As Instagram glows on student laptops across Humber College’s north campus, Professor Karim Hassan moves between workstations, checking content calendars and engagement metrics. This isn’t procrastination – it’s curriculum.
“What we’re teaching wasn’t even a career path when many of these students were in elementary school,” Hassan tells me during a brief break from his “Digital Influence Strategy” course, now in its second semester at the Toronto college. “But the industry isn’t waiting for education to catch up.”
Across Canada, post-secondary institutions are responding to the explosive growth of the creator economy with specialized programs teaching students how to build personal brands, create content, and yes, make money through social media influence. What began as niche workshops has evolved into full certificate programs at colleges from Vancouver to Halifax.
The programs reflect a significant shift in Canada’s digital economy. According to the Canadian Media Fund, the creator economy now generates approximately $1.7 billion annually in Canada, with more than 200,000 Canadians earning some form of income through content creation.
“We’ve moved beyond seeing this as just kids dancing on TikTok,” explains Melanie Chen, Dean of Digital Programs at Humber College. “These are legitimate business skills with applications across marketing, communications, and entrepreneurship.”
At Algonquin College in Ottawa, their eight-month “Digital Creator” certificate launched this fall with twice the expected enrollment. Program coordinator Jeff Wilson describes students ranging from 18-year-olds fresh from high school to mid-career professionals in their forties.
“We had a former bank manager who left her job to pursue content creation full-time,” Wilson shares. “She’s using our program to formalize skills she’s been developing on her own for years.”
The courses typically blend practical production techniques with business fundamentals. Students learn video editing and photography alongside modules on contract negotiation, tax implications, and intellectual property rights.
Critics, however, question whether these programs offer false promises in an already saturated market. Social media consultant Sandra Makhlouf has concerns about potential misconceptions.
“The reality is that only about 1% of content creators earn a living wage solely through their platforms,” Makhlouf points out during our phone conversation. “These programs need to be transparent about the challenges and realistic about career outcomes.”
Program developers insist they’re clear-eyed about industry realities. At Vancouver’s Langara College, their influence marketing certificate explicitly frames the skills as complementary to traditional careers rather than standalone paths.
“We tell students on day one that this likely isn’t their ticket to overnight millions,” says Langara instructor Robin Singh. “But understanding how to build and monetize an audience is increasingly valuable across almost every industry.”
Indeed, several programs emphasize how influence skills transfer to traditional employment. At Centennial College in Toronto, their digital creator program includes placements with businesses seeking in-house content creators.
“Companies are building content teams instead of always outsourcing to agencies,” explains program director Emma Williams. “Our graduates are taking roles as content specialists within traditional marketing departments.”
For current students, the appeal often extends beyond dreams of internet fame. Twenty-three-year-old Aisha Mohammed, currently enrolled at Humber, previously completed a traditional marketing degree but felt something was missing.
“My previous program barely mentioned TikTok or creator partnerships,” Mohammed explains between classes. “But when I interviewed for marketing positions, employers kept asking about my personal content experience. This program is filling that gap.”
The curricula reflect distinctly Canadian considerations as well. At Algonquin College, students learn about Canada’s influencer marketing disclosure requirements, which differ from American regulations. Courses also address bilingual content strategies and the nuances of building audience in Canada’s smaller market.
“There’s a specifically Canadian approach to influence that’s less hyperbolic than what we see from American creators,” notes Wilson. “Our students learn to build authentic connections that resonate with Canadian audiences.”
Statistics Canada doesn’t yet track influencer or creator careers as distinct categories, making it difficult to measure program outcomes. However, early placement rates appear promising. Humber reports that 78% of graduates from their first cohort found work in digital content roles within six months.
Student Jayden Wong, 19, sees the program as practical preparation for an uncertain future. “My parents worried this wasn’t a ‘real’ education,” he admits. “But I’m learning actual business skills while building a portfolio. Even if I don’t become famous, I’ll have marketable experience.”
Back in Professor Hassan’s classroom, students are analyzing engagement metrics from their latest assignments – creating content promoting local businesses. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s grounded in reality.
“We’re teaching the unglamorous 95% of content creation that happens behind the scenes,” Hassan says. “The planning, the analytics, the business strategy. That’s where the sustainable careers actually exist.”
As traditional media continues to contract – with Canada losing over 20,000 journalism jobs in the past decade according to the Canadian Media Guild – these emerging pathways may represent not just a trend, but a necessary evolution in media education.
Whether these programs represent the future of media training or a passing educational trend remains to be seen. But for now, the students diligently perfecting their content calendars are betting that understanding the business of influence will serve them well, whatever digital platforms come next.
