Our Students and Graduates Share Their Stories
“I just wanted to write this email in regards to Marci and how instrumental she was in helping me make the decision to go back to school.
In January of 2022 I was laid of from work due to covid lock down. I had approached Marci at PTC College for guidance as to which course would best suit what I was looking to accomplish. After numerous conversations we decided the best course for me to take was the office administration and human resources. Marci took the time to discuss with me options for funding for my course and who to reach out to for financial aid.
As a 50 year old I was scared and overwhelmed with going back to school, however she made the decision for me very easy and encouraged me the entire time.
Marci is a huge asset to PTC College as she takes the time to get to know you and makes recommendations based on your conversations.
I have already finished my course and graduated with honors. I have also secured employment in my field in a gold mine which is something else I never thought I would see myself doing. She has helped me grow so much as an individual that I have recommended friends of mine to go and talk to her about furthering their education.”
“I just finished an on line customer service course with Scarborough, Ontario, Canada location.
I would like to share that I had an amazing tutor by the name of Harpreet Kaur.
She was always there every day on time. Whenever I needed her, she would be available right away. Apart from being polite, courteous and understanding, she showed lots of patience and was very helpful. She would not leave until the problem was solved and I had understood the concept.
I wish all schools and colleges had tutors like Harpreet Kaur it would change the way people view on line schools and education.
I wish Harpreet Kaur all the best in her future and would like to thank PT College from the bottom of my heart for providing me such a wonderful tutor which made my learning so much easier.”
“I have bipolar disorder, & I have spent 13 years trying to manage it. Meds are not for everyone, but they are my saving grace, & I am proud to say I have never gone off my medication. I dropped out of college twice since 2008, I cracked under the pressure & drowned in my own anxiety.
About a year ago, after becoming accomplished at running a small business I had a revelation
“Try Again Tammy”
It took months to work up the courage to tell my loved ones, all of them knowing my failures at school. “This time is different Tammy’ echoed in my internal dialogue constantly, but I was afraid to trust my own voice.
The Director of Progressive Training College SSM, has been an asset from day 1!
Marci Chindamo changed my life. She straight-up said “Tammy you can do this, you are one of the most determined people I have ever met” She made sure I knew she was in my corner & has never let me quit. Her diligence and belief in me is priceless!
Jeff Holmes is a unique & talented teacher.
I tend to ask him to do more work than he is required, however, he teaches me wholeheartedly no matter what. I have called him on long weekends or emailed in off-hours when I am stuck, he has always been there. His patience is astounding. He is aware that his students need to mentally understand the context of the material, with a deep understanding that everybody learns differently. He has a willingness to teach outside the box! Let’s face it, I don’t fit in any box.
Progressive Training College! I must make mention of my letter of disclosure concerning bipolar disorder & the limitations I struggle with. Marci & Jeff never batted an eye when they took me on.
When I failed to believe in myself, they believed for me, Like footprints in the sand .
This school has paved the way for people like me, who suffer from mental illness to dream again. Realizing there is a possibility of a future unfathomable. The understanding is that We all need to learn at a comfortable pace. A True 5 Star College
So… here I sit 10 weeks away from crossing college off the bucket list. “One more BIG push Tammy”
I didn’t want to wait until the end to tell everyone Thank you
The decision to go back to school was one of the hardest I’ve ever made.
No Turning back now.”
“PTC has smaller class sizes which offer more one-on-one assistance. The instructors and other staff are very knowledgeable and approachable. Always friendly, willing to help, and recognize and appreciate a student’s hard work ethic. My course did not come with a placement or co-op, but PTC is very flexible as they can help you with setting up volunteer work for yourself to complete outside of class schedules to help you gain field experience. In my case, I had no leadership or management experience, so my instructor came up with the idea of having me act as teaching assistant for some of the courses I have already completed and excelled at and had this idea approved by the College. This help me gain the leadership skills I need to take to a managerial role and grow my resume. I am glad I chose PTC as it was the best academic decision I have ever made!”
“Sarah, you’re the rock star hands down. Or would it be hands up 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻Lol. Either way, thank you so much for keeping everything positive and working with me. I can’t tell you how much I truly appreciate everything you are and how helpful you have been. I feel so grateful to have had you in my corner. The last 5 months have been pretty Helter skelter over here with everything going on in are world these days . Thank you for being such a positive person in my life during these times, I couldn’t have done it without you.
Wow at 42 I would have never guessed I’d go back to school; man life is amazing eh!
I wish you all the best to sister, love your positive vibes and energy 🤜🏼💥🤛🏼 Keep that going, thank you for you . Keep touching the lives of others .
Thank you so much Sarah!”
“The instructor as well as the students make it a very welcoming and supportive environment which makes the program fun and easy to learn!”
“I truly enjoy being able to do this course with PTC online, Not having to put a hold on becoming a PSW because of COVID-19 has made me very happy. In my opinion, PTC has made a very good decision in taking the course online. I can not wait to finish the course and graduate and to be able to help and join our front line workers in the fight to keep people safe and healthy.”
“I was happy to hear that the PSW course was not going to be canceled due to Covid-19. It took a bit of adjusting to learning online, but our instructor is doing a great job and we are working through this together as a team. We all appreciate the dedication of the frontline workers who put themselves at risk every day and will be proud to work alongside them as a PSW soon.”
