Beware the "Diploma Mill" schools

As the education industry in Canada is being more and more prevalent in India, some of the so called institutes here in Canada are trying to take advantage of this and scam students. These schools also called "Diploma Mills" are not the best place to study nor will they help you in your future.

According to Wikipedia, “A diploma mill (also known as a degree mill) is an organization that awards academic degrees and diplomas with substandard or no academic study and without recognition by official educational accrediting bodies. The purchaser can then claim to hold an academic degree, and the organization is motivated by making a profit. These degrees are often awarded based on vaguely construed life experience. Some such organizations claim accreditation by non recognized/unapproved accrediting bodies set up for the purposes of providing a veneer of authenticity.”

Such institutes may help you get a diploma or degree faster but wouldn't be beneficial as you do not get any knowledge or know how of the industry. Though you may be able to fool an employer at first with a degree from a diploma mill, you will be caught sooner or later. Also these schools, usually don't have any accreditation or is sneaky in getting them.

EmployeeScreenIQ  is a well renowned company and a leader in global employment screening. They provide clients with information to make smart hiring decisions and have excellent background checks and substance abuse screening techniques. They recently came up with a list of schools in Canada and USA which are known to be following such practices.

The list of schools in Vancouver are:

University of Northern Washington – Hawaii; Washington, Vancouver, British
Columbia

Vancouver University Worldwide – British Columbia

Lansbridge University – British Columbia, Canada

Manhattan University – Hawaii, British Columbia

Newton University – Hawaii; British Columbia, Canada

Royal Canadian Institute of Technology – British Columbia, Canada

Rutherford University – Wyoming, British Columbia, Swaziland

Senior University – British Columbia, Canada

St. Michael University – California, New York, Florida, District of Columbia, British
Columbia

University of Northern Washington – Hawaii; Washington, Vancouver, British
Columbia

Vancouver University Worldwide – British Columbia

For more schools on the list look up

http://204.12.48.240/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Known-Diploma-Mills_5.pdf

 

One World Agency Company Policies..

One World Agency is a much respected student agency among the schools that we work with. Also the students who used One World Agency to select schools are very happy with the services that was provided. We follow strict policies to ensure that we work to serve students better each time.

Agency School Selection

•  One World Agency works with only schools offering a high quality of education to students. These schools include public and private colleges and universities, career schools, ESL schools and primary and secondary schools.
•  All private career schools with which we work in British Columbia must be registered with the Private Career Training Institutions Agency (PCTIA).

Tuition Payments

•  Students should pay all registration, application and tuition fees for programs in which they have registered before coming to Canada. Some Schools will issue a Letter of Offer to students detailing the total amount payable to the school. Once this amount is paid the school will issue a Letter of Acceptance to the student.
• All payments for tuition and other services must be paid in one of the following methods:

o International Wire Transfer
o Bank draft, money order, certified cheques drawn on a Canadian bank
o Email transfer
o Direct deposit into the One World Agency Account

•  Students should notify One World Agency when a payment has been made
• Students may pay their tuition directly to One World Agency for most of the schools with which we work. Some public schools require students to pay their tuition directly to the school. One World Agency will notify the student of payment requirements.
• At no time will One World Agency charge a student any money in addition to what the school would charge the student if the student paid the school directly.
• In the case that One World Agency collects a payment for a school from a student, we will pay all amounts owing to the school within five business days from receiving the cleared funds from the student.

Tuition Refunds

• One World Agency will assist students in obtaining any available refund from their school should the student withdraw from the school.
• If a language school in which One World Agency has placed a student closes while the student is attending the school, One World Agency will refund a pro-rated amount of the student’s tuition back to the student.
• If a career school in which One World Agency has placed a student closes while the student is attending the school, One World Agency will work with the Private Career Training Institutions Agency (PCTIA) to refund the student’s tuition or relocate the student to a similar program in another career school to complete the program at no additional charge.
• If you ask for a refund of tuition already paid sure by now, make the payment of tuition fees on behalf of our customers.
• A request for withdrawals from a school program must be made in writing.
• The amount of money each school will refund is governed by each school’s Refund Policy.
• Students who are unable to come to Canada because of a Study Visa refusal will receive a full refund less the school application or registration fee.
• Some schools, including some public primary and secondary schools will not issue a refund after one month before the school year begins.
• If a student requires modifications to any school refund policy.

