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Starting in 2013, British Columbians have a new statutory holiday. On February 11, the second Monday of the month, BC will celebrate its first February statutory holiday and 10th statutory holiday over all (for now).

No, this is not Celebrate-Valentine’s-Day-Early Day, or Go-Shopping-in-the-States-on-Presidents-Day Day (that’s the third Monday of February). Family Day is a day for remembering the importance of family, and spending quality time with your family as winter draws to a close. With the days growing bright, consider paying your parents a visit (your mother would appreciate it) or taking the kids to the park!

And if the idea of spending the day with children, anyone’s children, at the park fills you with joy, not dread, you might be right for a career in Early Childhood Education (ECE). Early Childhood Educators not only teach, they plan and guide children in activities that help develop positive social and learning habits for life.

The 45-week ECE program at Sprott Shaw includes both classroom and practicum hours. For more details, click here.

You may have already seen the posters at the skytrain station: Play for Perks is one of the newest “mobile gaming for real rewards” offers around.

Thanks to a partnership with Wyley Interactive, we are now offering FREE games with great prizes. Just by playing, you could earn points to win “perks” including Starbucks gift cards, iTunes gift cards, iPads, career counselling sessions, or even a $2,500 scholarship to Sprott Shaw College. Current and past students are eligible to win as well.

Each game or “gameslice” is completely free to play, and allows you to earn points to be redeemed for prizes. New games and prizes are constantly added and prize quantities are limited, so keep checking back and start playing! (If you’re reading this on your smart phone, click here to play.)

Sprott Shaw is currently giving away tickets to Canucks games on Play4Perks!

You could win your morning macchiato, or a grant towards an education that lasts a lifetime. Who says gaming doesn’t help your career?

For more information visit our Play4Perks page.

Gong xi fa cai! Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year falls on February 10 this year. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2013 is also the Year of the Snake. If you were born in 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989… you are a wise, mysterious Snake (Happy Birthday!).

Whether or not you are celebrating CNY, now would be a good time to make some positive changes in your life. Why not make some Lunar New Year’s resolutions? Double the number of resolutions means double the chances of following through with one, right? (If you answered “no”, consider signing up for our Accounting and Payroll Administrator program.)

If you feel stuck in a rut, if you are underpaid at your job or under-qualified for a better job, consider heading back to school. In the same way that a snake sheds its skin, you will at first feel like knocking your head against a rock. But keep at it and the “old you” will soon fall away – a shiny new career is awaiting a shiny new you.

Contact us to learn more.

Groundhog Day is here and – surprise – not everyone is looking forward to two more weeks of rain. If you are unhappy with your job, bad weather could make it seem worse. Fight the winter blues (greys) by making some changes, whether you decide to stay or go.

What’s casting the shadow?

First things first: identify the problem(s). Write down why you’re not satisfied with your job, distinguishing between reasons you can live with, eg. decent but unspectacular wages, and those you can’t (and shouldn’t), eg. workplace bullying.

How much wood could you chuck? A lot more

Professionals often go back to school on a part-time or full-time basis, especially with the need to stay relevant in a tech-filled world. It’s cold and damp outside – why not take this opportunity to learn new skills or take a refresher course? This could enable you to find a more suitable post, or simply be more confident and efficient at your current job.
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Our New Westminster campus has (re)opened! After 18 years in its former location, the campus has upgraded to a new, 9,000-square-foot space featuring all-new ergonomic furniture, laptops, a high-resolution movie projector, and a state-of-the-art Practical Nursing lab which combines classroom and hands-on lab.

Our New Westminster campus now offers all of our most popular programs, including:

• Practical Nursing (PN): Practical Nurses provide nursing services as well as aid doctors and registered nurses in hospitals, patients’ homes, and other facilities. This program will also prepare you for the Canadian PN Registration Exam (CPNRE).
• Early Childhood Education (ECE): Early learning helps preschool and school-age children learn and interact well for the rest of their lives. According to Service Canada, job prospects are good for Early Childhood Educators.

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Sprott Shaw College is pleased to announce Karree Karrington as our new Employment Services Coordinator.

