Students who enroll at the Academy of Learning Career College (AOLCC) begin their studies for various reasons. In some cases, they do so in the hopes of finally pursuing their passion. Others choose to return to school in order to build the foundations and experience needed to successfully transition from one career to another. For Douglas McOuat, AOLCC helped him do both. Here’s his story.
The Moment When Doug Decided to Pursue His Passion
Prior to beginning his community service worker training, Douglas McOuat had been a financial advisor helping families plan for their futures. Though he’d gained experience helping others with their addiction problems for more than 20 years on a volunteer basis, the moment when he realized he could make a career out of it was when he’d found himself with enough financial security to make it happen.
“As a father of three, I was unable to financially afford to work in this industry while raising them,” he says. “Now they are grown and are independent, our financial situation is stronger and allows me to pursue my passion and work in the area I want to work in, rather than the area I had to work in.”
How Community Service Worker Training Helped Him Smoothly Transition to Another Field
For many students looking to enroll in career colleges in Alberta, finding a way to balance work with studies can be a big concern. In Douglas McOuat’s case, enrolling at AOLCC came out of a practical desire to complete his studies without having to quit his current job. “I chose the Academy of Learning because it allows me to continue working while I am learning,” he says, noting that the program “allows students to enter at various entry points within the program, which allowed me to begin my studies immediately.”
The 58-year-old Edmonton native sees the program as unique because it not only offers you a diploma rather than a certificate, but it also allows students flexibility through its Integrated Learning System (ILS). He recommends it to others interested in enrolling in community service programs for these reasons. Doug also says that he would recommend the program due to its “reputation in the Edmonton area,” as well as the opportunity it offers for students to complete “a meaningful job placement”. In fact, he notes that “Students from this program tend to be hired by their placement sites upon course completion.”
Doug Now Knows it’s Never Too Late to Change Careers
The Community Service Worker Diploma program at AOLCC is a 43-week long program, in which students are taught how to cater to the needs of clients and help address their social and personal issues, as well as learn the tricks of the trade by studying various facets of community service work, keyboarding and software applications, and hands-on training through a 160-hour work placement.
Once Doug has completed AOLCC’s Community Service Worker program, he hopes to find work in an addiction treatment facility.
“Being 58 and out of school for 42 years, I believed it was too late for me to begin a new career,” he says. “After researching this program and speaking with Academy advisors, I changed my mind and am very happy I did so. I am enjoying learning in this environment and look forward to each course and my future career.”
Are you hoping to study community service work?
