My experience at PACE was great, the atmosphere and teaching staff created a great learning experience and prepared me for the workforce. All I learned has opened various doors of opportunities in this beautiful city.
Samuel Adeoya Manager Talent Systems Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
Gulshanpreet Brar is a 2015 graduate of PACE’s Human Resource Management Diploma program. Originally from India, Gulshanpreet decided on PACE because it was the only program that offered a fast-track, post-graduate education with a unique blend of courses that suited her background in commerce.
Gulshanpreet quickly learned at PACE that she could gain more from those around her than she could from any textbook—whether it was the diverse perspectives her classmates brought to a project, or instructors sharing feedback. “I learned how to be progressive and how to achieve success by working together,” she says.
Teamwork has proven to be essential in Gulshanpreet’s position at SkipTheDishes, where as a recruitment associate, she’s now building a team of her own. PACE gave her the necessary skills—such as interpersonal communication and problem solving—to recruit and train employees for the growing company as it expands across North America.
She also credits the diploma program’s practicum for giving her valuable Canadian work experience in her field.
“My experience as an international student has been incredibly stimulating, enriching and rewarding,” says Guneet Kaura Dikshit, who graduated with a Human Resource Management Diploma from UWinnipeg PACE.
“Not only did the program have the best mix of courses, it also provided hands on practical knowledge,” she says. “Thanks to the brilliant and highly experienced instructors from the field along with very supportive staff, I could excel and avail the opportunity to get a $2000 scholarship.”
In addition to winning a scholarship, Guneet says the opportunity for a meaningful internship helped propel her to a successful life in Canada.
“The internship at the end of the program ended up with me getting hired at the same company,” says Guneet. “My class comprised of students from different professional and cultural backgrounds. It was a true representation of diversity and multicultural mosaic. All along it’s been an amazing journey!”
“I chose PACE because it offered both project management and soft skills learning opportunities. It was the perfect content to complement my professional experience,” says Juan Cristobal Narvaez, Associate Manager at Canada Life.
Juan graduated with the Project Management Diploma from UWinnipeg PACE in 2018. Prior to coming to Canada, he studied to be a Civil Engineer from Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador and has an MBA from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education in Mexico.
As part of his role at MHI, he assists with business development and project management activities with a focus on consulting, management, and training contracts in Latin America and Mexico marketplaces, conducts market and competitive analysis in the energy service sector, and develops contacts, relationships and working knowledge of international financial institutions and agencies.
Juan says the fact that the program offers exposure to and training on cultural diversity makes PACE a unique experience.
“The exposure to the cultural diversity that PACE fosters and having acquired the related skills helped me to soundly step into the Canadian workplace. I would’ve never imagined having a formal class about the cultural experience here in Canada but once in my new job, I saw how the course content and assignments were aligned with the realities in the workplace.
Juan Cristóbal Narváez Solano Associate Manager, Business Performance, Reporting & Support - Group Customer, Shared Services Canada Life
“Complementing my experience in the marketing field with digital marketing knowledge was a priority for me,” says Carolina Reyes. “The Marketing Management program at PACE gave me that opportunity.”
Carolina graduated with the Marketing Management Diploma from UWinnipeg PACE in 2019. With a Bachelor of Business Administration from Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, she says PACE helped her get a solid understanding of the marketing landscape in Canada.
“The program does a good job familiarizing international students with the local market. Projects are practical which gives students the opportunity to really test their abilities. This helps you test and improve your communication and branding skills,” she says.
Carolina says that as an international student, arriving in a new place can be stressful and lonely but getting involved in extra-curricular helped her make valuable connections.
“I did not know anyone in Winnipeg when I arrived, but PACE offered me the opportunity to be part of the Student Life Committee where I made great friends and had fun while organizing events.”
“Team work is the key to succeed in this program, so be open and ready to share your knowledge with others, to learn from them, and to make life-long friends.”
“I wanted to be proud of the school I was going to attend. I wanted to learn and add value to my resume and my professional experience and PACE was able to provide me that,” says Fernanda Grandizoli, who graduated from UWinnipeg PACE’s Project Management Diploma program in 2017.
Fernanda completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Design at Tuiuti University of Parana in Brazil and earned a Certificate in Business Administration from Getulio Vargas Foundation also in Brazil before coming to Canada.
After working with project management at a manufacturing company and also at a real estate organization following her PACE program, Fernanda secured a Business Integration Manager position at Canada Post, where she manages the project team during the planning and execution of digital marketing projects, focusing on Parcels, Events, Mass and Data Marketing. Fernanda is responsible for the overall marketing calendar, projects' schedule and management of all phases of marketing campaigns using Jira Software, ensuring all marketing tactics are completed on time.
