For those of us lucky enough to be born Canadian citizens, it’s hard to imagine what it might be like to be thrown into a foreign setting with unfamiliar policies, ideals and language that challenge everything we know.
A little like Dorothy being transported to Oz, a new world has endless implications – some good, some bad, but all a test of how well previously learned knowledge and skills can sustain us. More importantly, a test of what we will do in order to adopt and adapt to this new environment.
Since 1998, Ashton College has been helping newly transplanted immigrants prepare for their lives in Canada. As both a domestic and an international educator, the college has grown a reputation for being an exemplary source of assistance for Canadian newcomers to get the credentials they need to break into the job market.
But as a private company offering education services in one of the most sought-after cities on the planet, it can be hard to convince would-be students that Ashton genuinely cares for the prospective success of its attendees amidst all the sector noise.
“We want to get away from that stereotype of private education. We want to provide our students with great education and we are proud of that,” said Jane Chang, vice-president at Ashton College.
This year, Ashton College celebrates its 20th year, a huge achievement in a sector notorious for capitalizing on the overabundance of immigrants desperately needing educational assistance in order to be competitors in a harsh job market.
Chang has been at Ashton since its inception and has seen the school grow from a budding institution to a full-service education facility with two campuses, one downtown and one in Abbotsford, as well as a budding online educator.
In fact, the online sector is where the school is looking to focus most of its expansion plans, as Ashton has had great success in digital learning.
“Our online program is a face-to-face program, and that is where we have been able to develop and reach out to people all across Canada and internationally. We have students taking our online program in places like India and Dubai.”
But Chang knows that the appeal of living and studying in Vancouver is undeniable, and the student population at the downtown campus has grown intensely over the last 20 years.
Some of the top courses that draw students are human resources, management, financial planning and bookkeeping – all the type of job-ready education that takes capable adults to the next level in their career.
“You could be taking a cab and you meet someone who has had huge success in their previous careers and they are PhDs or engineers, and they come to Canada and, because they have no Canadian experience, you see them doing the labour work.
“We want to give people the opportunity to get back into the job market. We want to get our students to middle, upper management or to be a self-employed individual.”
When all is said and done, the most rewarding part of Chang’s job is the human element.
“You are making a difference in people’s lives. I have people that come back after 10 years that let us know how they are doing. Or there’s the people that came to Canada and were struggling and they took a program [at Ashton] and they landed a great job.… They are doing something that they want to do, not something that they are forced to do.”
Learn more about what Ashton College has to offer you.
