storage, video processing, load balancing, and more. This program also includes a final portfolio project where students will have the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the crucial skills employers are seeking, while building the confidence to potentially start a business of their own …
… Web designers and developers will research, design, develop and produce internet and intranet sites. They can be employed in computer software development firms, information technology consulting firms, information technology units in both private and public sectors, advertising agencies or can be self-employed.
Graduates typically find employment as web masters, web managers, web developers, internet site designers, internet site developers, intranet site developers, web designers, and e-business website developers.
Employment prospects, both locally and nationally, look solid for professionals in this field for the forseeable future.
Only three other colleges in the province currently offer similar programs: Durham in Oshawa, Algonquin in Ottawa, and (closest to St. Clair) Fanshawe in London.
Annual enrolment in the program is expected to cater to approximately 48 students, split evenly between domestic (Canadian) and international origins.
The Program Advisory Committee (composed of college officials and industry professionals) has suggested, also, that this academic offering could, eventually, spur some post-graduate certificate programs, for specialization in internet security, games development, embedded systems and AR/VR “mixed reality”.
Over its first eight years of operation (2019-20 to 2026-27), the difference between revenues (tuitions plus government grants) and expenditures (faculty and staff salaries, equipment and supplies) is projected to generate a “profit” for the college of just over one million dollars.
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT
This is a one-year long, certificate-granting program, designed as an “add-on” for students who have already graduated from Civil/Construction Engineering, Architectural Technology and Interior Design, and those who have been actually been working in the field for a number of years.
The Habash-filed report to the BofG explains:
The Construction Project Management (CPM) program will teach students how to plan, budget, manage, and supervise a broad range of construction projects within the residential, industrial, commercial, institutional, and civil infrastructure sectors of the construction industry. As a graduate certificate, the CPM program builds upon previous learning with a strong focus on construction law and contracts, ethical practices, human resource management; as well as planning and scheduling, estimating, quality assurance, cost control, sustainability and accounting. Project Managers are required to assume a variety of different roles: they specialize as planners, managers, organizers, controllers, and decision-makers. Students will develop the essential leadership, problem-solving, and team management skills needed to take a project through its life-cycle, from project initiation to project closure. Students will learn how to select and employ project management tools and techniques commonly used in the construction industry. Coursework prepares students with the foundational knowledge to meet stakeholder expectations and project requirements, while maintaining compliance with contractual obligations and relevant building codes and standards.
The program is available to students seeking to fulfill the education requirements for the Gold Seal Certification through the Canadian Construction Association.
The CPM program includes two Work-Integrated Learning opportunities where students can work on-site with multi-disciplinary teams, further developing their collaboration and leadership skills, while learning the project management techniques for completing projects successfully …
… Persistent demand from local industry to produce graduates with the skills needed within Windsor-Essex requires the consideration of launching this program. In particular, the Windsor Construction Association has been a driver and proponent of launching a program in our region due to a shortage in qualified project managers in the construction sector for more than a decade …
… Construction managers plan, organize, direct, control, and evaluate the activities of a construction company or a construction department within companies, under the direction of a general manager or other senior manager. Graduates may typically find employment as commercial construction managers, housing construction managers, construction managers, residential construction managers, pipeline construction managers, construction project managers, general contractors, construction superintendents, or as industrial construction managers.
As indicated by the Windsor Construction Association’s lobbying for the program, job prospects for this program’s grads are solid for the foreseeable future. Habash told the BofG that construction site managers will be in high demand in this area during the next several years, during the development of the new international bridge.
Only five colleges in the province are currently delivering programs of this nature: Algonquin in Ottawa, Centennial and George Brown in the Toronto area, Fanshawe in London, and Conestoga in Kitchener. St. Clair contends that it will be the only one of those schools to offer a work-placement component as part of its training.
The college estimates enrolment of approximately 20 domestic/Canadian and 30 international students per year (split over two semesters’ intakes).
Over its first eight years of operation (2019-20 to 2026-27), the difference between revenues (tuitions plus government grants) and expenditures (faculty and staff salaries, equipment and supplies) is projected to generate a “profit” for the college of approximately $640,000.
See, also, the BofG story about the college's projected year-end budget surplus: http://stclair-src.org/news/need-know-news/year-end-looking-very-black-and-thats-good-thing
See, also, the BofG story about the continuation of private/public college partnerships – including St. Clair's with Toronto's Ace Acumen Academy: http://stclair-src.org/news/need-know-news/partnerships-are-out-mothballs
