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.

Edvaldo Rocha
Training Manager
SkipTheDishes

“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

“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

PACE helped Bharat Dutta make the transition into a Canadian workplace. With an MBA focused on Operations Management from the School of Management Studies, at Punjabi University in India, Bharat was looking for a program that could brush up his skills and introduce him to Canadian work culture.

Bharat found that in UWinnipeg PACE’s Marketing Management Diploma and graduated in 2018.

“First and foremost, PACE has a really warm and welcoming culture. Secondly, teachers are open to questions and classrooms are more like a discussion groups. Last, but not least, the program is developed for the success in [Canadian] society.”

“For me the most important courses focused on communication skills, cross-cultural awareness, resume building, and essential skills of managers.”

Practical skills learned through the program helped Bharat prepare for and land a job shortly after graduation.

“I knew what I needed to pay attention to in the job posting, how to change my resume, as well as what interview questions I could expect. All-in-all, I was prepared for my job interview because I could anticipate what was coming my way based on the skills I learned at PACE.”

Bharat Dutta
Managing Partner
Brio Insurance

“I chose PACE as courses offered perfectly complements industry requirements while prepping students for the challenges ahead,” says Adrian James Menezes, who earned his Project Management Diploma from UWinnipeg PACE in 2017. Adrian had previously earned an Associate Degree in Specialized Business Management from Penn Foster College in Pennsylvania, USA.

Adrian is a Senior Manager in the Project Management Office at Cormer Group Industries Inc. In his work he oversees projects which supply the Aerospace and Defense industries with precision machine products.

“My previous work experience along with the PACE experience created the perfect environment to prepare me for the challenges and opportunities in my workplace,” he says.

Adrian says his experience was set apart by amazing instructors who provided an in-depth perspective with their own experiences, the diversity of his classmates, an affordable program, and the caring staff team who are always willing to listen and assist.

 “Having an outstanding faculty who care and being able to obtain invaluable feedback from students and alumni make PACE programs sought after,” says Adrian who has a few words of advice for new students.

“Prepare to be dedicated, focused, and put all your attention on your program, the results will speak for itself, and provide you the ability to face any challenge that comes along.”

Adrian James Menezes
Founder, President & CEO
AJM Canadian Immigration & Citizenship Services Inc. and IT'S ONLY HONEY INC.

“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.”

Nitin Sharma
Business Analyst
HEB MANITOBA

“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.

Fernanda Grandizoli
Business Integration Manager
Canada Post

“I was in the peak of my career, left everything behind and started at ground zero, but I never looked back since then” says Joana Bersamina, who has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from De La Salle University in Philippines.

“Having PACE as my starting point will always be the best decision I’ve ever made.” I did some research and majority of the Industry Professionals in the province took PACE. I told myself, “Investment must be worthy down the road and PACE would be the best tool in achieving my goals”

Joana graduated from UWinnipeg PACE’s Human Resource Management Diploma in 2018 and has been in-demand in the HR industry in the province since, working for a number of both private and non-profit organizations.

Currently, she is the Vice President for People & Culture at YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg. The YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg is a charity that ignites the potential in people, helping them grow, lead, and give back to their communities.

 “If you are someone who wants to set foot in the HR industry, PACE is the best starting point. You will never regret it,” she says. “I had zero Canadian experience, and it was PACE that opened all the doors for me.”

Joana Bersamina
Vice President for People & Culture
YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg