Julie has a challenging and exciting career with Manitoba Hydro International Ltd., which provides services and solutions to customers in the energy and telecommunications sectors around the world. As a Business Development Officer, Julie offers project support to a team of utility experts currently working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
She already holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce but aspired to augment that background with a solid foundation in project management fundamentals. Attending the part-time Masters Certificate in Project Management at PACE allows working professionals to take courses during the evenings, on the weekends, and online.
According to Julie, the program provided her practical knowledge and pertinent tools that she plans to use and implement at her current job and in future endeavours. She credits her final PACE instructor, Celine Goodine, with compiling and presenting all the modules from the program in a pragmatic and comprehensible manner.
As a manager at Great-West Life, Jamie Williamson understands how quickly the business world changes. Having completed the Management Certificate at PACE, he’s now in position to stay ahead of the pack.
Williamson came to PACE as a manager of nearly 30 people in a range of service areas, including quality assurance and process development. Although he had prior, on-the-job training in his position, he wanted to gain new perspectives on management from both instructors and fellow students.
Following his graduation in 2014, Williamson returned to his position with more practical tools for problem solving. He also learned some of the secrets to being a great leader. “I learned that while the best leaders make it seem almost effortless — planning, research, and situational judgment are critical to effectively lead a team.” He also returns with the affirmation that trust, respect, and transparency are all essential to great leadership.
Williamson considers his PACE experience to be a worthwhile investment and encourages anyone who may be content in their career to explore more education. “Although returning to school as an adult after a long absence can be intimidating, I found the environment to be very open, supportive and collaborative.”
Jamie Williamson Director, Strategic Projects & Omni Channel Service Optimization Canada Life
“I had been looking to compliment my BSc Comp Sci degree, I found out about PACE’s offerings and decided that evening to enroll,” says Louie Orbeta, a graduate of the Management Certificate program, which he completed in just over a year and a half.
“I chose this program due to the scheduling flexibility, having online offerings, and the school’s downtown location which is a 5 minute walk from my office.”
This flexibility allowed Louie to maintain his busy family and personal life, a full-time job, and training for his first Ironman Triathlon.
Louie was a very active student, embracing the collaborative learning in both the classroom and in the online courses.
“The instructors were more than willing to encourage class discussions and collaboration, one of the many things I was able to bring back to my current role as team lead at work. I enhanced my communication, negotiation, and leadership skills, and see our organization as a holistic entity that is working towards a common goal,” he says.
“I am happy to recommend this program to anyone who is pursuing a career in leadership and management.”
Louie Orbeta Manager, Cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA)
Jo-Ann Trudeau holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Sociology from The University of Winnipeg. She returned to her alma mater to attend PACE. Trudeau excelled in the program and graduated with the highest GPA in her PACE program year.
“As a UWinnipeg alumna I didn’t give it a second thought,” said Trudeau. She liked that she could take the program part-time and that PACE was conveniently located downtown.
Trudeau enjoyed how PACE allowed her to work collaboratively with students while developing her leadership skills and learning best practices. She found that these skills could be immediately applied to her work at Manitoba Public Insurance where she currently is a Senior Case Manager in the Bodily Injury Division.
“PACE assisted in strengthening my oral and written communication skills,” said Trudeau. “PACE provided an environment to learn and appreciate other ways to learn and how other students analyze problems. There is a relaxed environment to discuss and share.”
Trudeau appreciated the PACE instructors’ willingness to share their knowledge and network and how her fellow students shared similar challenges. This allowed the group to collectively strategize to administer change in their respective work place and fields of work.
Trudeau notes that the instructors are all specialized in their diverse fields of instruction. This provided her with relevant and practical information on trending topics, best practices and what is actually being implemented with other employers.
She also liked the maturity of the students who attend PACE: “We are all working full time, caring for family and juggling career development; we all shared a like- mindedness of wanting to better ourselves for our families and community. I took PACE to further develop my skills set and ameliorate my chances for future career opportunities with MPI.”
Dana Cherski credits Professional, Applied and Continuing Education (PACE) at The University of Winnipeg with helping her make the move from front-of-house to the head office at one of Winnipeg’s most popular restaurant enterprises.
Before pursuing the Human Resource Management Diploma program at PACE, Dana — who also has a BA (Hons) in psychology from The University of Winnipeg — was working full-time as a server at Stella’s Café & Bakery. A chance conversation about PACE with a guest inspired her to enrol.
“I felt that human resource management was a perfect link between psychology and business, and an area in which I could apply what I learned in the restaurant industry and at school into my future career,” she says.
After graduating from PACE in 2016, Dana was promoted to Director of Human Resources within Stella’s — a position that sees her recruiting, training, onboarding, and developing policies for the company’s seven Winnipeg locations. She says the skills she learned at PACE, such as the theory behind human resources in business and the qualities of a good manager, have been extremely relevant in her day-to-day responsibilities.
For Dana, one of the biggest benefits of the Human Resource Management program was the ability to study part-time. “I was able to work almost full-time serving at Stella’s on the main floor of the Buhler Centre, while going to school in the evenings upstairs at PACE. I don’t think I would’ve been able to further my career goals if the program wasn’t offered part-time.”
Dana Cherski Director of Human Resources Stella’s Café & Bakery
As a trainer and facilitator for one of the largest employers in Manitoba, Paul Carrick enrolled in the Human Resource Management Diploma program delivered through Professional, Applied and Continuing Education (PACE) at The University of Winnipeg, to better support his clients. Having worked in the field of therapy and conflict resolution for over 20 years, he decided to pursue a PACE diploma in human resource (HR) management to respond to the growing requirements of HR-related knowledge and legislation in various workplaces.
