Centre for Arts and Technology Review

While seeking an opportunity to enhance my skills, I enrolled in a program that promised cutting-edge training and mentorship. Initially, I was drawn in by the impressive curriculum and the potential to network with industry professionals. However, as the weeks progressed, I found the experience to be lacking in several key areas.

The mentorship felt more like a formality than a genuine guiding relationship. The instructors seemed overwhelmed, which led to inconsistent feedback on assignments. Additionally, the technology and resources provided were not up to date, making it difficult to keep up with industry standards. 🎨💻

While I appreciate the effort put into the program, the overall execution fell short of my expectations. I believe there's a strong foundation here, but some critical adjustments could elevate the experience for students.

5 golden stars. o 5 golden stars how feel when i look at you from so afar! Cato with a north america nato eating at the restaurant that is delicious without a tomato . I am a goofy guy and a little shy but the people here are so alive! and mark smith is a silly and beautiful guy. I am here and there and everywhere . This is my review.... it is so random that people will not have a really good opinion to have a point of view . I wonder if people will solve this who wrote this review when everything that has been wrote can give a clue!.

Center for Arts and Technology went above and beyond with giving me the neccessary tools to become successful. The 3D Animation for Game, Film & Visual Effects was an excellent program that taught me more than just the basics of animation, it taught me how to network and build my career in the animation industry and how to apply my skills to other mediums as well.

I would recommend Center for Arts and Technology to anyone who is very interested in the animation industry.

Amazing school! If you know what you want - this is a great place for you! If you don t know what you want. Don t go to school at all.

I had a couple years experience compared to everyone who was fresh out of high school. So I really benefitted because I knew what I wanted to an extent.

I love the class sizes
I loved the teachers and the facility.
They want to help you and see you succeed.

My daughter is going to The Centre For Art &Technology. I think you have to be vary committed & good work ethics to make it in the course she is takeing . She has learned a lot Teachers are available when ever we get in touch with them. The school is not for everyone, but she as always surprised me with how talented she is and the school is helping her accomplish that .

(If I could give this review 0 stars, I would)

Hello, I am a previous student from CATO that graduated a few years back from the Interior Design program. I want to first start off by saying that my experience at the Centre For Arts and Technology was extremely negative and from a personal experience I would like to recommend all students find another institute that meets their needs in terms of education.

A few things that really resonate with me from this school are the lies we were fed from the beginning of the program. We were told (I have proof) that we would be able to transfer our credits (after completing our program) with ease to a different institute. This is completely false. Most institutes (in terms of Interior Design) require higher standards and are seeking out students that come from a CIDA Accredited Institute (which CATO is not). The Centre for Arts and Technology also has a poor transfer credit program and relationships with other institutes, which means that transferring to other schools and furthering your education could be a difficult task.

Another thing I would like to note is that the staff (instructors) would arrive late to class. I have had numerous experiences where the staff came thirty minutes (once even an hour) late. I would also like to note that the Instructors are not trained to teach, they are simply individuals from the work field that have been brought in. Which means that the education you are expecting to receive (from skilled professors that have trained experience in teaching) is not what you will be getting. I feel as students that are paying around $40,000 for Interior Design education, behaviour such as this is extremely unprofessional, unethical, and wrong. This Institute also does not prepare you for the workforce as many of the students graduated from this program are not working as designers (or even related to the field of design). I have been out of this school for a little bit and no workplace wants to hire me due to my lack of knowledge (which CATO failed to teach) and because of the illegitimacy of the schools reputation. It has come to the point where a lot of the students I have gone to school with would like to file a complaint or even sue.

I want to conclude this review by recommending any student that is thinking of applying to this school, to re-evaluate their options and possibly find other institutes. I would also like to recommend the staff to enhance their efforts in the program and to CARE about the success of the students. It is so sad to see so many students spending thousands of hard earn dollars to an organization that doesn't care to benefit the future of the students. It is such a shame. As for myself, I am looking at programs elsewhere that will benefit me in my future endeavours.

