With Fleming College’s Academic Upgrading program, developing the skills needed to transform your future begins with a single conversation.
Whether that future involves entering post-secondary programming, climbing the career ladder, re-entering the workforce, or gaining independence, the Academic Upgrading courses help you develop the necessary skills through free and flexible learning, community supports, and one-on-one guidance.
“It’s never too late to take the next step,” says Dr. Theresa Knott, Interim President at Fleming College. “We’re here to remove barriers, provide support, and help learners move confidently toward their goals.”
Free and flexible learning for diverse goals
Part of Employment Ontario’s Get SET (Skills, Education, and Training) program, funded in part by the provincial and federal governments, Academic Upgrading courses are free and open to all Ontario residents who don’t have a high school diploma or who have previously completed high school but need to refresh their skills to reach career or educational goals.
Available at Fleming College locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg, and Haliburton, the Academic Upgrading program offers self-directed courses in math, computer literacy, science, and communications.
With a hybrid delivery model, including weekend and evening classes, and one-on-one support from instructors, students can set their own pace, deadlines, and schedules, and can begin their studies anytime. Instructors are available in person at all locations five days per week or online six days per week.
“We see mature students from all ages and all walks of life,” says Student Advisor Robin Keating. “Some people are working full-time, some are working part-time, some care for children, and some are looking after their parents. There’s a variety of different reasons why our learners do well with our flexible schedule.”
Academic Upgrading courses can also be used to provide targeted training for companies or organizations who want their entire staff to upgrade their skills or knowledge.
“These companies give their employees time off during their slow seasons to complete these courses that we provide for free,” says Knott. “We want to see success, so we try to make ourselves as welcoming, open-minded, and supportive as possible.”
Central locations and community connections
To best serve the community, many of Fleming College’s Academic Upgrading offices are centrally located. While the Lindsay office is located at Fleming’s Frost Campus at 200 Albert Street, Haliburton’s is situated downtown above the SIRCH Bistro & Bakery at 49 Maple Avenue.
Peterborough’s downtown office in Peterborough Square at 360 George Street North gives students easy access to supportive community organizations like the Peterborough Native Learning Program and Ontario Works. Cobourg’s recent move to the Venture13 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre at 739 D’Arcy Street provides an inspiring location as learners plan their future.
“Venture13 is such a collaborative environment,” says Knott. “Our students and teachers all love it. It gives a sense of accomplishment because students can sense what success could look like. It’s a fantastic spot and a positive environment.”
Financial and practical supports to help remove barriers
Further fostering an accessible space, Fleming College offers financial supports for transportation and child care expenses, and access to learning tools like laptops available for students to use in the classrooms.
“For some people, it’s not necessarily the academics that hold them back in their Academic Upgrading,” Keating points out. “Sometimes it’s just planning and time management, so we will help them with that.”
For students who did not complete courses to receive their high school diploma but require the equivalent for post-secondary school admissions or apprenticeships, Fleming College delivers the Academic and Career Entrance (ACE) courses. Also available through flexible learning, the ACE curriculum helps learners gain knowledge of high school subjects and is recognized across Ontario’s 24 public colleges.
“If you don’t have a high school diploma, you don’t necessarily have to do all of high school,” says Knott. “You come to us, we do an assessment, and we build you up so you can complete your ACE certificate.”
Collaborative partnerships with other providers
If the courses you’re interested in are not being delivered through Fleming College, the school’s Academic Upgrading program will support distance learning with another educational institution.
Similarly, Fleming College works with organizations like Trent Valley Literacy Association and the Adult Learning Network to find the programs most suitable for a learner’s needs.
“We work collaboratively with each other and we promote each other’s programs,” says Knott. “We can get really creative, and that’s integral to making people’s situations work these days.”
A personalized learning journey
Each journey with Academic Upgrading begins with the individual meeting with a student advisor who will listen to the learner’s goals and aspirations, provide an assessment test to see where they are, and outline a flexible plan that can be adjusted and altered as goals develop and change.
For student Raven Wright, the thought of working towards four credits to be considered for the Practical Nursing program while raising young children felt “overwhelming.” That’s why she says she is “forever grateful” for the encouragement she received from Fleming College’s Academic Upgrading program.
“I finally felt like I had someone in my corner, fighting with me,” Wright says. “There were many speed bumps along the way, and my timeline changed quite a few times, but there was one constant — the support and encouragement from my teachers.”
Keating says that with tailored support, Academic Upgrading is just one step on a journey to getting to where you want to be, whether that’s in a new career, an apprenticeship, or at college.
“Come and check out our program and have a conversation with me,” Keating says. “It doesn’t mean you have to start at Academic Upgrading, but at least you’ll have all the information you need to make a decision.”
For more information on Fleming College’s Academic Upgrading program, visit www.flemingcollege.ca/academic-upgrading.
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