New online service gives Toronto students access to critical labour market information to help make post-secondary education decisions

George Brown College Career Coach provides GTA job prospects, salaries, and educational pathways for any career

TORONTO, Jan. 5, 2015 /CNW/ - With today's launch of Career Coach at www.georgebrown.ca, Toronto students finally have access to the critical labour market information they need as they consider their career options and the educational paths to help them get there. Once hard-to-find job projections and salary expectations are now available on-demand for any field.

Career Coach offers current data about all jobs in the GTA, including an overview of each profession, and a list of currently available positions in a given field. The information is not limited to careers supported by programs offered at George Brown College. Whenever George Brown does offer relevant programs, however, students are presented with those options for consideration.

George Brown is offering Career Coach in response to widespread calls for more labour market information. By giving students access to the data for any field before they start their post-secondary experience, the college is empowering them to gain the essential skills and credentials they need to enter the workforce faster and with less debt.

"Students need this information to make critical decisions about their education," says Robert Luke, Vice President, Research and Innovation, George Brown College. "It isn't just nice to know; it's absolutely essential for students to make wise education decisions on their path to future employment."

Students should consider using Career Coach prior to February 1, the deadline for receiving equal consideration for admission to college programs that begin in September. After this date, colleges consider applicants on a first-come, first-serve basis until programs are full.

According to the George Brown College Career Coach, a few of the growing jobs in the GTA include:

• Business services to management
• Business development officer, marketing researcher or consultant
• Computer or information systems manager
• Construction manager
• Registered nurse
• Chef
• Web designer or developer
• Early childhood educator or assistant

These careers are consistent with those identified in a recent report issued by the Toronto Board of Trade entitled Closing the Prosperity Gap. 

George Brown is committed to doing all it can to help potential students prepare for the workforce. Among those efforts are an increased focus on development of the five key soft skills employers value most in the graduates they hire – teamwork, work-ethic, initiation, communication and customer service. Through a new awareness campaign, the college is showcasing the importance of these skills so prospective students understand that by attending George Brown they'll have opportunities to gain the broad spectrum of workplace-ready skills they'll need to get the job.

All labour market data shown on Career Coach is provided by Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI), based on Statistics Canada sources and updated twice a year. Job postings are also provided by EMSI, pulled from Indeed.com and updated every 24 hours. Data reflects the demand side of the labour market, and does not look at the supply side, such as the number of people qualified to work in each occupation.

About George Brown College
Toronto's George Brown College has established a reputation for equipping students with the skills, industry experience and credentials to pursue the careers of their choice. The college offers programs from its three campuses located across the downtown core, including its newest location at the Toronto waterfront, which opened in September 2012. George Brown offers 142 full-time programs and 193 continuing education certificates/designations across a wide variety of professions to a student body of over 25,800 (full-time enrolment) students, including over 3,500 international students; and over 62,800 continuing education registrants. Students can earn certificates, diplomas, graduate certificates, apprenticeships and degrees. www.georgebrown.ca

SOURCE George Brown College

For more information or to book an interview, please contact: Jodi Serwatuk, [phone] ext. 3767, [email protected]