Regards,

Anonymous

Centre for Art's and Technology is the best learning institute as per learning experience. They always provide real time working experience and knowledge. They provide individual help to students on their weak points, and guide student towards a bright future. They are shaping their student's career in a specific field.

As an International student in the Surrey Campus, I face new practical challenges every day and it teaches me how to work in an actual corporate environment. I wish in the future CAT continues to give bright opportunities to all international students who want to make their future in IT and get more job opportunities after they graduate.

God awful experience, lots of favoritism among the teachers to an extent so bad that it affected lesson plans to benefit those students which where close to the teachers. a fair amount of the equipment was broken, hell a music school didn't even have their own drum kit but rather used a students. software is outdated throughout the school making it impossible to work on audio projects on a different computer if need be.

Teachers teaching classes they clearly had no interest in causing a huge disconnect between the student and the teacher

final exams are ruthless, what school in their right mind has finals being timed for 15 minutes, and if you get under 80% you automatically fail the class? its absolutely absurd

the little knowledge you do get out of it, does not equate to the amounts of blatant mental abuse, anxiety and depression this school will put you though nor is it worth the 32K price tag

If you care about your future, be careful, be informed, and be aware of the businesses you choose to invest your money and time into. The certainty of truth is something that must be pursued individuality. Aside from having the staff members commenting on here, I wouldn't be surprised if they paid for all the good reviews you see.

My son's girlfriend, Lotta, goes to CATO and I have seen how much she has learned in just a few months there. Their programs are directed specifically to teach the skills that are needed in the ever changing world of technology. Their students are filling much needed positions upon graduation.

I have seen a high level of education coming out of the VOA program. I would definitely recommend.

I just graduated from the Digital Photography program and I absolutely loved it! There is a very warm and supportive community at CATO and I find that the instructors all genuinely care about their student's success. The Digital Photography program is very well rounded, we got to use top of the line professional equipment to build our portfolio's and the instructors are incredibly informative, helpful and funny. I highly recommend this program to anyone that is looking to expand their photography skillset!

I am currently a student in the Advanced Interior Design and Technology program here at CATO, and am graduating in the next few months here. My experience at this school has been nothing short of incredible. The instructors in the program are industry professionals, and in my opinion, those are the best people qualified to teach since they've experienced the job first hand and know all the ups and downs. In the ID program, we have the opportunity to go to several design and networking events, lunch and learns, and site visits where we have the chance to meet designers and industry people all over Kelowna, as well as all over other parts of the Okanagan. This is so helpful because it gets you one step closer to getting a job when you graduate. We also recieve 2 practicum placements with different firms of our choice in our second year, and i was lucky enough to recieve a job from my first placement! After doing the practicums, i found that every job or task i was asked to do, i was able to perform because of the knowledge i had from this course. They really do provide you with all the tools you need for your future career. The department head of the program is amazing, and takes the time to make sure every student is on the right track and will put in extra effort outside of classes to help anyone who needs it. I assume other schools aren't able to provide this, but since CATO is a smaller school they can, and its such a privilege. Another cool feature is that our school is located in the Landmark Centre in Kelowna, where there's lots of great food and coffee places within a couple minutes walking distance.
Like anything in life, if you put in the work, you'll see the results. The program is condensed so the deadlines can be tough, but it's worth it to receive the education that can lead you to your dream job. I recommend the ID program at CATO to anyone who is willing to put all their hard work and passion into it, cause if you do the results are amazing!

My son attended this school for Audio Engineering, very much enjoyed the on point nature of the material, the professionalism shown by the instructors, the facility and the entire school community. Highly recommended post secondary education.

I came to cato with zero knowledge about music and now I am in 6th quater and I feel pretty confident about my music and my mixing skills and thanks to the teachers they are just amazing always ready to help if you have a vision in your mind and know what you want to do in your life then this is the right place.

