Seeking Next Generation Storytellers

Toronto, CANADA: March 2004

For Immediate Release

INTERNATIONAL WRITER FINDS HIS CALLING IN NEW MEDIA

Online writing a unique career destination for world traveller
How far would you go to find the right career?

International student Robert Kerr uprooted himself from his Cambridge, England, home to teach English in Japan, then came to Canada to study Online Writing at Centennial College. After travelling most of the way around the globe, Kerr is confident he's made the right move.

“I was looking to study something a little bit unique,” recalls Kerr, 25. He came to that life-altering conclusion after he attended a documentary film festival in Toronto. It prompted him to contemplate journalism, but didn't like the idea of returning to school for two or more years. “I chose Centennial's online writing program because it prepares you for journalism but focuses on storytelling.”

Kerr had studied at Nottingham Trent University in England, earning a humanities degree with a major in social psychology and a minor in media and cultural studies. “My formal education was about ideas, but not jobs,” says Robert with a grin. He was intrigued with the idea of teaching in Japan and signed a contract to teach in a small town, away from the hustle and bustle of the country's crowded urban centres.

He moved to Toronto with his girlfriend when their teaching contracts expired and immediately became caught up in the media-saturated environment of Canada's largest city. He enrolled at Centennial and started attending classes at the college's Centre for Creative Communications in midtown Toronto.

“It's an exciting time to write for interactive media. Right now there are new technologies that are plugging into the Internet, making more work for writers,” says Kerr. He cites rapid technological change for creating a demand for skilled people. “Every month there's something massively new coming out. Content production is expanding very quickly.” He particularly likes the fact that he's studying in Toronto, which he calls well placed for Internet jobs.

“Canada has been keeping ahead of things better than just about anyone else. There's an excellent infrastructure in place; everyone is using broadband here,” notes Kerr. One subject he really gets excited about is emerging technologies, concepts like Blue Tooth (which allows household objects to communicate with each other) and artificial intelligence, which promises to change the way humans interact with technology.

It would be an understatement to say Kerr is optimistic about the future. He points to theoretical physicist Dr. Michio Kaku's book, Visions, as an inspiring read. The author interviewed leading-edge scientists about the science and technology breakthroughs we can expect in the 21st century. Kerr says he's preparing for those innovations by studying online writing, meeting the frequent guest speakers who come on campus, and networking with local employers.

Kerr explains that the program is not just about writing Internet content, but learning to use pictures, sounds and video to help tell a story in the most illuminating way possible. “Most people, including my parents, are a little unsure of what I'm doing,” says Kerr, “but it's a field in which I get to do something I love - a pretty important goal to have in life, I'd say.”

About the Program

The 10-month post-grad program is designed for students seeking to develop skills for writing and producing interactive media, such as Internet-based entertainment, e-marketing campaigns and online corporate communications.

www.thecentre.centennialcollege.ca/onlinewriting