Don’t let yourself get caught in the all-too familiar trap of waiting until your children have gone back to school before thinking about your own continuing education. Too often, waiting can result in disappointment: finding out that a course is full, for instance, or that it has been cancelled simply because it was short a few registrations needed to be given the go ahead.

Registration for fall adult education courses begins in July or early August. Rather than running a schedule that is separate from day programs, as was typical in the past, adult education programs are now generally synchronized with day programs. This means that all classes start right after Labour Day.

Why is this so? For one thing, more and more “traditional” full-time day students are now choosing to study on a part-time basis. They often do this to cover the cost of increasing tuition fees. For another, “non-traditional” students, those who typically attend classes part-time during the evening or on the weekend, are now choosing to register for full-time studies during the day.

The number of full-time students has increased in step with the increasing number of people who have been laid off, or whose so-called ‘life-long’ job has suddenly disappeared. As the traditional full-time day and non-traditional part-time night students start to look more and more alike, school schedules are becoming unified. Since many fall courses now start immediately following Labour Day, the registration process begins in the summer.

Interestingly, there is one way that traditional and non-traditional students are becoming increasingly different. Baby boomers, the large post-war demographic cohort that drove the part-time degree market during the seventies and eighties, now drives the second career market. As new technologies and changes in the labour market have taken hold, many baby boomers are choosing to retire but adding learning for interest courses to their resumes. Some take a general interest (non credit) course offered by a community organization, or school. Others register for one course in a credit program perhaps on an audit basis (no course work required) purely for interest’s sake. Getting the paper work done for this option may take more time. In some cases, you may have to be admitted to the program to take that one course. So start now!

There have been several recent changes to the registration process for English classes for newcomers. If you are new to ESL, LINC or ELT classes, you must be assessed at a central testing site before you proceed to your local site to register for a class. It is a good idea to sign up for the assessment in the summer when the centres are not as busy. Then you will be ready on September 8th when classes start. Even though these programs have continuous intake, starting at the beginning of the term is far less disorienting than joining a class later.

Make sure to give yourself time to shop. Unlike high school students, who have the advantage of career counseling services on site and education fairs where several post-secondary education providers come to their schools, adults have to go out and shop alone. Shopping around is more complex for adults because of their varied work and educational experiences. Get ahead of the game and start the process in the summer!

By starting early you have time to go to orientation sessions or to contact a program officer. This not only helps you find a course that better fits your plans but could also help you understand how you could get credit for prior education and work experience. This is especially important for newcomers. The educational institutions need more time to evaluate your prior learning. Give them the time they need to help you by starting to shop in the summer.

Many continuing education programs have open admissions so you do not have to go through an admissions process to register. Open admission courses are easy to register in. You just have to pay the course fees. But if you want to take a course in a program that requires you to be admitted, you will need more time to gather information such as transcripts from previous education.

Giving yourself time will also allow you to track down and apply for financial assistance for your tuition. Yes! Even part-time students are eligible for assistance. General interest courses, such as TDSB Learn 4 Life courses, offer a $10 fee for those on social assistance as well as discounts for seniors. In the spring, 2013 issue of Learning Curves, Joanne MacKay-Bennett outlined some of these options in a front page article called, “Ask and You May Receive.” See: www.learning-curves.ca

Although distance education courses used to compose a small percentage of course offerings, they now make up a good percentage of available courses. Some of these have term start dates, some continuous intake. Do remember to check that information on the provider’s website. Here your choice includes not only the Toronto providers of distance education but all providers of distance education in Ontario and Canada. If you are taking a course from a distance education provider towards a program of study (certificate, diploma, degree) at what is called your “home” program, make sure the home program will accept the distance education course before you sign up. This takes time! Can you guess what I am going to say next? Right! Start the ball rolling in the summer months!

See List of Registration Start Dates below:

REGISTRATION START DATES JULY AUGUST FOR FALL TERM

The following list gives you an overview of registration start dates and orientation sessions for the Fall Term. Not all the schools or programs are listed but you see the idea from the ones we have been able to contact that registration for the Fall starts in July and August. Check with your school now for Fall Term registration starts in July and August

UNIVERSITIES

• Ryerson University – G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Studies Starts June 22nd for new students Prior registration for Certificate students starts June 13th. Open House – Talk to a program representative. August 27th
• York University School of Continuing Studies Academic Bridging program. Registration deadline September 8th.
• The University of Toronto Woodsworth College Academic Bridging Program-a program for students to qualify for university studies Deadline for fall admissions is July 24th. School of Continuing Studies Open now for Fall term classes
• Brock University Center for Adult and Community Outreach Deadline for Fall Programs is July 15th.