I recently graduated from the Audio Engineering and Production program at CATO and it has been a phenomenal experience. It is worth noting that if you don't show up ready to learn and work hard that it will be a waste of your money because this program is challenging just like any other post secondary education. The teachers and facilities are excellent and the classes are constantly being updated to fit the modern industry. I would highly recommend this program to anyone that is serious about a career in audio.

I was a student in the Audio Engineering Program at CATO and I have had nothing but the best experience here. I have found the instructors to be qualified, helpful, and eager; taking the time to answer questions, give personal advice, and for the most part, do their utmost to help you with whatever you need in relation to their classes.

It's important to note that this is a post-secondary institution like any other, and you will almost definitely be learning far more than just what you want, just like any other program out there. I, in the AEP program had to endure a fair bit of Electronic Music Production, in which I have no interest, but despite myself, has turned out to be extremely helpful and teaches many universal musical and production principles. There is even a class within this program on the Business of Music, which is exceptional and prepares you for many, otherwise potentially mysterious circumstances that would be very difficult to navigate without former knowledge.

If you come here, you are not buying an object, you're buying an opportunity; these are good people, and have given my every chance to better myself, my craft, and my professional portfolio. Every teacher has invited me to ask them questions after hours, and makes time for extra material, if it is requested.

I have tremendous respect for all of the instructors here and I feel it to be entirely reciprocated.

My experience going through the Professional Photography program at CATO has been nothing short of fantastic. To any aspiring photographers who wish to truly learn the craft and art of photography, I could not recommend this school more highly. One may assume that photography can simply be learned through online resources, while you can certainly learn techniques this way, you will be missing out on so much more. It is really quite difficult to articulate just how much this program will impact your knowledge, understanding, and approach to the world of photography. Through the varied course content delivered at key points of the learning process, the program offers budding photographers the opportunity to ingest everything they ll need to become professionals and much more. From delivering expectations and standards required to succeed in the professional photography industry, to nurturing creativity, passion, interest, and excitement of the world of photography, CATO makes every penny spent more than worth it.
The instructors are superb and bring a wealth of high level industry experience, delivered in a captivating, informative, and enriching environment, allowing students to get out as much of the program as they are willing to put in.
Also, the studio space, facilities, and access to equipment at the school are second to none.
If you are truly interested in investing your time and money to achieve your highest potential as a photographer and succeed in the professional realm, then I could not suggest more strongly that you take the time to explore the Professional Photography program at the Centre for Arts and Technology in Kelowna.

An absolute and outright scam. Highly recommend against going here. Save your money, look around and for the love of god, don't go here.
I took the audio engineering program, and this school is easily in the top 5 regrets I'll have in life. The teachers are advertised as industry professionals, but a lot of them are former students, the school itself is over priced for what you get, the degree's you would get are non transferable and aren't really recognized in most workplaces. They company that runs the school used to have 2 other ones out east and they folded those two. The cost alone is insane for what you get. You're better off going to a school that has a strong reputation. Couple of final notes on that school, in terms of the cost. My program cost about $20,000, I'll be paying that off for a long time. As for others who've gone through other programs, I don't know of many that have actually found work in their industry. I got my current job by dumb luck and knowing someone. I can't speak enough about how poorly run the school is especially when it comes to running their programs. Is there a specific program you're looking into?

Took the photography program. Learned so much and am career ready!

My experience with the program I took was ground-breaking for me. I wouldn't know nearly as much about music, music production, or the audio industry in general if it hadn't been for this place. it's a touch expensive but definitely worth it in my opinion

I went to CATO in 2015 and took the 2D Animation and Digtal Art program. The school provides you with stat of the art facilities, industry professional instructors, a student services office always ready to help you with whatever need and constant access to equipment and tech throughout your program.

It's interesting to me that in Anon Anon's comment they complain about an 80% average to pass. They are talking about practical examinations that you have to know at least that much in industry to be successful. The school provides students with open facilities and access to equipment every day from 8:00am to 12:30am. Seems to me they just didn't want to put in the effort required to be successful in there program.

