Career Awareness Certificate

Admission Requirements

  • Admission is based on two (2) screening interviews 
    • The first screening interview is with the CACE Student Services Assistant for Students with Disabilities to determine the applicant’s suitability for the program, according to an admission checklist 
    • If the applicant is successful in the first interview, they will have a second interview with the Career Awareness faculty 
    • Interviews are documented and a checklist is used to determine eligibility 
    • Applicants may be asked to sign a release of information so documentation can be provided to faculty to support the application 
  • Admissibility is based on the following criteria: 
    • Permission of the department 
    • Diagnosis or history that identifies difficulty with learning 
    • Comfort and tolerance of an alternative learning environment designed for students with diverse learning needs 
    • Proven motivation to work and perform tasks without ongoing direct supervision, supported by previous reports or assessments 
    • Ability and willingness to travel independently to the college and workplace 
    • A checklist is used to document behaviours, emotional problems, or medical conditions that could significantly impair learning or compromise the safety of the student and/or others 
    • Independently manage own medication 
    • Demonstrate appropriate personal hygiene, and have the ability to independently attend to personal care needs

Upon Acceptance 

  • Students in this program may be required to complete a CRC prior to their practicum placement. The CRC must be completed according to VCC's Criminal Record Check instructions. Students whose CRC results indicate they pose a risk to vulnerable populations will not be able to complete the requirements of the program (e.g. practicums) or graduate. 

Program Requirements

CAAW 0631Education/Employment Explorati5
CAAW 0632Employ and Workplace Skills5
CAAW 0633Communication Skills5
CAAW 0634Personal Awareness & Wellness4
CAAW 0635Literacy, Numeracy, Digital Te3
CAAW 0636Job Search & Interview Skills4
CAAW 0637Practicum 13
CAAW 0638Practicum 24
CAAW 0639Practicum 35
Total Credits38

Evaluation of Student Learning

Formative and summative evaluations, and a final anecdotal report, combined with a checklist is used to document the students’ progress in classroom and practicum components. The final written report identifies course progress, as well as interests, achievement levels, aptitudes, skills, work related attitudes and barriers to employment, and recommendations.

The host employer and program faculty contribute to the evaluation of students’ performance during practicum placements.  Students participate in determining and tracking their progress by a series of self-evaluation and goal setting exercises for each practicum.

Completion of each course will be noted on the final report and the VCC transcript by an “S” (satisfactory) or “U” (unsatisfactory) grade.  Ninety (90) % attendance is required to successfully complete each course, unless other arrangements have been made with the instructional team.   

Students of the Career Awareness Certificate will have successfully completed the conditions for graduation when they have successfully completed five (5) of six (6) core courses AND a minimum of two (2) of three (3) practicum courses.

Students who have met the criteria for graduation shall receive a VCC certificate

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)

Prior learning assessment and recognition is not available for this program.

Transcript of Achievement

The evaluation of learning outcomes for each student is prepared by the instructor and reported to the Student Records Department at the completion of semesters.

The transcript typically shows a letter grade for each course. The grade point equivalent for a course is obtained from letter grades as follows:

Grading Standard

Grade Percentage Description Grade Point Equivalency
A+ 90-100 4.33
A 85-89 4.00
A- 80-84 3.67
B+ 76-79 3.33
B 72-75 3.00
B- 68-71 2.67
C+ 64-67 2.33
C 60-63 2.00
C- 55-59 1.67
D 50-54 Minimum Pass 1.00
F 0-49 Failing Grade 0.00
S 50 or greater Satisfactory – student has met and mastered a clearly defined body of skills and performances to required standards N/A
U Unsatisfactory – student has not met and mastered a clearly defined body of skills and performances to required standards N/A
I Incomplete N/A
IP Course in Progress N/A
W Withdrawal N/A
Course Standings
R Audit. No Credits N/A
EX Exempt. Credit Granted N/A
TC Transfer Credit N/A

Grade Point Average (GPA)

  1. The course grade points shall be calculated as the product of the course credit value and the grade value.

  2. The GPA shall be calculated by dividing the total number of achieved course grade points by the total number of assigned course credit values. This cumulative GPA shall be determined and stated on the Transcript at the end of each Program level or semester.

  3. Grades shall be assigned to repeated courses in the same manner as courses taken only once. For the purpose of GPA calculation of grades for repeated courses, they will be included in the calculation of the cumulative GPA.