Karree Karrington has more than 25 years of experience working in the Employment Services Sector. Her background includes extensive experience in post-secondary educational institutions in many capacities such as Job Developer, Graduate Placement Services, Career Advisor, Instructor and Career Development co-coordinator. Karree’s years of experience working with Federal and Provincial Government agencies as a Case Manager, liaison and government funded programs for recruitment of participants and Program Management brings a wealth of expertise to the position of Employment Services Coordinator. She has a strong ability to build relationships and work with employers for employment opportunities. Her enthusiasm and passion for education and employment is motivating and inspiring.

Karree, along with all of our Employment Services Specialists and our Global Career Centre will bring a breath of excitement to all campuses. Helping our graduates find careers they love continues to be one of Sprott Shaws priorities and we believe our entire Employment Services Team will continue to maintain our high standards.

For more information on our Career Centre, click here.

Bad news: As of 2012, the future has dimmed for door-to-door encyclopedia salesmen.

Good news: Most industries still have a growing need for qualified sales professionals.

According to Statistics Canada’s Jan. 21 and Jan. 22 reports, both retail and wholesale sales in Canada have grown compared with previous years. Retail sales have increased for five consecutive months as of November (stats for December will be released in February).
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“Students must first learn how to learn” is repeated often in schools, but if you’ve ever wondered how teachers learn to teach, you might like to know more about the Instructor Competency Program.

No matter who and where they teach, the primary goal of teachers is to help their students learn. Instructors at colleges, technical institutes, and other vocational schools, however, have an additional task: equipping students with relevant real-world job skills. If you are one of these instructors, your ability to guide and inspire students can have a direct impact on their careers –stay relevant and upgrade your skills with the Instructor Competency Program (ICP). This program is also ideal if you are an expert in your field, and wish to become an instructor.

Within the Instructor Competency Program at Sprott Shaw, you will learn how to help adult learners meet their goals through a teaching tool belt that includes:
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Did you know? Last October, BC’s licensed practical nurses voted to join the BC Nurses’ Union*. This means practical nurses will now be represented by and with professional nurses. If you want to provide high-quality care while maintaining a flexible schedule, this is the perfect time to become a Practical Nurse (PN) in BC.

Practical nurses provide nursing services to patients and their families as well as assist doctors and registered nurses in hospitals, clinics, care facilities, or patients’ homes. Many PNs work part-time, choosing when and where they work. Some eventually study to become registered nurses.

At Sprott Shaw, you can learn the ins and outs of practical nursing in just 75 weeks, and prepare for the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination (CPNRE). Plus, you can enroll at any time – no need to wait for the next semester or open spots – and even return for free skill upgrades.

Our New Westminster campus moved to a larger renovated space in October, unveiling an all-new hands-on LPN lab. For details about the Practical Nursing program, click here.

*(with the exception of 2,000 or so working in long-term care homes)

It’s the beginning of a new year and that means men and woman everywhere are pledging to quit smoking, lose weight, or go back to school. Here are some tips for going back to school that we’ve compiled based on the Forbes article entitled “How to Make 2013 Your Best Year Ever“:

- Just because you know you should go back to school, think about whether you really want to go back to school. Forbes says if have a strong personal desire to go back to school “you’re far more likely to do it”.

- If you have proclaimed that you are going back to school, you need to “build a path to achieving [your] goal”. The first step in going back to school is speaking with a Career Advisor who can go over our programs, discuss financial options and help you plan your work-life balance.

- Lastly, the Forbes article warns the biggest impediment to you success is yourself. That voice inside your head may try to talk your out of the plan. You need to say to yourself “I’d love to have 2013 be my best year yet – and I’m going to do everything in my power to make it so.”

- One more thing to keep in mind from an educational perspective is that graduating from Sprott Shaw is only half the battle. Be prepared to work hard handing out resumes, preparing for interviews, sending out thank you notes and making follow up calls as you work to get the job of your dreams. Our Global Career Center will be there assisting you all the way.

Cheers to a prosperous 2013! We can’t wait for you to join us at Sprott Shaw College.