“Although I already had experience with projects, I had never really worked with formal project management tools and techniques. This was my most valuable lesson from PACE.”
“The fact that I had students from 12 different countries in my class allowed me to learn so much from other cultures and backgrounds. The courses are not just focused on project management, but you learn other skills, such as leadership and organizational behaviour.”
Fernanda’s advice to anyone interested in the PACE Project Management program is to be organized, stay motivated, and make use of the program tools and resources.
Edvaldo Rocha says PACE’s Marketing Management Diploma was the obvious choice for him when he was looking to take his career to the next level.
With a Bachelor of Business Administration from Universidade Anhembi Morumbi and a Post Degree Specialization in Corporate Management and over 20 years of experience in sales, Edvaldo wanted to expand his horizons and understand the buying process more in depth.
He says the course duration, subjects covered, structure, and the positive reviews about how knowledgeable the instructors are were also key factors in choosing PACE.
“It’s a great opportunity – courses have high quality content and professional instructors,” he says, adding that taking part in an internship kick-started his professional Canadian experience. “It is possible to restart your career in a new country if you have the right mindset and can count with professional and competent help,” Edvaldo says.
“The effective oral and written communication classes alongside leadership development and the strategic planning courses were absolutely crucial in preparing me for my current role,” says Eddie, who juggles two professional roles.
Edvaldo is Training Manager at SkipTheDishes, where he is a key member of the Live Operations Training Team. In his second role, Edvaldo has gone from student to instructor at PACE teaching courses for the Marketing Management Diploma and the Public Relations, Marketing and Strategic Communication Diploma.
Although Tadeu Augusto Costa de Albuquerque Meira spent several years working for a prominent Brazilian insurance company in many projects, he lacked the formal education he needed to advance in the area. After visiting a recruiter at a student fair, he knew moving to Canada to pursue PACE’s Project Management Diploma Program was the right move.
“In order to perform my tasks as a product manager, I attended several courses related to project management back in Brazil. None of them were as comprehensive and applied as PACE,” says Tad.
Prior to arriving in Canada, Tad led agile teams responsible for replacing company management software and optimizing customer processes. Despite his leadership role, his focus was more on project ownership than managing specific resources. The Project Management Diploma helped round out his expertise.
“No matter how much time or work experience you have in a specific field, a good academic program can always surprise you with applied knowledge that could improve your performance and results as a professional,” he says.
Tad says that despite the intense workload, PACE is enriched by a sense of “joyfulness” that can be found in everything from student events to the different types of people who make up the program.
“The more diverse the group you are working with — the culture, gender, backgrounds — the more innovative the output that you will have on your project.”
Tad was offered a postion with Mantioba Public Insurance as a Regulatory Analyst prior to graduating, now the Manager, Regulatory Affairs.
The decision to leave a successful career wasn’t a sudden decision, nor undertaken without calculating the risks, but leading change was something Alexandre was very familiar with in his previous career. With experience ranging from financial analysis to litigation, Alexandre is now positioning himself for his next career move in the area of compensation, or labour management relations, through his studies in the Human Resource Management Diploma Program.
His experience at PACE has been very positive and the program has proven to be the right path for his professional development needs. The comprehensive structure of the program, coupled with the internship program makes this more appealing to the other programs he researched.
“My classmates and the administration are very helpful and the program instructors are great. As an international student, this has helped make the transition to a new country a lot easier.” Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Alex plans to remain in Canada and build a new life here in Winnipeg with his wife and their two children.
Alexandre Morales Human Resources Management System Analyst Manitoba Public Insurance
As a freelance publicist and journalist in the Caribbean, Tracelyn Cornelius had many years of experience in marketing and communications. UWinnipeg PACE's Public Relations, Marketing & Strategic Communication Diploma allowed her to quickly acclimatize to a new job market after moving to Canada.
“After being in management for many years, my skills were becoming dated,” says Tracelyn, who wanted to pursue a new career that would allow her to spend more time with her family.
“PACE helped me to upgrade my skills within a short time. It also taught me to approach job hunting in Canada from a strategic point of view. The résumé writing and interview techniques I learned helped me to stand out to potential employers.”
Tracelyn says the biggest lesson she learned was the need to conduct extensive research before taking on a project. She also appreciated the “real-life” projects she was able to work on. “In our media relations course, we actually had to plan an event and execute it from start to finish. From mopping the floors of the conference room to drafting and disseminating media releases, we received a lot of practical experience.”
Tracelyn is now using the skills she gained at PACE in her current role as a Director, Inclusive Comunications with the University of Waterloo.
Tracelyn Cornelius Director, Inclusive Comunications University of Waterloo
Public Relations & Strategic Communication Diploma
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