Latest news with #MetropolitanCollege
Forbes
13-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
This Job Pays $120K, No Degree, With 64% Increase In Demand Thru 2035
This job focuses on getting things done. A significant employment gap has emerged in the white collar job market, and job seekers are taking notice. This role includes great growth prospects and an impressive paycheck, with no college degree required. With an average salary of $120,000 per year, the industry reportedly needs 35 million workers through 2035. A shortfall is currently facing multiple industries right now, with jobs that have (so far) been untouched by the advancement of AI. Discover how to access a high-paying project management opportunity, and what skills you need to succeed in the job. Is project management a good fit for your career? Project managers, or PMs, plan, organize and direct projects to make sure they are delivered on time, on budget - and within existing quality and safety standards. 'As a project manager, you're the liaison between the business capabilities and the deliverables,' explains Ordonna Sargeant, an Adjunct Professor at the Metropolitan College of New York and a project management specialist. It's a people-first position. 'The soft skills in the role - listening to people, understanding the KPIs (key performance indicators), are critical." What about AI? Is this a job that technology can replace in the near future? "Throwing technology tools at a very human process is not always the fix.' Sargeant says, refering back to skills around negotiation and predictive analysis of potential risks and outcomes. The Project Management Institute says that 90% of a project manager's day is spent on effective communication. However, problem solving skills, adaptability and strategic thinking are also vital for the job. According to the PMI Institute, there are multiple certifications available for the project manager role. The most well-known, Project Management Certification (PMP), is obtained by taking a test, which cost a few hundred dollars. Academic courses to prepare are affordable: at Houston's Rice University, a 12-week PMP prep course costs $1,995.00. The Project Management Academy offers on site instruction from Atlanta to Seattle, at a similar pricetag. 'There are also books, online articles…you can even go to YouTube university,' Sargeant says with a chuckle. 'I am extremely proud of being the calm in the midst of chaos, inside a project,' Sargeant says, reflecting on 15 years of experience as a project manager. Ordonna Sargeant, PMP, CSM, LSSGB She integrated a complex array of deliverables as part of the redesign of the Volkswagen website in both English and Spanish. 'The sense of accomplishment, when you look back on what your team has done, is hard to beat,' she says. Project Managers are folks who are drawn to structure, she shares, but adaptability is a key skill. In the midst of chaos, order is what is needed - and project managers have to be able to balance various agendas and tasks in order to carry out the role. AI can still play a part - in helping managers to assess risk and organize tasks. Just as the map is not the actual territory using AI can only take you so far. Have you noticed that Colorado is surprisingly flat on Apple Maps? When it comes to human to human interaction, objectives and obstacles, project managers use AI as a tool - not a replacement. The key is understanding the role of the project manager, inside an organization. For job seekers, how much authority or strategic input will you really have? Communication skills, in this role, are crucial - so that you understand the puts and takes of the organization or team you serve. High growth industries for PMP certified jobs include manufacturing, finance, energy and (wait for it) technology. Could project management be the safe harbor in the technology hiring storm?
CBC
01-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
School that helped people in Hamilton learn English for 28 years closes its doors
When Gus Andrikopoulos started teaching English at a small school in downtown Hamilton, it was to earn a steady paycheque. But he soon fell in love with the job. "As corny as it sounds, seeing [my students] progress and learn the language" was what sealed the deal, he said. "Gratifying isn't a strong enough word." Andrikopoulos has worked at Metropolitan College on 146 James St. S. for over 15 years. On April 25, the school closed its doors for good, largely due to the cap the federal government imposed on the number of international students last year, he said. "To say I'm devastated would be an understatement. For nearly two decades, Metropolitan College has been my second family and my home," he wrote on Facebook, announcing the closure. Founded in 1997, the school has taken pride in its small class sizes, lighthearted and enthusiastic teachers and lessons that included music and field trips. During his last day of teaching on April 23, Andrikopoulos was his usual lively self, cracking jokes and trying to "be in the moment." He doesn't remember the lesson material that day, he said, "but very happily, I will always remember how much fun we were having." 