Career Options
Police foundations program delivered onlineAs a federal government inspector, John Gushue has always welcomed opportunities to investigate any number of intriguing cases. But earning a diploma in police foundations has opened the door to even more challenges. |
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 [ 2006-11-29 ] |
Loyalist graduate
"The more enforcement work I did, the more I realized I needed more enforcement training," says Gushue, a full-time inspector with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Complaints can include tainted food or food that has been tampered with or intentionally mislabelled.
Gushue began with a Canadian Criminal Justice System course offered at Loyalist College in Belleville. "After I completed the course and saw how much it helped me, I started taking other courses and then decided to work towards my diploma."
The continuing education program is offered online. Other courses in the program include community policing, conflict management, criminal and civil law, investigation skills, criminology, traffic management, psychology, and behaviour management and crisis intervention.
Studying is nothing new for the Newfoundland native. "I've been going to school since I was five," Gushue says. He completed his undergraduate degree at Memorial University of Newfoundland and later completed a certificate in food processing at the Marine Institute in St. John's.
BORDER SERVICES
Gushue worked in a fish processing plant there before moving to Ontario in 1998. The father of two has also taken French, business and science courses at area colleges and universities. He graduated from Loyalist last spring and is working towards a position with Canadian Border Services Agency.
"Investigation and enforcement is the most exciting and challenging part of my work," he says. "It's something others have shied away from, but I always loved the challenge ... I appreciate enforcement as a tool you rarely want to use, but when you do use it, it's for a good reason."
The police foundation program is available to students from across the province through OntarioLearn.com, a consortium of 22 community colleges that partnered to develop and deliver online courses.
Learning is facilitated by an instructor who is available to answer questions, encourage discussion on course topics and provide feedback. To participate in an Ontario Learn.com online course, you must register through one of the partner colleges.
"We worked with chiefs of police from across Ontario to develop the program," says Dan Holland, dean of Business, Bioscience and Justice Studies at Loyalist and Ex- Officio of OntarioLearn.com
"It was the first full-scale certificate program to be offered through Ontario Learn.com."
Designed to offer police officers an opportunity to earn a diploma, the police foundation program also attracts those wanting to become police officers. It introduces candidates to modern policing and prepares them to write the provincially-administered certification exam that will allow them to compete for police positions across the province. It also attracts those working in security.
QUICK FACTS
Loyalist College's Police Foundations program is a joint initiative between the Police Learning System Advisory Committee and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.
The program, offered online, is designed to respond to the changing employment requirements of policing services across the province, establishing the minimum educational standards that must be met by applicants to all police services in Ontario.
-- To learn more, visit www.loyalistc.on.ca
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