Other Refunds

• Students who are unable to come to Canada because of a Study Visa refusal will receive a refund of the following:

o Accommodation fees less the homestay placement fee,
o Pick-up/drop-off fees
o Medical payments

• For Students in Canada, a full refund of accommodation fees will be given when cancelling with more than four (4) weeks’ notice.

Immigration Consulting

• One World Agency charges no fees for any assistance given to students for assistance in completing Visa or Permit applications related to Citizenship and Immigration Canada
• One World Agency utilizes the services of an independent Immigration Consultant licensed under the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) for all paid Immigration assistance.
• Our independent Immigration Consultant will invoice students directly for services provided by the Immigration Consultant.
• All refunds for payments to the Immigration Consultant are at the discretion of the Immigration Consultant.

Canadian Immigration Seminar!!

  We are holding a seminar on how to immigrate to Canada at our office here in Vancouver. It will be held on March 23rd 2012 between 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm. It is conducted by Warren Brundage, the President of our company. He is very knowledgeable about immigration and knows the intricacies about how to immigrate to Canada. 
If you have questions on how to extend your stay in Canada or how to get work and stay for a longer time in Canada and what are the different ways you can do it, please do feel free to attend the seminar.
We also have Japanese, Korean and Hindi Speaking counselors, who could help you if you have difficulty in understanding English. This seminar is free of cost and if you have any questions regarding Canadian Immigration and intend to stay here longer do feel free to note your questions and come and ask those questions to us.

Working in Canada as an International Student

Citizenship and Immigration Canada allows International Students to work in Canada in limited situations. Students are required to arrive in Canada with sufficient money to live and pay their bills while studying. However, in some cases, a student may be able to work in Canada during the course of study:

• On campus without a Work Permit;
• Off Campus with a Work Permit after 6 months of classes in a public school or university;
• In Co-op and Internship Programs, where work experience is part of the curriculum, with a Work Permit.

In addition, spouses/common-law partners of international students are eligible to work in Canada while their partners study.This is open only if you are studying in a public school or university.

Upon graduation, international students are encouraged to obtain Canadian work experience. The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program allows international graduates to obtain a three-year open work permit so that they can stay and contribute to the Canadian work force.

Doctoral programmes lead to faster PR's

The Canadian Immigration has made it easier for highly educated international students to become permanent residents. According to Federal skilled worker class now doctoral students can apply for permanent residency after completing their first two year of study. Or if they have already completed their doctoral program in Canada within the last year, then those students can apply too.

The Canadian government has restricted the number of applicants to 1000 international students a year.“Attracting and retaining immigrants with high levels of skill will help Canada compete in the knowledge-based world economy,” said Minister of State (Science and Technology) Gary Goodyear. “With this initiative, we are telling the innovators of tomorrow that Canada is ready to welcome them and their ideas.”

Trades and Career oriented programs are the best option for intended migration

Most students who migrate to Canada from India choose options like Management, Hospitality or other general programs where they feel they can make money fast. I would advise students to pick up career oriented programs as that's the way to get into the labor force faster and also to make better money. Unlike in India where jobs are classified as white collar and blue collar jobs and the money that you make is linked to the position you hold, here in Canada there is equality of work and most kind of jobs are well paid.

So it is always better to study about the economic environment of the place you plan to go and what kind of careers have a better opportunity of getting jobs faster. Here in Canada especally in BC, Alberta the industry where you have better opportunities are in the field of oil, mechanical and technical areas.

Trades like Aircraft maintenance, refrigeration, automotive technicians etc are in hot demand over here and with a Canadian diploma or degree in such a trade it makes life far more easier that being a manager in a Starbucks or McDonald's where though you are a manager your pay is much lesser than the trades mentioned above!!

So always make a decision based on current situation and not what maybe!!

Feel free to ask questions on this blog and we will answer in the best possible manner!!