'No drain on the system' Student numbers began dropping at Metropolitan College in early 2024, Andrikopoulos said, and there was a big dip in August. By December, he said some days he was sitting in an empty classroom. The federal government first announced in January 2024 it was capping the number of permits for international students, stating its goal was to target institutional "bad actors" — and amid concern about the impact international students were having on the housing market. Andrikopoulos blames government policy for the school's lack of students, but said he doesn't hold any bitterness. "I really wish they had done something a little bit more surgical," he said. "Everybody that came to our school was self-supported … there was no drain on the system." Andrikopoulos had gotten more than a hundred messages from past students since the closure was announced, thanking him for all the lessons. "[My students] expanded my world in ways I couldn't ever have dreamed of," he told CBC Hamilton. From animator to educator Born in Hamilton to Greek immigrants, Andrikopoulos studied in Greece for a while, which he says gave him important insight into learning a new language. He was an animator and a small-business owner in the 2000s, renting a room out of the school's building, when his friend, the previous owner of the school, asked him if he wanted to try teaching. It was a nerve-racking thing at first, he said. "I would teach my lesson … [then] I would find a nice quiet place and have a mini panic attack and then get out there and keep going." He was eventually offered a full-time position and didn't look back. Student says school was 'really lovely and human' At Metropolitan College, Andrikopoulos taught people from all ages and walks of life, he said, from 13-year-olds to retirees, university deans, rocket scientists, hairdressers, mechanics, and more. The majority of students were on visitor visas, while about 40 per cent were here on study permits, he said. Most just came to Canada temporarily to learn the language. Kamila Balcova is a student from Slovakia. She said the school's intimate and friendly approach helped her improve her speaking skills. "It's a pity [the school is closing] because it made a difference in my life already. I think my English got better," she said. Metropolitan College's two full-time teachers often took students on outings paired with vocabulary lessons, a different way to engage students. Balcova said every class was interesting and filled with laughter and friendliness. "When you come as an international student or when you're new to the country, it's not easy. You have to cope with many things. You may be homesick," she said. "Here, you forgot about all the things that may be a little bit sad to you in your personal life." Losing the school is like 'losing family' Jihun "June" Chun, called the school a kind and warm place. "Some colleges think that students are money, but I can't feel that here. It's really lovely and human," he said. Chun said he worries about cuts at other Ontario colleges and the impact in his plans to build a new life in Canada. He came to country in hopes of staying and living a "slower life," because of the stressful work environments in his home country, South Korea, but he's worried he won't be able to. Hao Jing, another student, said she wants to get a master's degree in Canada before returning to her home in China. She arrived in Hamilton in 2023 to accompany her son. She was accepted to Western University for their graduate program Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, a career she's passionate about. That dream is threatened now by new visa limits. Losing the school is like "losing family," for Hao, who saw it as an outlet to meet new people and spend her time during the day. Teachers went above and beyond, she said, organizing barbecues and costume parties for everyone to share their culture. "We just pay the tuition fee, and it's not their duty to [help us learn] about the culture here," she said. "[The teachers] provide us more than the standard level." Andrikopoulos said his time spent with the school was life-changing. "I was learning about all these cultures … I've got friends all over the planet." His biggest lesson? "We have far, far more similarities than differences," he said. He hopes the school will come back in some way in the future, but without him at the front of the class. "I'm done," he said. "But I will help the school to be Metropolitan College again."