He also has a master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Manitoba, and is a therapist and conflict resolution specialist.
Paul has extensive experience designing and delivering presentations and workshops on topics such as conflict resolution, bullying, and respectful workplaces. He aims to deliver practical and engaging seminars to a wide range of participants working in both the private and public sectors.
“I felt it was imperative when intervening and consulting with workplaces, managers and human resources to have depth and breadth in human resource knowledge,” he says.
Both the part- and full-time Human Resource Management Programs offered by PACE align with industry-recognized standards and best professional practice.
Paull adds that being able to complete his PACE diploma part-time gave him the flexibility to upgrade his skills while simultaneously juggling work and home-life.
Paul Carrick Private Therapist, Facilitor, and Human Rights and Conflict Advisor (Paul Carrick Consulting) Therapist and Trainer (Province of Manitoba)
Nolan Bradshaw Consulting is a Winnipeg based company that provides customized Human Resources, Workplace Health and Safety, and Management solutions to small and mid-sized businesses.
Nolan Bradshaw Consulting strives to help clients achieve their organizational goals by providing advice, guidance, outsourcing, and consultation relating to the human resource, health and safety and business needs of an organization, while providing business owners and decision makers with the time and ability to continually move their business forward.
Nolan Bradshaw Consulting offers customized solutions that range from short term projects such as recruitment, training, or policy development, to complete outsourcing of all HR, Health and Safety, and/or Management functions. By working with Nolan Bradshaw Consulting, not only can business owners and managers hand off these responsibilities to a qualified professional, but their valuable time is freed up to focus on growing their business or enjoying their family and recreational time.
About Nolan Bradshaw Nolan Bradshaw is the Owner and Senior Consultant of Nolan Bradshaw Consulting. He has over 15 years experience in human resources, health and safety and business, and has been recognized on numerous occasions for going above and beyond to ensure clients were 100% satisfied.
Nolan Bradshaw possesses a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Winnipeg; a Diploma in Human Resource Management and Certificate in Management from the University of Winnipeg – Professional, Applied and Continuing Education. He possesses hands-on consulting experience in recruitment and selection, training and development, organizational development, policy and procedure development, career counseling, and workplace health and safety.
Nolan Bradshaw is active in the local community as a member of the Fort Rouge Curling Club, and a member of the Human Resources Management Association of Manitoba
Nolan Bradshaw Relationship Manager, Business Markets RBC
Human Resource Management Diploma (Part-time)Management Certificate
Part-time University of Winnipeg Professional, Applied & Continuing Education student, Dennis Bishop, scored top honours in Manitoba on the Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR, formerly Certified Human Resource Professional) National Knowledge Exam (NKE) held in October 2012. A committed adult learner, Dennis Bishop completed the PACE Management Certificate in spring 2011 and the PACE Human Resource Management Diploma in fall 2012 and recently began a 4-year Bachelor of Business and Administration Degree at The University of Winnipeg.
The CPHR designation is the highest level of qualification in human resources management in Canada. The CPHR designation represents a commitment to a national standard of excellence, sets a benchmark for the practice of effective human resources, and emphasizes the strategic role of HR Management in business. It is a national designation, portable from one province to another, and granted provincially.
Human Resource Management Diploma (Part-time)Management Certificate
Years of management experience in the grocery industry gave Nick Apostolopoulos a passion for people. Professional, Applied and Continuing Education (PACE) at UWinnipeg gave him the skills to turn that passion into a career.
“I always knew that I would be very involved in dealing with employees, but in order to get a foot in to the human resources field, I needed to not only have the working experience, but also some formal education,” says Nick, a dual PACE graduate of the Human Resource Management Diploma (2011) and Management Certificate (2016) programs.
With an established career and a young family, full-time education wasn’t an option for Nick. Luckily, PACE offered him the flexibility to obtain the necessary education in a timeframe that worked for him. “I was able to pursue the programs at my pace, and had options to focus on courses within the programs that were most important and relevant to my needs,” he says.
In addition to the program’s convenience, Nick also appreciated being able to network with classmates and instructors from a variety of sectors. “Each course I was in had so many various people from many different industries, and it was a pleasure to learn from the experiences of others.”
Nick has now earned his national human resource certification, and is employed as a senior human resources generalist at Sysco Winnipeg. His role includes all aspects of human resources, including: recruitment, performance management, employee and labour relations, and health and safety.
My journey into Human Resources began when a friend of mine, who had graduated from the full-time Human Resource Management Program at The University of Winnipeg, gave me some preliminary information about the program and about a career in HR. Thereafter, I was completely enthralled.
I enrolled in the full-time HR program in 2010. The courses were inspiring, informative and engaging. In fact, I did so well, I received a scholarship from CPHR MB (Chartered Professional in Human Resource Manitoba, formerly Human Resource Management Association of Manitoba) for achieving high grades in my program.
Today, I am positioned at The Metropolitan Entertainment Centre as an HR Coordinator and earning more than I have in other jobs, applying my HR training and education to the role.
It’s cliché to say, but I truly love coming to work each day. I feel as though my HR initiatives make a profound difference at work and I feel that I am respected and revered as a true HR professional.
In addition to my HR success, I am also a proud business owner. In 2011 I opened an acting studio for youth, called Expressions Film Studio. I currently have 25 students enrolled and I run 4 classes per week. In December 2012, I also achieved the prestigious CPHR (Chartered Professional in Human Resources) designation. These accomplishments, while very momentous for me, I cannot take full credit for. I am where I am today because of a well-rounded HR education, inspiring instructors, and supportive friends and family.
Reena Varshney Career Consultant People First HR Services
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