If you’re unemployed, it’s a good time to go back to school and train for a highly skilled, in-demand job. And York University’s School of Continuing Studies is helping make that a little easier.
The school has just launched an emergency benefit to help adults whose livelihoods have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic devastation.
York is awarding 17 people with $1,500 toward their School of Continuing Studies’ certificate tuition. This $25,500 benefit program is available to Canadian workers who have unexpectedly lost their jobs or are facing financial difficulty due to the on-going pandemic.
“In difficult economic times, adults tend to return to university to increase stability and improve their earning potential,” says Tracey Taylor-O’Reilly, assistant vice-president of York’s School of Continuing Studies, in a press release.
“We took this unprecedented action as part of our commitment to help Canadians get through this crisis and reduce the skills gap.”
Any Canadian who has been approved for the recent Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) can apply for the benefit. The money can be applied to any online certificate program that begins in May.
Online certificate programs are tied to high-skilled careers with lots of employment opportunities but not enough people qualified to fill them.
Part-time programs include Big Data Analytics, Cloud Computing Strategy, Cyber Security Fundamentals, Advanced Cyber Security, Risk Management and User Experience Design. Full-time programs include Accounting, Business Administration and Human Resources Management.
The school has also allocated $50,000 as part of an Emergency Bursary program for currently enrolled students who have experienced financial hardships due to the crisis. They’ve also launched a #LetsContinYU public service campaign on social media to give Canadians access to timely information from faculty and industry leaders during the pandemic.
People can apply here for the Continuing Studies Emergency Benefit from now until April 30, 2020.
@glennsumi
