Graduate Professional Skills

Why You Should Take Advantage of SGPS’ Training and Workshops

Posted: Feb 24, 2022

By: Marielle Boutin, Graduate Communications Coordinator

As a Grad student, it’s important that you take advantage of comprehensive, well-rounded training opportunities to help get you prepared for success in a variety of workplace settings. However, considering the demanding workload and academic commitments that you must juggle on a daily basis, it can be hard to justify carving out the time to take part in workshops.

This is why SGPS’ Graduate Student Engagement Coordinator Kait Neinhuis is here to answer your questions and tell you why it’s important to take advantage of our Graduate Professional Skills Workshop series.

So let’s dive in!

What are some of the benefits of registering for a grad pro skills workshops?

Our Grad Pro Skill workshops are a great way to expand and build upon your skillset in so many areas. We have a diverse range of offerings which rotate each semester so there is always something familiar and also something new. Our facilitators are from across the university, lending their expertise in areas such as career readiness, mental health, entrepreneurship, writing and studying skills and so much more. Attending our workshops can be a great way of developing a skill while also learning more about the amazing support and resources available to students at Ontario Tech.

How would you say SGPS’ grad pro skills workshops work into a grad students’ studies at Ontario Tech? How do they work off of each other?

Many of our workshops tie into each other. What that means is we have a series of different workshops that fall under the same topic or theme. So take our writing workshops, for example. Students can attend the Writing a Review of Literature, Paraphrasing and Summarizing and Writing Effective Research Proposals workshops which all cover different material, but ultimately all contribute to polished academic writing. We also offer a Professional Communication Certificate which entails a series of our communications-focused workshops and several electives. The Professional Communication Certificate can complement your graduate program and give you a competitive edge in the job market.

Graduate students can pick and choose the workshops which most interest them or support their individual needs. They are an enriching way to enhance the learning experience and create opportunities for networking and continuous growth.

What would you tell grad students who are hesitant about participating because the workshops are currently being held virtually?

Running our workshops virtually has actually been advantageous for many of our graduate students. Being able to tune in remotely makes our workshops more accessible for many graduate students who may not otherwise be able to make it to campus for an in-person setting. We have found graduate student engagement in our workshops has really soared since pivoting to a virtual format. It is much easier to fit into their busy schedules and there is still ample opportunity for making meaningful connections. Additionally, being virtual, our facilitators are able to incorporate a variety of learning tools into their presentations.

Are there opportunities for grad students to engage with each other during workshops and training?

Absolutely! Many of our workshops encourage student participation and create avenues for dialogue and connection. Attending a Grad Pro Skill workshop is a great way to meet fellow graduate students from other disciplines and to start building your network.

To learn more about our grad training opportunities, visit the Graduate Professional Skills Workshop page.