IADT, Toronto Film School
IADT - Toronto Film School - Truths and Lies (The Real Meal Deal)

I was an instructor, (part time) at IADT in Toronto (CBC building), having worked at several other post-secondary institutions in the past (private and public sectors). IADT is a CEC school (Career Education Corporation) based out of Chicago and is a 'public' company which means that it's on the stock exchange and caters to shareholders (mostly American).

Here in Canada, corporations like this have access to a market of innocent young people (and clueless parents) who generally come in for a 'tour' knowing nothing about what's really going on, having seen a flashy advertisement on TV or on the internet. IADT tour guides are head hunting 'recruiters' who are rewarded for each student they sign up and have little or no knowledge of the programs, courses, teachers or facilities; often conning potential candidates with false information (outright lies) about the courses and their future as graduates, indicating high success rates that are totally inaccurate.

The corporation inflicts great pressure on these recruiters to gather new herds in (high turn-over), and to convince them to sign student loan paper work under the guise or pretense that their applications are carefully scrutinized. When applicants finally get the news that they are 'accepted' it's because their government loan application was approved by the Ontario government and really only for that reason. On average, programs (one year) run between $20, 000 and $25, 000 CND.

Once IN; young people are successfully lured into the corporate mandate which is money driven, lacking in focused curriculum and access to proper, up to date equipment. Teachers are (for the most part) 'hacks' who preach the word of a prosperous "entertainment industry" fueled mostly by the corporations mission and the media... a profitable "deception", at the students and publics expense.

After an over-priced education in the private sector (currently double the cost that of the public sector), graduates are left with little hope, having been educated in a "field of dreams" where real jobs are few and far between. I am speculating that fewer than one in five graduates (from IADT and schools of this nature) actually find meaningful 'legitimate' employment in this field in which they were haphazardly trained and are led astray after graduating by IADT's cosmetic "placement assistance", clearly indicating their lack of accountability and responsibility. What's worse is that these lost souls now have a hefty student loan to pay off, most grads finding non-related menial labour employment for years to pay it off, never integrating successfully into their chosen vocation.

In closing, I would suggest that those looking for quality education dig deep and SERIOUSLY research schools carefully before deciding. It's a massive commitment that if set up properly could launch a successful career or render one to financial despair/hardship for many years with little or no outcome.

Chippy
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Company: IADT, Toronto Film School
Country: Canada
Province: Ontario
City: Toronto
Address: 39 John St

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