One World Agency

I know I have spoken about ourselves and what we do already but so I am only updating you guys on what has been done in the last year. We were primarily focused on English classes for Japanese and Korean students. Then we came to know there was a lot of scams going on in the career schools too. We have been then helping students to get to better schools and change schools. We were low key on our business and depended on the students that we helped to get us more students. But we have come to realize that in such a manner we can help only a very few students. Now we are trying to market ourselves and get more students to come out of their shells and talk about their schools and getting to know more about the schools here.
We have moved to diverse markets like Japan, Korea, China, India, Brazil, Mexico and so on. Recently we also got a full fledged contract with BCIT one of the biggest and foremost schools in Vancouver. So we have full access to all their programs and services.

To know more please contact us on

http://oneworldagency.ca/contact_english

BCIT- Where Theory meets Industry!

BCIT is one of the premier post secondary institutes in Canada. It has been in business since 1964 and has been at the top of the game ever since. They have more than 20000 full time and around 30000 part time students each year. They are known for providing industry ready graduates who are promptly hired by employers.
They focus on not just the academic part of the education but provide hands on experience for the students making them far more valuable than the university graduates in Canada.

Most of their programs are tailored in such a way that they get the best possible out of their education and they don't feel out of place when they enter the workforce. There are more than 350 programs to choose from over here. They provide certificate, diplomas, post diplomas, bachelors and applied masters to students. They have campuses in Burnaby, downtown Vancouver, Aerospace Technology campus in Richmond, Marine campus in North Vancouver and the Great Northern Way campus. 
The class sizes are usually 16-25 so that the students get better attention from the instructors. The instructors have years of industry expertise and professional designations. BCIT’s renowned applied education and training model is significant to the prosperity of the province of British Columbia and Canada. The institute has established itself as one of Canada’s leading educational institutions in business, technology and trades programs.

 

BCIT programs are developed in consultation with leading employers. Advisory committees provide direct input to curriculum development to ensure that you'll be at the forefront of the latest developments in your industry. BCIT instructors are active in their careers and bring years of practical expertise. They bring an insider's perspective of their industry–knowledge and experience that will benefit you in the classroom and after you graduate.
And that's only part of the journey. Once you're here, we offer many services and activities to help you succeed and get the most out of your experience.
There are a host of student services, recreation services, and clubs and organizations that make BCIT a vibrant community.So if you are looking for an international experience as well as value for your money this is the best place for you to start!

                                                                                                                                                                                           

Free Conversation Clubs at our place!

We as an agency are not only involved in placing students in schools, but a hoard of other activities. One of them is the Free Conversation Club where we help students to be more comfortable with their conversational english. To succeed in that we conduct conversation clubs in our office where international students come in to speak about their experiences, life and aspirations. We also help them by providing solutions or advise to the obstacles they face. These Conversation clubs are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays every week from 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm! So feel free to drop in anytime and we are there to help you!

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Wanna see the Northern Lights! Amazing packages to Yellowknife!

The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis are one of the most spectactular light shows in the world. It has been said that the Aurora was named after the Roman goddess of dawn while Borealis comes from the Greek word for wind, Boreas. Scientifically, the Auroras are produced by the collision of charged particles from Earth's magnetosphere, mostly electrons but also protons and heavier particles, with atoms and molecules of Earth's upper atmosphere (at altitudes above 80 km (50 miles). However, the flickering curtains of lights, apparently dancing across the dark sky are an amazing celestial phenomenon that has amazed people for centuries.  Yellowknife is one of the best places in the world to watch the Northern Lights.

Welcome to Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, the best place in the world to view the Northern Lights. Yellowknife is situated
under the Aurora Oval which is consistently one of the best places for viewing the awe-inspiring Aurora Borealis. 

We are promoting a couple of tours to see the northern lights in Yellow knife! The details are as follows:

4DAY/3NIGHT
Aurora Borealis Tour from Yellowknife

VACATION FEATURES:
Accommodations
- 3 nights hotel accommodation

Sightseeing Excursions and Tours
- Guided Aurora Borealis Viewing (3 nights)
Transfers
- Round-trip transfers between the Yellowknife Airport and your
Yellowknife Hotel

Documentation
- Winter Clothing Rental
- Itinerary, brochures, maps and vouchers
- Hotel luggage handling

ITINERARY:

DAY 1 - Arriving in Yellowknife

Upon your arrival in Yellowknife you will be met by a local guide and
transferred to your hotel. Enroute you will stop to suit-up into your
winter attire and given an orientation of the local area. After dropping
off your luggage, join the tour to the Aurora Viewing Facilities located
in an authentic teepee village. This site is ideally situated to observe
the maximum brilliance of the Aurora. Listen to the interpretive
commentary while taking in the beauty of the electrically charged night
sky. Also included is your choice of soup and hot beverages.

