Ontario College Diploma in Border Services

Lambton College

The Border Services program provides foundational knowledge and experiential hands on-learning to individuals who aspire to work as border services officers. During the first year, a broad theoretical foundation is provided on human relations, mental health, critical interpersonal, communication and team building skills and an overview of the criminal justice system. The second year focuses on courses specific to determining admissibility of persons, goods and conveyances into Canada, legislation, documentation and technology required to move goods and people across the border. In addition, students will acquire important communication skills, dispute resolution and critical thinking skills required as Canada's first line of defense. Students also achieve certification in Nonviolent Crisis Intervention training from the Crisis Prevention Institute and Introduction to Incident Management System (IMS-100) from Emergency Management Ontario. The goal of the Border Services program is to provide students with a well-rounded education that prepares them for not only a career in public safety but also as a foundation for continual educational pathways into related fields of study. Our criminal justice lab offers students the opportunity to bridge the gap between theory and practice in an innovative real world setting. By moving beyond theory, students learn by doing and get first-hand experience of practicing what has been taught. Students also gain volunteer hours and field related experience through participation in Lambton College's student run Safe Walk program. Lambton College's faculty is diverse representing the criminal justice system, police, border, security and other related professionals. Specialized courses within the program have an interdisciplinary focus and allow students from various first responder courses to learn together in the classroom and in scenarios. These experiential learning opportunities, coupled with small class sizes, ensures students receive a quality educational experience.