Program helps people find new career path

BY ELYSE AMEND

elyse.amend@transcontinental.ca

A few years ago, 47-year-old Lina Tjiu never would have thought about going back to school. But when the company where she worked as an information technology (IT) programmer for over 18 years began outsourcing IT jobs to India, the Dorval resident and single mother of three knew she wanted to look for a career change.

Searching for something that would not be easily outsourced and required many of the competencies she already had, Tjiu started looking into the business intelligence (BI) field. Companies use BI technology systems to research historical, current, and projected business operations with data information, such as sales, production, financial, and many other sources of business data.

“I was looking for places that offered the BI program, but there were not many,” Tjiu said. Her search eventually brought her back to the continuing education department at John Abbott College (JAC), where she graduated from the junior program analyst program years before.

Last year, JAC partnered with Ottawa-based Cognos Inc., one of the leading players in the BI software field, and began the 14-month Business Intelligence Analyst program. The program offers courses in BI basics, such as C++, Java, and advanced database systems and training in Cognos BI software. Some of the courses are also taught by Cognos staff.

“We cover a lot of ground so they’ll be quite well-rounded in the business intelligence field,” said Diane McGee, JAC’s dean of continuing education. The eight students currently in the BI program are starting their four-month, paid work term this week, with some heading to Cognos in Ottawa and some going to other companies. According to McGee, people with training in BI are especially attractive nowadays.

“A year ago, we already had companies asking for [interns],” McGee said. “Apparently, there is a lack of people trained in this area at this point.”

That is something Tjiu can definitely relate to: since adding her BI competencies to her résumé, she says she can see the light at the end of the job hunting tunnel.

“You would not believe how many people called me back,” she said. Tjiu currently has two solid job offers, and there are still four months left to go until graduation. “It feels good. It’s not like you’re sending out hundreds of CVs with no response. It feels really good to be in demand.”

The college and Cognos are partnering for a second year to once again offer the Business Intelligence Analyst program, which will start Feb. 4. There will be an information session tomorrow night, where JAC representatives, Cognos experts and current students can answer questions about the program. The session will get underway at 6:30 p.m. in the Brittain Hall building at John Abbott College, 21275 Lakeshore Rd. in Ste. Anne de Bellevue. For more information and to confirm your attendance, call 514-457-6610 ext. 5015.

PULLQUOTE: “It feels good. It’s not like you’re sending out hundreds of CVs with no response. It feels really good to be in demand.” – Lina Tjiu