DAY 2 - Exploring Yellowknife

Today enjoy a three hour sightseeing tour of the local attractions and
historic sites in Yellowknife. This evening, return to the viewing site to
see the Northern Lights, this striking natural occurrence of the Canadian
North. Normally there are curtains of white, blue, and green light in this
natural light show. They may also form a corona and seem to burst. Your
guide will also be able to tell you some of the Inuit folk tales and
scientific facts that are associated with this spectacle. A choice of
soups and hot beverages are once again included.

DAY 3 - Sightseeing in Yellowknife

Today is a free day in Yellowknife. Check out Old Town with its unique
buildings dating back to Yellowknife's gold rush days as well as the
ski-plane bases, ice highway and colourful houseboats on the lake. Tonight
is your final night to view the Aurora Borealis. A choice of soups and
beverages are included.

DAY 4 - Departing Yellowknife

3Day/2Night

Aurora Borealis Quick Escape from Yellowknife

VACATION FEATURES:
Accommodations
- 2 nights hotel accommodation

Sightseeing Excursions and Tours
- Guided Aurora Borealis Viewing (2 nights)
Transfers
- Round-trip transfers between the Yellowknife Airport and your
Yellowknife Hotel

Documentation
- Winter Clothing Rental
- Itinerary, brochures, maps and vouchers
- Hotel luggage handling

ITINERARY:
DAY 1 - Arriving in Yellowknife

Upon your arrival in Yellowknife you will be met by a local guide and
transferred to your hotel. Enroute you will stop to suit-up into your
winter attire and given an orientation of the local area. After dropping
off your luggage, join the tour to the Aurora Viewing Facilities located
in an authentic teepee village. This site is ideally situated to observe
the maximum brilliance of the Aurora. Listen to the interpretive
commentary while taking in the beauty of the electrically charged night
sky. Also included is your choice of soup and hot beverages.

DAY 2 - Exploring Yellowknife

Today enjoy a three hour sightseeing tour of the local attractions and
historic sites in Yellowknife. This evening, return to the viewing site to
see the Northern Lights, this striking natural occurrence of the Canadian
North. Normally there are curtains of white, blue, and green light in this
natural light show. They may also form a corona and seem to burst. Your
guide will also be able to tell you some of the Inuit folk tales and
scientific facts that are associated with this spectacle. A choice of
soups and hot beverages are once again included.

DAY 3 - Departing Yellowknife

This morning you will be transferred to the Yellowknife airport.

For further details feel free to contact us or post a comment!! 

We are not your average education agency WE r MORE!!

Student agencies are associated with placing students in schools and then not caring what happens to these students once they are on the plane to a new place with no sense of security at all!
We cant blame them completely as they are located in your hometown and far from the place you are going to.
When you come to Canada through One World Agency the best thing is your agent is local and knows more about the Canadian Education System, laws and immigration policies than the agencies back home which claims to know all about it but has little knowledge about it.
We as a agency not only help students get placed in the most reputed schools in Canada we are there with them all the way till they complete their education or till they feel they are better on their own. We provide a wide variety of services to students and listed below are some of them!

1) Place students in the best schools in Canada.
2) Arrange Homestays in close proximity to the schools you go to.
3) Pick you up at the airport and drop you at your homestays.
4) Purchase medical insurance for the first 3 months and apply for BC Provincial medical insurance (for students who is attending Elementary school, Secondary school, High school, Career College and University)
5) Help students with visa renewal.
6) Help with study permit extension.
7) Airport pick up and hotel arrangements for family and friends.
8) Advise students and family on elementary schools, secondary schools, high schools, career schools and university applications.
9) Help students with insurance claim related issues.
10) Help students open bank accounts.
11) Help them in getting cell phone connections as well as purchase international calling cards at reasonable prices.
12) We provide them with an orientation on life in Canada and give advise on studying and living in Canada.

