Requirements:

• Digital Transformation program: Applicant has an interest and aptitude in guiding or informing digital change in the advanced manufacturing sector.

• Applicant is eligible to work in Canada (NOTE: Individuals with temporary work permits are eligible for this program. We recommend having at least one year left on the work permit).

• Applicant has three or more years of work or professional volunteer experience.

• Applicant has reviewed the program details, understands the work involved, and is committed to completing the program.

• Applicant is committed to finding and starting a new job within six months of completing the program (this may include a new role within their current organization).

• Attendance requirement: It is highly recommended that participants attend live sessions, but it is notrequired. Live discussion sessions will be recorded and available for later viewing.

Course author and instructor

Peter Carr, PhD, P.L.Eng - Continuing Lecturer, University of Waterloo

Learn in-demand skills and transform your career in digital transformation

Accelerate or begin your career in the advanced manufacturing field with this comprehensive 16-week program. Tailored for individuals seeking career advancement in a rapidly changing world of work, this innovative program includes a collection of learning experiences that combine technical and professional skills development, industry engagement, and personalized career resources designed to enhance your job prospects.

Immerse yourself in interactive training sessions, receive feedback from industry leaders and career coaches, and participate in real-world industry-supported group projects, guided by industry professionals. You will focus on your own professional growth, gaining job-ready skills, valuable real-world experience, stronger industry connections, and career supports to help you navigate our ever-evolving technological landscape. You will also receive exclusive access to post-program supports to aid in your future job searches, complimentary learning resources, and opportunities to continue to build your professional network.

This limited-time program is financially supported by Upskill Canada, powered by Palette Skills and the Government of Canada.

Program Overview

This program offers approximately 12 hours of active online learning per week. It includes multiple courses that cover extensive job-ready skills development, such as career coaching, industry engagement, exclusive access to additional learning and development resources, as well as training on how to navigate digital transformation within the field of advanced manufacturing. You will have opportunities to engage in live sessions with various industry experts and education providers, complete with independent and group work and supported by coaching and feedback.

The Digital Transformation course, a core component of the program, provides understanding and insight about the impact of technology on your career and enables you to develop a comprehensive plan for digital transformation. Enriched with case studies from organizations in advanced manufacturing, the Digital Transformation course ensures you gain the skills and insights needed to help guide or inform digital change.

By the end of the program, you will not only have a robust skill set but also an enhanced network to support your ongoing professional growth and future job searches.

Who should enrol?

1. Job seekers pursuing roles in the manufacturing sector, such as:

   • Engineering manager

   • Team/unit/department lead

   • Production manager

   • Operations managers

   • Plant managers

   • General manager

   • Industrial production manager

     Please note:This program is subsidized for individuals who are seeking skills to help acquire a new job or promotion within the manufacturing sector.

Prerequisites

Previous exposure to project management or past experience working with project teams.

Key Takeaways

Career Success Foundations course

• Enhance essential career search skills, including personal branding, résumé building, LinkedIn optimization, job search tactics, and interview preparation.

  
  Digital transformation course

• Assess the impact of technology on careers and organizations and develop and implement a comprehensive digital strategy that balances human and organizational aspects of digital change.

Industry experience and engagement

• Expand your professional network, apply the skills you’ve learned in a group project for a real-world client, and receive mentorship from industry leaders.

1:1 career coaching and support

• Receive three hours of complimentary career coaching, which offers career pathway planning, access to professional coaches and resources for job searches and negotiations, skills development reflection, interview practice, and additional 1:1 coaching support for women (including cis women, trans women, and anyone who identifies as a woman).

Share your skills and experience during your job search

• Receive a detailed completion report that outlines your new skills, so you can leverage your knowledge and experience for potential employers or other career growth opportunities.

  • Receive certificates of completion for various program features.

Program Features:

Description

Strengthen your foundation in digital transformation with this eight-week course, You will explore current digital transformation models, explore practical applications of emerging technologies, and gain insights from compelling case studies within the advanced manufacturing sector.

What you will learn

• Examine the impact that technology will have on your career. 

• Discover emerging digital opportunities and explore the technology that will be the best fit for your organization. 

• Understand the common challenges that organizations face with digital transformation. 

• Balance the human and organizational aspects of digital change. 

• Develop a comprehensive plan to guide your digital transformation. 

• Explore innovative solutions to avoid potential roadblocks to your own digital transformation plans. 

• Utilize practical tools and techniques to continuously improve your digital strategy.

•  Develop your skills and digital literacy and build a compelling case for your business to implement a new digital strategy. 

Course Overview

• Expert instruction from University of Waterloo faculty.

• Live discussion sessions via Zoom (also available as recordings).

  • Peer discussions and networking opportunities.

• Case studies from well-known organizations in a variety of industries. Four hours of independent work online each week (including graded assignments and activities).

• Capstone project that integrates your learning.

• Attendance requirement: It is highly recommended that participants attend live sessions, but it is notrequired. Live discussion sessions will be recorded and available for later viewing.

Professional development hours for project managers and engineers

• For project management professionals: The curriculum for this certificate program is relevant for experienced project managers tasked with guiding digital transformation projects. If you are a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI), completing this course may qualify for required professional development units as part of your Project Management Professional (PMP) designation.

• For professional engineers: Upon successful completion of this course, you will receive 40 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours from the Ontario Engineering Academy, part of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE). Also, it may qualify to receive the mandatory CPD hours for the Practice Evaluation and Knowledge (PEAK) program for Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) licence holders.

Authentic Industry Project

Facilitated by Co-operative and Experiential Education and Practera

This program offers approximately 40 hours of industry-supported project work and engagement that include the following elements:

• Expand your network and connect with industry leaders and professionals.

• Apply the practical skills and tools that you’ve learned throughout the program in a group project for a real-world industry client (designed to enhance your career prospects and experience through peer collaboration, workshops, and reflection assignments).

• Receive mentorship, guidance, and coaching from industry leaders, so you can learn to give and receive feedback more effectively.

Career coaching and support

Receive three hours of complimentary career coaching resources and supports, provided by Uvaro, that include the following elements:

• Support for career pathway planning.

• Tailored insights and coaching based on your personalized skills assessment.

• Access to professional career coaches and resources to aid in your future job search or negotiations.

• Opportunities to reflect on your skills development and future growth or advancement options.

• Opportunities to practice your job interview techniques and receive feedback on your performance.

• Job placement support up to six months after you’ve completed the program.

• Additional 1:1 coaching support for women (including cis women, trans women, and anyone who identifies as a woman).

Gain exclusive access to additional learning resources

• Receive exclusive access to training modules anddigital simulations, designed to support your digital transformation learning journey.

• Continue to develop your professional skills through complimentary access to one ofWatSPEED’s leadership courses and two online skills training programs (offered in partnership with ed2go). Note: Our career coaches will help you choose options that are best suited to your career goals.

Benefits for your organization

• Improve your chances of success, including obtaining stakeholder buy-in, when adopting or implementing new technology.

• Modernize your systems, processes, operations, and customer service.

• Strengthen your resource management to improve productivity and increase profitability.

• Increase your business' digital agility for faster innovation, adaptation, and continuous improvement