Fleming College

“It was a dream-come-true moment for me, when I received the offer of admission from Fleming College.”

Construction Health and Safety Manager Cyril Matthews does not make this statement lightly.

He was forced to put his dream on hold for years after arriving in Canada in 2011 from India.

A former Health Inspector in India, Cyril found that he could not get a career in his field in Ontario. Instead, he took a job as a Tool and Die Maker to make ends meet.

But he never gave up, and applied to Fleming College’s Health, Safety and Environmental Compliance program in 2020.

Cyril graduated in April 2021, and almost immediately began working in his chosen field.

He credits Fleming’s unique program for helping him secure employment so quickly.

“I was well aware of the requirements to becoming a Health and Safety professional, and I was not able to find a different program anywhere else with similar courses,” he said.

The combination of hands-on learning and lab experience for not only making graduates highly employable but keeping students up to date on the latest developments in the industry.

The courses Cyril took in his program, like Occupational Health and Safety Law and Investigation and Inspection Techniques, are a crucial component of his current job, he said.

But what truly makes the program unique, Cyril said, was the combination of life and work experience his teachers brought to the classroom.

“Even if you are starting your job the next day after graduation, you will be able to perform way better than someone with many years of experience in the industry,” he said.

Cyril and his classmates received support well beyond their lessons.
Instructors helped them craft their resumes, create LinkedIn profiles, and launch their job hunts.

It was truly amazing, he said.

“If I am simply saying that it is a great place to learn, that would not be sufficient enough to describe my experience at Fleming,” Cyril said. “To someone who is thinking of attending Fleming College, or someone who takes education seriously, you will find that Fleming is the best place to go.”

Now happily employed in his chosen field, Cyril said he is facing a long career with plenty of potential growth within that sector.
Fleming’s program is recognized by the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals, and graduates with a year of work experience are eligible to write the exam to become a Certified Registered Safety Technician.

Cyril said that will be his next step.

“I never kept my dreams off of my mind,” Cyril said. “The right thing happened at the right time, and now I am in the field I always wanted to be in.”