“I chose PACE mainly because the students were success stories themselves,” says Teslim Akindele, Project Manager at Red River College Polytechnic and graduate of the Project Management Diploma in 2018. Teslim says the success of previous graduates influenced his decision to enroll at UWinnipeg PACE. “[The students] had excellent things to say about PACE and also had excellent jobs.”
“PACE gives you a unique learning experience that propels your career,” says Teslim. “I found that activities, assignments, and projects assigned seemed like real-life projects. This made me comfortable in my field and also allowed me to ace my PMP a month after graduation.”
“The intensity and tools provided by instructors were very similar to tools that my current role demands. All the courses had valuable lessons I am able to apply to my current role, from Project Management Fundamentals, and Planning and Estimating to Effective Project Reporting,” he says.
Teslim combines what he learned at PACE with the knowledge and skills from his BSc in Architecture, and Master’s in Environmental Design, both from University of Lagos, in Nigeria.
Teslim has many responsibilities at Winnipeg Housing. From creating and managing budgets and schedules for construction projects to working with proposals for new builds to gain new stakeholders. He also manages post-construction activities like deficiency reviews to ensure work done meets quality standards and scope, as well as helping develop and review designs for residential projects.
Teslim Akindele Project Manager - Capital Projects Red River College Polytechnic
“The students came from various countries, speaking different languages but all of us had one common goal and that was to learn and educate ourselves,” says Nitin Sharma, UWinnipeg PACE Project Management Diploma graduate and Business Analyst at HEB MANITOBA.
“PACE has the programs that best suit the need of the professionals like me who want to have an international education experience that gives an added advantage when entering the Canadian workforce.”
Prior to coming to PACE Nitin completed a Bachelor of Engineering at Maharshi Dayanand University in New Dehli, India.
“The PACE project management program is intense and keeps you on your toes throughout but will greatly help you to gain a solid understanding of the project management concepts,” says Nitin. “The courses, assignments, and projects are designed in such way that will enable you to see the project’s bigger picture, empowers you to confidently take decisions, and promotes ‘outside the box’ thinking.”
“The lesson that I learned is not to take things for granted and to give your best all the time as a success only comes with hard work and discipline,” says Nitin. “The program has helped me in take the project management tools and techniques I learned and use them to carry out my day-to-day activities.”
Ivan had an eclectic employment background in Kyiv, working in everything from IT to government as well as obtaining his Masters with honors in Economics from Dnipropetrovsk National University in 2008.
Originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, Ivan makde the big move to Canada to follow his dreams.
“PACE was enormous in helping fulfill my goals by providing me with a professional education, with a focus on PM skills, networking opportunities and vastly improved his English,” says Ivan, who graduated with a Project Management Diploma in 2017.
Ivan chose PACE based on its global reputation and was not disappointed.
“[PACE] works: I secured a project management position in two months after graduation,” says Ivan, who landed a job in digital project managment. He has since since gone on to certify as a Full-Stack Developer and secure a National Energy Board Code for Canada Fellowship, focussed on making data about important energy projects more accessible for Canadians, so that scientists, landowners, and Indigenous communities can fully participate in the Canadian energy dialogue.
Ivan Duka Software Engineer Canada Energy Regulator
I work with TD Wealth as a Senior Financial Planner where I assist high net worth individuals, families, corporations, and trusts with portfolio management services and help them achieve their goals such as financial freedom, lifestyle and legacy planning.
The structure of the full-time Project Management program helped prepare me for the realities of the Canadian business environment. During our study period, the workload never seemed to end and the assignments were due back-to-back. While this was very stressful at times, it also prepared me for my current workplace.
Coming from Chandigarh, India (a town nearly the size of Winnipeg and extraordinarily beautiful too), there were lots of challenges in the early days of my studies. As a new immigrant, my life in Canada was very different - even the cars were driven on the opposite side of the road. Cultural shock shaped many of my first interactions with my domestic classmates at university.
Time management was essential to my success, which is especially important to an international student striving for the opportunity of Canadian work experience through the internship program. At one point in my studies, I was working two part-time jobs at almost 18 hours per week, in addition to 30 hours of course lectures during the week, and another 30 hours of homework. Nevertheless, I never had a professor complain about a late assignment, a lack of professionalism in the quality of my work, or poor exam results.
Volunteering through the Internship portion of the program was another valuable tool. Considering the fact that the Project Management Program is only 10 months long, there wasn't enough time for an international student to gain Canadian work experience during the program. That is why I felt it was necessary to give myself this competitive edge, by participating in the internship, as I approached my job search stage.
In the words of Shakespeare, "All's well that ends well." By building connections and staying connected to the right people in the industry, I was the first person in my class to land a great job opportunity. What made the difference? I believe that being proactive and assertive in my job search made me look beyond the want ads and network effectively.
In my estimation, the University of Winnipeg is an academic hub that brings together students from around the globe and nurtures them for a better life, while imparting unmatched quality education.
Attending PACE has proved invaluable to my career. PACE has given me the opportunity to give back what I have learnt. The academic mileage that I gained allowed an easy, smooth and rewarding transition to the Canadian workforce market. Besides providing academic excellence the PACE faculty also helped me in getting adjusted to this new country and helped me call it home. The competency and the professionalism of the faculty were nothings less than outstanding. All this gives me an increased sense of self-esteem and a feeling of great accomplishment.
