Learning for Life

Now, more than ever, people are realizing how important it is to keep learning. For Linda Johnstone, Continuing Education courses at George Brown have helped her build on previous George Brown training and will take her career to the next level.

In 1994, Linda moved from St. Catharines to Toronto and signed up for George Brown’s one-year full time Furniture Woodworking and Refinishing program. Covering carpentry materials, tools and techniques, the program set Linda on her career path.

Two years later, eager to build her career in the booming home renovation industry, Linda returned to George Brown and signed up for the Building Renovation Technician program. The full-time two-year program focused on construction, building renovation and carpentry techniques, as well as the Ontario Building Code and the essentials to running a successful business in the field.

The curriculum was thorough and the teachers supportive, she says, and the two co-ops she completed at Men At Work General Contractors Ltd. laid the foundations for her career. “I was really fortunate to connect with Men At Work – they hired me right away,” says Linda, 36. And her superior George Brown training enabled her to excel as a project manager.

In 2003, Linda again turned to George Brown, this time to update her education part time while continuing to work full time. She decided to begin taking a series of specialized Continuing Education courses that culminate in a Canadian Construction Association Gold Seal Certification.

Linda started with Concrete Principles (now called Concrete Construction), which dealt with formwork, reinforcing steel and mesh, inspecting, testing, basic composition, quality control and more. “The course content was very practical and the classroom was interactive – we were able to bounce ideas off each other and share our industry experiences.”

In 2005, Linda felt ready to start her own contracting business, Tomboy and Company, which specializes in general handiwork, painting and lighting and has clients across the GTA – including her old employer. “George Brown taught me a lot and planted the seed for many of things,” she says. “My commitment is to take more Gold Seal courses when I can, which will help with my knowledge and credibility.”