Status:
Graduates Spring 2020
A referral from FOCUS Employment Services in Alliston to the Contact North | Contact Nord online learning centre in Shelburne provided Aimee Butler the support she needed to make a career change. With support from Contact North | Contact Nord staff, she enrolled in Confederation College’s online Social Service Worker program.
Her previous college diploma was in accounting and after working in the financial sector for many years, she felt the need for change. “Working in finance just didn’t feel important, not where my priorities were anymore,” she explains.
Despite a busy family life, Aimee committed herself to the full-time program. She connects to her classes on the Contact North | Contact Nord web conferencing platform from her home computer and writes exams at the online learning centre. “The platform is brilliant!” she shares. “I attend class every day and all from home. I have access to instructors, ask questions; same as being in the classroom.”
She completed two placements in her own community and appreciates the opportunity to network and put what she learned into practice.
“It is a very enriching experience. There are always going to be issues, problems or days you think you’re not going to make it, but I never feel alone,” she explains. A Facebook group for class members was created where encouraging messages or notes for a missed class are shared.
Aimee plans to attend her graduation ceremony in Spring 2020 at the Thunder Bay campus to accept her diploma and meet instructors and classmates face-to-face.
