Privacy Policy

Introduction

ETC Education & Training Consulting (“ETC,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit etcedu.ca (the “Website”) or use our education and training guidance services (the “Services”).

This Policy is intended to comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and other applicable Canadian privacy laws.

By using our Website or Services, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our Website or Services.

Who We Are

ETC is an independent education and training consulting service that helps Ontario residents explore career options, compare career colleges, and understand education funding options. We are based in Ontario, Canada.

We are not affiliated with the Government of Ontario, and we do not provide funding directly.

Information We Collect

We collect personal information that you provide voluntarily and information that is collected automatically when you use our Website.

Information you provide to us

When you request a free consultation or otherwise contact us, we may collect:

● Your name
● Your email address
● Your phone number
● Your career area of interest
● Your preferred program start date
● Any other information you choose to share with us during a consultation or in correspondence

Information collected automatically

When you visit our website, we (and our service providers) may automatically collect:

● Your IP address and approximate location
● Browser type and device information
● Pages visited, time spent, and referring website
● Other usage data collected through cookies and similar technologies (see Section 8)

How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect to:

● Respond to your consultation requests and inquiries
● Provide personalized program, college, and funding guidance
● Match you with suitable career colleges and training programs
● Communicate with you about your request and our Services
● Refer you to partner career colleges with your knowledge (see Section 5)
● Improve our Website, Services, and user experience
● Send you information or updates you have requested
● Comply with legal and regulatory obligations

We will only use your personal information for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another related and compatible reason, or as required or permitted by law.

How We Share Your Information

ETC is a referral-based service, and we want to be transparent about how this works.

Partner career colleges

With your knowledge, we may share relevant information from your consultation (such as your name, contact details, and career interest) with partner career colleges so they can follow up with you regarding admission and enrollment. We may receive a referral fee from a partner college if you choose to enroll. This allows us to offer our guidance free of charge while remaining student-focused.

Service providers

We may share information with third-party service providers who perform functions on our behalf, such as website hosting, analytics, email delivery, and customer relationship management. These providers are only permitted to use your information as necessary to provide services to us.

Legal requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or where we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

Business transfers

If ETC is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.

We do not sell your personal information.

Consent

By providing your personal information to us, you consent to its collection, use, and disclosure as described in this Privacy Policy.

Where we send you marketing or promotional electronic messages, we do so in accordance with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). You may withdraw your consent to receive such messages at any time by using the unsubscribe option in our emails or by contacting us at info@etcedu.ca.

You may withdraw your consent to our collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. Note that withdrawing consent may limit our ability to provide certain Services to you.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including to provide our Services, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When your personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to securely destroy, erase, or anonymize it.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our Website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and understand how visitors use our Website.

Cookies are small text files stored on your device. You can set your browser to refuse some or all cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. However, if you disable cookies, some parts of our Website may not function properly.

We may use third-party analytics services (such as Google Analytics) that use cookies to help us understand Website usage. These services may collect information about your use of our Website and other websites.

Data Security

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your Privacy Rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:

● Access the personal information we hold about you
● Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
● Withdraw your consent to our use of your information
● Request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal exceptions
● Ask questions about our privacy practices

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 14. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request.

Third-Party Websites

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites, including career colleges, funding authorities, and government resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

Children's Privacy

Our Services are intended for adults considering education and training options. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of majority in their province of residence without appropriate consent. If you believe we have collected information from a minor without consent, please contact us so we can take appropriate action.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. The updated version will be indicated by a revised “Last Updated” date and will be effective as soon as it is posted on this page. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal information, please contact us:

ETC Education & Training Consulting

Hours: Weekdays, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET