Workplace Communication Skills for Project Management

In April of 2025, Atelema Jackreece moved to Canada from Nigeria. She arrived with a master’s degree in engineering and industrial management as well as 26 years of diverse work experience at two oil and gas companies. She settled in Ottawa to be closer to her family.

Jackreece enrolled in Workplace Communication Skills for Project Management to build the communication skills and cultural knowledge she would need to find employment in Ontario. This course is geared to internationally educated or experienced professionals with project management expertise in business, technology or construction trades organizations.

The course took place online three days a week over four months at Humber Polytechnic. Halfway through the course, Jackreece landed a job as a customer service specialist at a major bank.

Here, Jackreece shares her experience in the OSLT course.

What are some of the most useful things you learned during the course about communications in a business workplace?

I learned how to speak effectively with others in the workplace — customers, colleagues, supervisors and managers. It was also helpful to learn how to write a formal letter relating to a work project. As well, there were opportunities to create presentations in PowerPoint and Canva. The course also built my confidence in speaking publicly, and we learned how to develop a resumé and how to prepare for job interviews. Going into breakout rooms on Zoom with my classmates was fantastic because we got to practise our skills with each other. Our instructor was very good. He explained the concepts very well to us.

How did the course improve your understanding of workplace culture?

This was a very useful part of the course, because workplace culture in Nigeria is quite different from here. I learned a lot about the kinds of statements you can make in the office when talking to others and what not to say. How to greet co-workers the right way. Which are appropriate questions to ask others, and which are too personal.

Was there any other benefit of the course you’d like to highlight?

It was great to meet and learn with people from other countries, such as Algeria, India, Iran and another person from Nigeria. They are now part of my professional network, and we are connected on LinkedIn. This course gave me an opportunity to relate to people from all over the world.

How did this course support you in your current job?

I’m able to speak with customers in a clear way, where I know they understand me, and I can provide legendary service. I’ve told other newcomers that this course is really useful if you want to learn how to communicate effectively in a workplace.