Karma Lama Category Lead - Manitoba Labour, Consumer Protection and Government Services Government of Manitoba
Dhruv Mehta was a project manager with The Royal Bank of Scotland in India before coming to Canada. Even with his previous project management experience, Dhruv found PACE provided him with instrumental training — including the use of industry-related tools like analytical structuring, budgeting, and procuring, which have broad business applications.
“PACE gave me the best possible exposure to the latest project management practices,” shared Dhruv. “I am an experienced project manager, and it still gave me a competitive impetus to do better.”
Dhruv found that being in a diverse class improved his communication skills. “Working with colleagues from different countries helped me learn how to deal with people. This gave me insights and knowledge of cultures I was not exposed to before.”
He also found the program schedule was well-timed to make sure that students gain knowledge of current industrial practices, especially in the Canadian context.
“The fact that PACE had in-depth syllabus coverage of the end-to-end Project Management processes and practices motivated me to short list PACE as the first option to get my certification.”
Dhruv is now a Planner II - Development Planning at the City Of Hamilton.
Dhruv Mehta Planner II - Development Planning City Of Hamilton
As soon as Taiwo Olabode Kehinde completed his full-time Project Management Diploma through UWinnipeg PACE, he landed a dream job as a project analyst with Manitoba eHealth — and he could not be happier.
“I am really excited; I feel I am giving back,” says Taiwo.
He was a quality assurance analyst in the successful Electronic Patient Record upgrade project. He is now part of a team working on the multi-million dollar project to create an electronic home care record system across regional health authorities in Manitoba.
“The best part of a career in business analysis and project management is it allows me to work with people from all backgrounds and walks of life. There are different challenges every day. I love it.”
Taiwo, originally from southwestern Nigeria, had completed a master’s degree and MBA in the United Kingdom when he heard about UWinnipeg’s PACE diploma from a friend. “I wanted a more hands-on program, and that is what attracted me to come to here.” He describes the project management diploma as practical, applied learning that matched his interests extremely well.
His favourite course at PACE was Effective Project Reporting, “because in the real world, projects succeed primarily due to effective communication between all stakeholders involved. My training at PACE gave me full Canadian experience, which I was able to leverage in securing a good job.”
“I wanted to learn while still have a taste of the professional life that I was aspiring to get into after school. PACE was this school for me,” says Felista Karanja, who graduated from UWinnipeg PACE’s Project Management Diploma in 2019. Felista previously earned a BA in International Relations and an MA in Peace and Conflict Studies.
“Honestly, I have been in three different universities but I cannot compare my experience at PACE with any other. I learned so much in a very short period. My professional skills were sharpened and the standard of my work has improved greatly,” she says.
Felista says PACE prepared her for her current role as a Project Manager by creating a professional environment throughout the program. With courses in resume building and the Career Hub, along with lunch hour seminar with alumni and working professionals, Felista says she was ready to face the job market after graduation.
In her work Felista’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, coordinating project communication within three project streams, updating project documents, submitting status reports, monitoring risks, and updating the project schedule.
“Striving to deliver high quality work at all times has now become my motto. Also, the soft skills that I learned while at PACE are invaluable. These skills have been beneficial even in my current role working as part of a diverse project team,” she says.
Felista’s advice for others considering studying at UW PACE, “Go for it, it is worth it!”
“My year at PACE allowed me to meet a mosaic of cultures, wonderful people, and enjoy being a student again, but at the same time PACE prepared me to integrate into the labour market,” says Nelly Blancas, Project Manager at Manitoba Hydro International (MHI). Nelly graduated with a Project Management Diploma from UWinnipeg PACE in 2017.
As a Project Manager at Manitoba Hydro International (MHI), Nelly manages specialized energy services projects in Latin American countries such as Argentina, Chile and Honduras, and develops business strategies for the Latin American and Mexico energy markets. She is engaged in the business development and project management activities to support MHI’s consulting, engineering, management, and training contracts internationally.
“My experience in PACE provided me the abilities and knowledge to quickly adapt to the Canadian corporate culture,” says Nelly, who aside from holding a Project Management Diploma from PACE, also holds a BSc in Computer Science from Instituto Politécnico Nacional in Mexico, as well as an MSc in Information Science from Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico City, Mexico.
“I strongly recommend UWinnipeg PACE. It is extremely satisfying, and PACE also has wonderful and friendly staff who coordinate cultural events and provide student with resources to make the journey easier as international student.”
Nelly Blancas Senior Strategy & Planning Analyst Canada Life
"PACE provided practical training in project management with industry-recognized professionals as instructors,” says Yanique Brighton. Yanique earned her Project Management Diploma from UWinnipeg PACE and was able to secure her current role as Senior HR Business Partner at Lifetouch shortly afterwards.
“Several factors were taken into consideration when I selected UWinnipeg PACE as the institution of study,” says Yanique, who also holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Studies from The University of the West Indies, Mona in Jamaica prior to enrolling at UWinnipeg PACE.
“Experienced instructors with vast industry experience, a recognized institution, the internship component, a central location in the heart of the city, and earning double certification in one program. I was able to complement my human resources experience and training with project management knowledge.”
Yanique says one of the most valuable lessons from her PACE experience came from the writing courses like Effective Written Communication and Effective Project Reporting.
“These courses are designed not only to enhance one’s writing skills but to develop one’s attention to details. The courses taught me to be mindful of my audience when communicating.”
As PACE alumni, Yanique is giving back to her university community. “After completing the program, I had the opportunity of being asked by the school to tutor/mentor a group of students in effective project reporting and it was an absolute pleasure."
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