For further details please feel free to contact us on the contact page on our website at http://oneworldagency.ca/contact_english

Plagiarism: An issue faced by international students in Canada

Plagiarism is something that universities in the western world will never tolerate. This is a concept which is not known to a lot of Indian students except for the ones who were brilliant and lucky enough to either do their bachelor's degree abroad or went to the elite schools and colleges in India. But that number is a small percentage of the whole chunk of Indian students who go abroad to do their Master's degree.

But first you need to know what plagiarism means. It is the unauthorized use of documents and words which have already been published without giving due credit to the authors of the publications. It is highly illegal and unethical over here. If you are caught doing plagiarized work it can lead to dire situations in your university and if you are caught doing it multiple times it can lead to expulsion from the university.

I know it does sound a little scary but I assure you its not as bad as it sounds. There are various standards that can be followed to make sure your work is impeccable. The standard writing format that is used in most universities in North America is the APA format also called the American Psychology  Association format is the most standard one used in academia. There are different rules that you have to follow to make sure you produce an amazing and classy academic report.

The following link helps you understand more about the APA format:
http://www.experiment-resources.com/apa-writing-format.html

For further inquiries please fell free to contact us :

http://oneworldagency.ca/contact_english

 

You always have a choice!

Students who go overseas to complete their education are always skeptical. They are bound to be and no one can blame them for it. They are going to a new world, something they have never experienced at all and away from the comfort of their homes and family. They are usually lucky and end up in good schools, graduate and lead their lives the way they wanted.

But then there are the unlucky few who are swindled and end up in bad schools with no prospects for their future. Most of them blame their fate and stick with these schools and end up ruining their lives. That is not the kind of situation any one of us we want to be in. If ever anyone is  in such a situation there is no need to fret! You can always discontinue the course there and join a new school and there is no one in the world that can stop you. If you have not gone for any classes you are entitled for a refund from the college so you don't lose any money. So you can use the money from the school that you going and use the funds to go to a better school. But a lot of students don't do it because they are unaware of the laws and protection they have from the Canadian government. 
In case any one of you or your friends are in such a situation and want to know your options please feel free to contact us and we are only happy to help!!  
To contact us please visit the Contact page on our website at http://oneworldagency.ca/contact_english

Street food hits Vancouver!

We all love street food. They are cheap, have a wide variety and fills your stomach and heart. But Vancouver is still kinda warming up to the idea mostly because of the strict laws on street food places. It used to be only hot dog stands and pop corn places atone point of time, but now it is changing and that too at a fast pace!

But we still have a long way to go when compared to cities famous for food carts and street food where different types of food carts come and set up shop in a single location which makes it easier to choose what you want to have!

Now as a part of the Dine Out festival conducted this month, 8 of the city's top food carts would gather up and provide their best food for 3 days. From Jan 24- 26 these food carts would give us an extravaganza of street food!! So be ready to turn your palates and have a yummy day savouring the taste of Vancouver!!

List of schools with Co op that we work with!

Co op is an option where you get to study and then work in the field of your choice and get paid while you work. This is now a hot option among international students!! The list below is the schools that we work with and has the co op option available! Check it out!!

Private Career Schools

·         Arbutus College

·         Ashton College

·         Brighton College

·         Canadian Tourism College

·         Canadian College

·         CDI College ( Practicum)

·         Eton College

·         King George International Business College

·         MTI Community College( Practicum)

·         New Image College Of Fine Arts

·         Sprott-Shaw Community College

·         Vancouver Career College ( Practicum)

Public Colleges and Universities

·         College of the Rockies

·         Conestoga College

·         Douglas College

·         Langara College

·         Lethbridge College

·         Medicine Hat College

·         Niagara College

·         Okanagan College

·         Vancouver Community College

·         George Brown College

·         BCIT

·         University of Fraser Valley

ESL Schools

·         CET Vancouver

·         Tamwood International

·         International Language School of Canada(ILSC)

·         International House

·         Stewart College of Languages, Victoria

·         International Gateway, Kelowna

·         King George International College

·         International Language Academy of Canada(ILac)

·         Cambridge Western Academy

·         Canadian College Of English Language 

·         Inlingua ( Unpaid Internship) 

·         Britannia College 

·         Vancouver English Centre  ( Unpaid Internship) 

·         Vancouver International College 

·         Victoria International Academy 

·         Omnicom School of Languages 

·         Canadian as a Second Language Institute 

·         Van West College