Education/training

On campus

Starting in September 2003, Sheridan College will offer the first Bachelor of Applied Arts degree in animation in Canada.
[ 2002-04-24 ]

Send to a friend
Print

Building on a 30-year history of animation education that has produced many of the world's top animators, Sheridan's new degree program will provide graduates with a credential that better reflects the quality and depth of their studies, and which is more commonly recognized internationally.

"We're very pleased to be able to introduce this applied degree at Sheridan, which will significantly enhance career opportunities for our graduates," says Dr. Robert Turner, president and CEO, Sheridan College. "Sheridan's animation program has long been recognized as one of the best in the world, and this new level of credential will open more doors both at home and abroad."

Since its inception, the animation program has produced hundreds of successful animators, among them Academy Award nominees (Steve Williams and James Straus) and an Academy Award winner (Jon Minnis).

While many Sheridan grads have been recruited by U.S. companies such as Industrial Light & Magic, Pixar, and Disney, an equally high number have remained in Canada, working for firms like Toronto-based Nelvana, or starting their own companies, such as C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures Inc.


"The skill level of (Sheridan) graduates has played a role in enabling Canada to develop an animation industry which is competitive at an international level," says Deborah Fallows, director of recruiting for Nelvana.

While demand by the entertainment industry for Sheridan animation graduates will remain strong, new applications for animation will create new and expanded opportunities for skilled animators.

"Our research indicates growing demand in emerging areas such as advertising, design, education, scientific and medical imaging, and legal and forensic applications," says Dr. Michael Collins, dean of the School of Animation, Arts & Design.

In 2000, for example, Sheridan joined forces with the University of Toronto to support a Master's degree in biomedical communications involving 3D animation.

The new Applied Bachelor of Arts in animation program features animation foundations in the first and second year, computer animation in the third and fourth year.

The computer animation stream offers further specialization in fourth year, in either digital character animation or digital visual effects. Sheridan will continue to offer a three-year diploma program in classical animation, and one-year postgraduate certificate programs in computer animation, digital character animation or digital visual effects.

*****


Lambton College will be among a group of local industry leaders and educators meeting with high school teachers this month to discuss future job opportunities set to open in Sarnia-Lambton workplaces.

"A generation of process operators and mechanical and instrumentation maintenance workers are set for wholesale retirement.

We anticipate there will be 100 new jobs every year for the next 10 to 15 years -- and that's just locally here in Sarnia/Lambton," says John Barnfield, manager of Sarnia-Lambton Industrial Educational Co-operative (SLIEC), which is composed of 16 local industrial companies. "These are good paying jobs."

The co-operative will meet with high school math, technology, science and career studies teachers to outline job descriptions, required qualifications and educational career paths.

An earlier seminar designed for guidance counsellors drew 40 participants from local school boards.

"When we did a demographic study of the workforce, we found that it was aging. We needed to plan for the retirement of the baby boomers," Barnfield says.

SLIEC was developed to identify common training and education needs among its members, which include representatives from chemical and petro-chemical companies, along with a number of smaller manufacturers.

They worked with service providers to design and deliver training and education to meet those prioritized needs.

"We want to dispel a number of myths about the nature of jobs in the valley," Barnfield says. There is a perception in the community that some of these jobs are low paying and uninteresting, with little or no opportunities for women. That's simply not true."

A need to market local career options at the high school level was identified as a priority, as a result of work between industry and Lambton College.

A steering committee of industry leaders and college and school board representatives has been working to get things under way.

Lambton College offers a number of programs developed in co-operation with local industry including a three-year Chemical Production Engineering Technology program; a three-year Instrumentation and Control Engineering Technology program, and a two-year Mechanical Technician-Industrial Maintenance program.

The seminar will be held Tuesday, April 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Imperial Oil Research Building, Sarnia. It is co-hosted by the co-operative, Lambton College, Lambton Kent District School Board, St. Clair Catholic District School Board, and Sarnia Lambton Training Board.



Send to a friend     Print