COLLEGES

• Seneca College Continuing Education Starts July 27th
• George Brown College Continuing Education Starts July 6th.aprox.
• Centennial College Continuing Education 1st week of July aprox.
• Humber College Continuing Education Starts early August
• Sheridan College Continuing and Professional Studies Starts of July beginning of August
• Durham College Continuing Education Starts first or second week in July

SCHOOL BOARD PROGRAMS

• See Winter Issue 2015 of Learning Curves pg’s. 10 & 12 at www.learning-curves. ca for detailed overview of School Board Programs, websites and phone numbers
• All language programs (ESL, LINC) require a language test before you register. See www.language.ca the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks which has city by city listing of language assessment centres.

Toronto Catholic District School Board

• Need Assessment before registration if you are a new student
  • YMCA 416-925-5462
  • ESL Register September 8th
  • LINC Register September 8th
  • Monseigneur Fraser Adult Day Schools –earn high school credit.

Toronto District School Board

• Learn4Life Program General Interest August 19th.
  • ESL August 31st
  • LINC Continous
  • Adult Day Schools- earn high school credits. August 31st

Durham Catholic School Board

• ESL @Citizenship Prep classed for Summer Ajax Welcome Centre Registration June 16 &18 11:15 Am -12:15 PM
• ESL Session 1 July 6-23
• ESL Session 2 July 27-August 13 Assessment 1-855-330-8655 for new students Fall Term Register if assessed 289-481- 1336- September 8th.
• PSW Orientation Ajax and Oshawa Campus Daytime program July 2 and August 6 10:00 Am- 12:30PM Ajax Campus Evening Program July 16, Aug 20 6:00 to 9:00 PM Oshawa Campus Evening Program July 16, Aug. 2 6:00 pm to 9:00 PM
• Literacy Basic Skills Continuous Intake – Class begin Sept. 9 Credit Courses- Classes begin Sept. 9

Durham District School Board

• Durham Continuing Education (Adult and Continuing Education Programs):
  • Oshawa Location: E. A. Lovell School 905-436-3211 or toll free 1-800-408-9619
  • Pickering Location (Beside Pickering Go Train Station): 1400 Bayly St., Unit 1 905-831-3118
• Adult Day School Credit Course Information Sessions: June 17, August 26 and August 31 – all at 10 am in Oshawa
• Computer Training Division: Continuous intake program – start dates every 6 weeks 3 and 6 week programs available (MS Windows, Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint) Start Dates for 2015: July 13, August 24, October 5 and November 16 Targeted Initiative for Older Worker (TIOW) funding available for qualified candidates Call Rob at 905-440-4505 for program and registration information
• ESL and Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) – September Daytime Classes in Oshawa: Registration Dates: September 1, 2, & 3 in Oshawa Call Sharon at 905-440-4489 for information or to register
• ESL and LINC – September Daytime Classes in Pickering (1400 Bayly St., Unit 1): Registration Dates: September 1, 2, & 3 in Pickering Call 905-831-3118 for information or to register
• ESL and LINC – Night School in Oshawa: Registration Dates: September 1 & 3 in Oshawa Classes begin September 8th, 2015 Call Sharon at 905-440-4489 for information or to register
• ESL and LINC – Night School in Pickering: Registration Dates: September 2 in Pickering Classes begin September 9th, 2015 Call 905-831-3118 for information or to register
• Literacy Basic Skills Fall Program starts mid-September Call Brigitte at 905-440-4507 for program information or to register
• Pathway Programs (Hospitality, Office Assistant and Building & Maintenance) Information Sessions: June 9, June 17, August 26 and August 31 – all at 10 am in Oshawa Call 905-436-3211 for program information
• Personal Support Worker (PSW) Information Sessions: July 7 and August 26 – all at 10 am in Oshawa (Full Day, Part Time Day and Evening Classes Available) Call 905-436-3211 for program information

York Catholic District School Board

Call 416-221-5051

York Region District School Board

Dr. Betty Stephenson Centre for Learning Call 905-884-2046

Uplands Learning Centre

Call 905-731-9557

Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board

• St. Gabriel Adult Learning Centre Call 905-362-0701
• Brian J. Fleming Adult Learning Centre Call 905-891-3034

Peel District School Board

• Brampton Call 905-791-7600
• Mississauga Call 905-270-6000
• ESL LINC start September 8th
• LBS Literacy Basic Skills – book assessment on August 19th and 20th for week of August 24th
• LBS classes start September 15th.

Halton Catholic District School Board

Call 905-7555. Ext 223

Halton District School Board

Call 905-845-7542

PRIVATE CAREER COLLEGES

See the Ontario Ministry Training, Colleges and Universities web page Continuous Intake

COMMUNITY BASED PROGRAMS

Call 211

Continuous intake.