I found in my program that I was never without access to help in anyway for anything I found challenging, from tutors to instructors. I enjoyed my program from start until finish and many students from my graduating class found work immediately after leaving the program. I definitely would recommend this school to anyone interested in a career following your passions.

I went to the Centre for Arts and Technology back around 2015, for the Animation for Game, Film, and Visual effects. Going there ignited passion and desire for a more creative future. I was able to dream again, it gave me a sensation of possibility and excitement for the future that I never had before.
I will always commend and compliment the support they give, during your time there and long after, to this day I can still go to them for support. Be it industry related or not.
The teaching there is realistic, encouraging, and productive. I know a lot of places that just teach one way, one thing, or even just one program. But this school takes a look at everything, from classical, and concept, to rendering, composition, and final editing.
By far the best thing they have is the professional development course. It actually realistically teaches you how to move yourself forward and how to actually get a job, there is so much more to it than I can say here but in my belief if you personally give the class your all it shaved off a year or two off a job search.

I learned more at that school than I did in my entire life leading up to it. Obviously that only happened because I put the work in, you get out what you put in. Ask questions, do more, explore more, and that s when they truly shine. They can t find your path but they accelerate you along it faster than anyone could ever do it themselves. They truly are builders for people, their dreams, and their skills.

If your even curious about this school, contact them and ask questions. It s the only way you will get the information your looking for, you can only get so much out of a review, and generally reviews will not show reality, life is sercumstantial and perspective based. I encourage you to contact them and gain your own perspective.

Excellent program, they are really interested in help you to develop your personal skills. Very kind people and very good professors.

CATO is the best school experience I have had. The staff are always eager and available to assist and help you learn in any situation. As the low rated reviews here reveal, do not attend CATO and leave your work ethic at home. Show up, set goals, drink your orange juice in the morning, be open to new possibilities and proactive with any issues that do arise, and CATO could be the path to success for you.
Smoothie Out

I am a current student of CATO in the audio engineering and production program. I originally had many ideas of schools to go to for my education and at first I didn't take CATO into consideration just based off no Residency. But after touring the school and meeting some other students, I really saw the potential for me here as they have amazing equipment and awesome instructors. The school is in a great area with lots around it wether it's the restaurants or beautiful residential areas. The school has a community of its own where everyone gets along and enjoys feeding off each others creativity. Looking forward to seeing some new faces throughout the course of my time being at CATO.

It was so nice going there it taught me so much, I learned how the entire 3D pipeline worked and have since went on to work on a show and other projects. The Staff was extremely nice and knew how to have fun, and how to help their students in areas they needed to get better. I actually miss going there most days since graduating and I have to say, best years of my life so far!

Anybody thinking about going to The Centre for Arts and Technology, please reach out to me (Benjamin Rees MacDonald) on Facebook / Instagram. This school will rob you blind, and leave you with a debt the size of a US private school. Please talk to students who have attended previously, DO NOT just speak with the schools staff and current students if you want a realistic review from there. Everyone I met in that school regrets taking $20-30,000 to a school with absolutely 0 structure

This School is a Scam
COMPLETE waste of time and money Unqualified and Unprofessional

Thank you to all the facility members and staff for helping me every step of the way! Professional and very informative instructors, keep doing a great job!

This school is a scam if you don't care about your future. It's an investment towards your future, but doesn't mean it's the only thing that will make you a success.

Attended the Film Program and and graduated and I was very excited to be a part of the family. Victor runs an amazing program as the department head and instructor and has a solid group of other instructors who are very knowledgeable running the classes alongside him. I was consistently impressed with the level of dedication from them and the time spent to help students get the best experience and knowledge base possible. In addition to the great teaching, the help with finding work after graduation also impressed me as many opportunities came around for all students. I was very happy with my experience and am very happy with my new career direction.

In October I started my journey at CATO. Within the first minutes of the orientation I was welcomed with open arms and felt very comfortable. As someone who has been trying to make my own music for a number of years, it was the right decision coming to the AEP (Audio Engineering and Production) course.