“PTC College’s online training has given me the opportunity to still be able to get my PSW certification during this pandemic and it’s been a huge success so far. To be able to still have the interactive experience of being in class through the use of webcams has been a great way to still learn. Our teacher Marci Chindamo has been awesome and her being in the field for years has allowed her to share first hand experiences as a PSW which has helped us a lot.”
“I am thankful for the opportunity to do this course from home, and be a part of the “stay home” movement; so I can join the health care force in the future. I look forward to working beside so many fearless, strong and compassionate PSWs once I graduate. I am lucky to possibly shadow a PSW for placement who has experience working through a pandemic, so that I too in the future, can make a difference on the front lines.”
“Before Covid happened, I was on a waitlist for this PSW program, and I finally had gotten the call after almost 6 months on the waitlist. I was so excited to start and then all of a sudden a virus shuts down the entire world. I was scared I was going to have to wait longer. Turns out that PTC challenged themselves with the task of getting the students online, quickly and they did such a good job. So far, this class has been awesome.. I get to learn everything from the comfort of my sofa with my little dog on my lap, and coffee in my hand. I honestly didn't know if i could handle online learning but it's better then i had ever imagined. I love being at home in my pjs and learning.”
“I recently started at PT College, and from the beginning both Marci and Jeff have been very helpful. Despite the Covid virus and school being at home, Jeff has been very supportive and always willing to help. I would definitely recommend going here!”
“I am loving the fact that we are able to learn online. During Covid-19, we are still able to learn how to be a PSW and move forward to become a PSW. We support all of our frontline workers for their hard work and efforts during these trying times.”
“Before I enrolled with PT College, I worked construction for almost 10 years. I worked seasonal construction and had to work out of town all summer long. Not really able to have a life. One day I feel ill, diagnosed with ovarian cancer and having to end my career working construction. After a few years getting my health back on track, I finally pushed myself to go back to school but I was scared of the big colleges and didn’t really want to be in school for years. I happen to come across an ad from PT College promoting the PSW program with St. Joseph’s Care Group. I never thought of being a PSW, but I wanted to challenge myself and the fact that the program was less then six months to finish and you get a full time job right after you graduate, I was willing to try, and I’m glad I did. The teachers were great, the classrooms were comfortable and there were only nine students in my class. All great ladies that I’m still friends with today. The class work was challenging but just right and to the point with the PSW’s roll in the healthcare field. Placement was fun and you learn a lot. This week I start my full time job for St. Joseph’s Care Group at one of their long term care nursing home!”
“What an amazing opportunity it was attending and graduating from Progressive Training College! I began my program Human Resources, Business Management & Business Administration in April of 2018. I had looked into a few other colleges and it scared me to think about being lost in a classroom full of students. At Progressive Training College, it was small classrooms with your instructor and you had the support of all staff. I hadn’t been in school for 19 years, and the thought about the homework and lectures on subjects I had never done in school was frightening, yet exciting all at the same time. I set a goal to achieve honours at the end of my program. I am not going to lie, it was not just a breeze in the park, it was dedication, determination, communication and support that help me through my program. I even had a few moments where I thought “WOW should I even be doing this, should I really be in this program”? My instructors listened to my fears, to my concerns and self doubt and they helped me to focus on my strengths and draw from them, and they helped to build my confidence and encourage me to believe in myself as they all believed in me. Help was available at all times and the support was absolutely incredible! I graduated my program with honours! I am currently working full-time in a field related to my program and I feel on top of the world! I am very thankful for opportunity to attended such a supportive college with amazing staff! Thank-you Progressive Training College for building the confidence and educating me with the skills to achieve my goals!”
“Last September I made a really difficult choice and decided to go back to school at 40 yrs old, never would I have thought I would be making that decision but I did! I had signed up with another second career college in my city and was given the run around for three months from the start of classes, I finally decided to just give up, maybe this wasn't in the cards for me, and maybe not meant to be. Just when I thought my career choice was over, a PTC ad came up on Facebook and was advertising the PSW program that would be starting in a months time. When I spoke to this women on the phone and she reassured me that I could get into the upcoming course I was over the moon with excitement, that was the beginning of the best six months of my life. I met the most amazing people that I love so much, I was taught so much about being a PSW and I learned a lot about myself, and that voice that answered my call that day was Kathie who was the most inspiring teacher, she was not only a great teacher she has become a life long friend along with everyone else I hold dear to my heart. As of October 2018, I am a graduate of PTC Thunder Bay, I have both a full-time and a casual position as a PSW, and I am doing what I love to do. Thank you for changing my life!”
“Without Progressive Training College’s supportive, and kind approach to teaching, I do not believe I would have been able to integrate back into school as successfully as I did. With all the care and guidance that I had received from my teacher Sarah, I was able to attain my Microsoft Office Specialist Certificates in WORD, EXCEL, and ACCESS. Even after graduating from my program I find myself missing the understanding and empathy I received when in their care. Thank you so much PTC, you helped me regain confidence in myself again and provided me with a supportive environment that I needed to PROPERLY get the skillset I needed to succeed in my career. Thank you!”
“I definitely recommend people to take this course. The classes are small which there's more one on one if u have difficulty in school like I do. They make it fun while learning, I also like how they do all class room book work first and then placement. I always struggled in school and when I took this course I was a little terrified because I wanted to succeed in life and go somewhere. When I took this course I enjoyed every minute of it and I even passed with honours. I know if I took this course at Sault College I know I would have never passed. Over all I recommend PTC and I loved being there.”