What to expect from a Human Resources career
In today’s highly competitive job market, Human Resources (or HR) professionals are in high demand to help find and retain the best employees. Human Resources programs at Ontario colleges prepare students with skills in employee retention, compensation, training and much more, to make them indispensible to any organization.
If you’ve got a combination of good business and people skills, and want to start a career in Human Resources, here’s what you need to know.
Human Resources Courses
HR professionals must have knowledge in a number of different areas in order to manage an office of employees. Along with employee recruitment, training and retention, areas of focus in many human resources programs include:
- Accounting and Finance. HR professionals may be responsible for tasks such as payroll or processing expense reports. In these instances, and in others, a solid understanding of accounting, finance and general mathematics is beneficial.
- Law and Ethics. Knowing the legalities and ethical issues involved in workplace situations is critical for HR professionals who may be called upon to resolve employee conflicts or to provide information on employee rights.
- Business Administration. Presentation, organization, communication and business process skills are just a few of the areas of focus that will help HR professionals create a path of communication between the employer, employees and even clients.
General Human Resources Program Requirements
Ontario college human resource programs are offered at the diploma, advanced diploma, applied degree and graduate certificate level, each of which will have different program requirements.
Diploma, advanced diploma and applied degree programs typically require an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, with a Grade 12 English and Grade 12 mathematics credit. Additional mathematics credits may also be required, depending on the program. Graduate certificate programs require a college diploma or university degree for consideration.
Human Resources Jobs and Salaries
Human resources career options span across nearly all industries. Possible positions include labour relations officers, recruitment officers, training coordinators, health and safety specialists, benefits administrators, and of course, human resources managers.
HR managers and specialists typically start off at roughly $35,000 per year, with salaries increasing as high as $80,000 or more with experience and expertise. Wages for recruitment officers are slightly lower, starting at $28,000 per year and increasing to around $40,000 to $65,000 or more with experience.
Ontario Colleges Offering Human Resources Programs
Use the left-column navigation to refine your search by College, Program Availability, Program Start Date and more, or see the table below for a complete list of human resources programs at Ontario colleges.
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