My first semester wasn't loaded with stressful classes everyday. But it is a very fast paced school. I came here with my vision in site so I'm using all my classes to my best advantages. All the classes are here to help you learn the basics than to progress off them, in the upcoming quarters.

CATO is one of the best experiences I've ever had, and I'm looking forward to working hard and finishing my time at CATO with the same mindset that I came here with.

As someone who came from 2 provinces away, it could be a scary thing. The staff and facility members help make you feel at home. Student Services are always there to talk if you're just looking to take a break, but they are also there to help if you need some guidance. The teachers also make sure you feel welcomed and seem like they actually care about our learning.

The relationships, and friendships I've already made at CATO will be with me for the rest of my life. I will be forever grateful for it.

If you are ready to fully commit and put 110% into your investment and your future, then this school is for you! Just becuase it's art and technolgoy driven, doesn't mean that it's easy!!

At the end of the day, YOU get what YOU put into it!! Great school for great students!!

I hopped around a few programs and got to see 3D animation, 2D animation and a little of audio engineering. When I first sought details about the animation programs, I was given false information about 2D animation dying in the industry by the program advisor, thus heading in the wrong direction and wasting an extra 20k. My fault for trusting the salesman of the school. I know people who've gotten into studios completely off of online videos and dedication but it's not for everyone. I personally wanted the classroom experience.

I held back on giving a review but I realize I would have liked to see something like this before commiting here. I had some misc fees owed that kinda came out of nowhere while I was attending and didn't get a direct answer as to WHY so I held off on paying them because they seemed scammy. A debt collection agency introduced itself recently soooo here I am with my honest review.

THE GOOD
The social experience with meeting others like you is absolutely rewarding. Some of the teachers here were truly amazing mentors, they were parents in place of the ones that didn't support us on our journey.

THE BAD
Recycled assignments, the animation program in general needs a major upgrade. The schedules were all over the place which made it very hard to keep a job on the side if that's what your survival plan was. The tech was OK but it wasn't always reliable even if you backed your files. I know AMAZING artists that lost their work multiple times and come the open house on grad, had nothing more than a rough storyboard cinematic to present, unable to display their true potential and eventually just giving up on "making their passion a profession". It MURDERS your confidence too. Also, I personally handed in physical works I was incredibly proud of to get marked, only to have them mysteriously lost. Very little effort in trying to recover them and not even an apology.

THE UGLY
Some teachers are very opinionated and belittle, pick favourites and flat out ignore some students over others. There was SELECTIVE one on one teaching and little patience with someone struggling. I'm speaking for students I witnessed being treated like this. With an instructor like that, we were better off teaching ourselves at home with a much more affordable course. Also FINALS. A couple students I know from Sheridan reacted in horror when they saw the time we were given to make a final film. It just wasn't enough time for QUALITY which is what recruiters want to see in a demo reel.

It's just a hit and miss kind of place. Some studios in Vancouver do not feel grads from here are qualified for their roles and I know a guy that was "unhired" when they found out he was educated here. I got work after grad, success is possible because there's options in Kelowna that have networked with the school but cramming what is usually a 3 or 4 year program into a 1.5 year program, is a short cut you shouldn't take if you want a quality experience. I didn't even bother picking up my transcript.

terrible school first off i will start my saying i went to this school twice it is a total scam for both of the programs i took first was audio engineering and then this photo shop one both times the teachers would just bark orders and they would be enforced because if you didnt hand in a single assignment you would be booted out of the school. staff were complete monsters and roam around like the grim reaper constantly ridiculing and berating the students. total scam do not go to this school even if you have no other options save your money

Great school. Teachers were great, people and students great. The rules though no skateboarding after a heavy snowfall. Parkades empty except two cars one belonging to the security guard the other unknown. Maybe should became a security
instead of skater...ramble on Rambo. Lol anyway...good school tuition is high.