With the ever-growing list of companies and organizations becoming more and more reliant on technology-based solutions, it’s only expected that educational institutions follow suit and embrace the benefits of digital learning methods.

In fact, a survey done by Global Affairs Canada revealed that a whopping 93% of Canadian institutions already offer online and distance learning, of which 68% are undergraduate. Majority of Canadian schools adopting technology to provide education have afforded them of increased enrollment without additional infrastructure costs. On the other hand, post-secondary students who choose online courses and programs enjoy the advantages of learning at their own time and pace, which is truly a blessing if they are working full-time or have family commitments to attend to.

However, not all courses or programs are available online, as some of them do require practical or hands-on learning more than anything else. Still, there is a wide array of choices, and it can be quite difficult to decide on those which students can enjoy while at the same time provide them benefits in the long run at the most minimal costs possible.

A good source to help them pin down which path to best choose when it comes to online courses and programs is to look at the demands in Canadian work force in a few years’ time. Workopolis.com has a list of the jobs in high demand in Canada. Here is a brief glimpse at those careers and the options for the institutions offering them without students having to leave their homes.

Nursing

Registered nurses can earn an annual salary of $44,686 up to $86,110 a year, and they are entrusted to deliver holistic and patient-centric care across hospital, clinic, and home environments. They are expected to be well-versed in nursing best practices and have familiarity with public health issues. Apart from knowledge and practical experience, registered nurses must also be attentive and possess an interpersonal approach to build relationships with their respective patients.

Some well-known institutions that offer online nursing programs are Athabasca University in Alberta and University of Ottawa, Algonquin College, and Ryerson University in Ontario.

Pharmacy

Pharmacists can earn a median salary of $45,000 and up. They are professionals with keen interest in managing distribution or development of drugs. They should also possess strong analytical skills and detail orientation to provide patients with sufficient information and guide about the administration of drugs.

Enrolling in a pharmacy program or course can very well pay off in the end as it is one of the most potential to gainful and stable employment in the country. However, studying pharmacy will set students back an average of $10,279 per academic year. Online pharmacy courses or programs are offered at Athabasca University in Alberta as well.

Sales

Sales associates can earn an annual salary of $21,253 up to $45,189. These professionals are equipped with arsenal of strengths in business development, account management, and relationship building. They should have a talent to align product or service offerings to client needs and leverage expert sales skills to achieve their target.

Online sales-focused curriculum is offered in Centennial College, Seneca College, and Algonquin College in Ontario and at Athabasca University in Alberta as well.

Administration

Administration professionals can earn an annual salary of $27,428 up to $50,579. They are usually the go-to persons in an organization as they provide the support needed to ensure the smooth flow of operations across various office environments. They should be well-knowledgeable in administration process from file management, report writing, client relations, and budget administration.

Administration courses and programs are offered in Algonquin College in Ontario and Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia.

Retail and Merchandising

Front store supervisors can earn an annual salary of $23,755 up to $47,581 while merchandisers can earn $22,943 up to $40,297. Front store supervisors are responsible for panning and coordinating day-today operations in sales, customer service, visual merchandising, and inventory management. Apart from that, they should also be experts in retail buying/purchasing. On the other hand, merchandisers should have expert knowledge in product inventory, product placement, and product promotions and should be able to manage operating standard guidelines according to image and trends in store.

Retail and Merchandising-related programs and courses are offered in Capilano University in British Columbia and Ryerson University in Ontario.

SOURCES:

https://contactnorth.ca/sites/default/files/pdf/external-presentations/an_overview_of_online_learning_in_canada.pdf

https://www.tonybates.ca/2016/03/23/a-national-survey-of-university-online-and-distance-learning-in-canada/

https://globalnews.ca/news/3721173/tuition-fees-canada-2017-2018/

https://globalnews.ca/news/3755628/canadian-student-loans-regrets/

https://careers.workopolis.com/advice/the-12-most-in-demand-jobs-in-canada-and-what-they-pay/

https://globalnews.ca/news/1496842/what-to-study-today-for-the-jobs-of-tomorrow/