Boston Globe
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Finding love along the Freedom Trail
They met at Boston's historic King's Chapel on the corner of Tremont and School streets on a sunny Sunday August afternoon in 2018. Kevin Duran, then 28, had moved two weeks earlier to begin a grad program at Boston University's Metropolitan College. He'd matched on OkCupid with a volunteer for Boston By Foot, and a first date that doubled as a tour of the city seemed appropriate for the transplant from Dutchess County, New York. His tour guide/date was Dianna Bronchuk, a 24-year-old Leominster native working in higher education and finishing a graduate program at Northeastern University. Kevin noticed the lights on the Prudential Center change to feature the New Year and gathered his bride and the photographer to get a shot. Kataram Studios Dianna's regular route was the Road to Revolution, along the Freedom Trail. She and Kevin made it through some of its historic spots before they decided to take a break at Long Wharf to sit by the water and turn the conversation from Boston's history to their own. 'I noticed the chemistry really quickly,' says Dianna. 'I felt very comfortable talking to him.' When a piece of litter floated by, Kevin managed to scoop it up. 'Aw, look at him,' she remembers thinking. 'He cares about our oceans.' Advertisement The couple both identify as being 'rooted in Catholicism." They exchanged vows at the Cathedral of their Holy Cross in the South End. 'My Irish ancestors are so excited in their graves more than anything else," Dianna says. Kataram Studios On the dates that followed, they explored the Arnold Arboretum, and the Museum of Fine Arts, and attended a screening of 'Crazy Rich Asians.' Dianna's roommate noticed her smile when she got home from the outings. But after date three, a problem had emerged — 'We hadn't kissed yet,' Dianna says. 'I'm not really great at picking up signals,' explains Kevin. 'I thought I was pushing things when I held her hand at the MFA.' Related : For their fourth date in late September, they bought smoked fish burritos at the Boston Public Market and hopped a ferry to Spectacle Island. It was an overcast day, but comfortable enough to walk the beaches. When they sat to rest on a bench, Kevin asked Dianna, 'What do you want to do now?' She replied: 'I want you to kiss me.' The couple and their guests took a Boston Trolley from the Cathedral to the reception at the Sheraton Commander in Cambridge. Kataram Studios Kevin nonchalantly made the relationship official when leaving Dianna's Jamaica Plain apartment in early fall, asking, 'When you come to my apartment, should I introduce you as my girlfriend to my roommates?' 'And I was like, 'Ooh, that was smooth,' Dianna says. Advertisement Their first 'I love yous' happened after game five of the 2018 World Series. The Red Sox had just clinched the win, and as they sat in front of Dianna's TV, Kevin watched as she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her fists and head in a silent, joyous scream — so as not to wake the neighbors. 'What got me in that moment was seeing how excited she was, and that made me excited and happy,' he says. (Kevin, a native New Yorker, is a Yankees fan.) While the couple agrees marriage feels natural after several years of living together, the new form of commitment has been a nice change. "It's not 'What am I doing today?' but 'what are we doing today?'" says Kevin. Kataram Studios Dianna moved into Kevin's Roslindale apartment the following summer, before the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns. They took walks around the Emerald Necklace, and listened to musical theater podcasts, and Dianna experimented with homemade cheese making. She began a second master's program in public administration at Northeastern in May 2020, and Kevin completed his Master's in Computer Science the following January. Careers had become the future's focal point for the couple, but plans for marriage and a family weren't far behind. He proposed on Dec. 31, 2022, after leading her on a tour that mirrored their first date — to King's Chapel and the Old South Meeting House and the Old State House — before stopping at Long Wharf. Dianna purchased her Maggie Sottero ball gown at Ivory & Main, a size-inclusive bridal shop on Long Island. "I was very much just happy to give my mom a final trip or two with her daughter before everything changed." A plus, she adds, "the dress had pockets!" Kataram Studios Dianna had always hoped for a New Year's Eve wedding; the pair married on Dec. 31, 2024, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in the South End. Dianna, now 30, is the chief of staff for City Councilor Enrique J. Pepé, who did a reading during the ceremony. As they exited down the cathedral stairs, the church bells rang as the final hours of 2024 began. Advertisement They chose the Sheraton Commander Hotel in Cambridge, for their reception, hoping their 70 guests would stay the night rather than drive home. Kelly Boyle of The couple worked with 617 Weddings to provide the night's entertainment, a recommendation from the venue. "They assigned [our DJ] to us because he loved doing New Year's Eve weddings because he's very, very energized," says Dianna. "He was just like, 'Don't worry, I've done the countdowns many times.'" Kataram Studios A thin veil of glittered covered Dianna's Maggie Sottero gown and sparkled during the couple's first dance to 'Die With A Smile' by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. Kevin, now 35, wore a pair of red cufflinks made from pieces of a circuit board in Poland, a nod to his profession and his cultural heritage—they were a gift from his bride. The couple has embraced married life, tabling a honeymoon until next year when they plan to go to Australia and New Zealand for their anniversary. Until then, marriage is a gift that keeps on giving — like when a food processor arrived from their registry, with a note from one of Kevin's friends who was unable to make the wedding. 'It said something along the lines of, 'Marriage is a beautiful thing, where everything stays the same, yet everything changes,'' says Dianna. 'I was very taken aback by the beautiful, reflective [message]. We're still very much the same people, but we're growing together and are much more of a solidified unit, too. We'll be going through life, and everything is going to happen, but we'll still be constants in each other's lives. It's a beautiful thing.' Advertisement They named the food processor after him. Read more from , The Boston Globe's new weddings column. Rachel Kim Raczka is a writer and editor in Boston. She can be reached at
