Mediators help people settle conflicts or lawsuits outside of court.
NOC Code: N/A
Mediators help people settle conflicts or lawsuits outside of court. Mediation is a type of alternative dispute resolution. You help people communicate and negotiate with each other to find a solution to the conflict. You may assist in civil, estate, community or family matters. You may work for a company specializing in mediation services or you may be self-employed and provide your services on a contract basis. You may provide your services to companies, organizations or government departments.
Arbitrators also resolve conflicts outside of the court system. However, arbitrators have the authority to make a binding decision. This means that both sides must accept the decision of the arbitrator. This profile focuses on mediators only.
Generally, mediators:
You can get the designation of Chartered Mediator (C.Med.) from the Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario (ADRIO). You do not need this designation to work as a mediator, but it may be an advantage.
Source: Ministry of the Attorney General
Source: Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario [PDF]
This job requires: College or University
This job requires 5 or more years of work experience.
As a mediator, you need to:
You need to communicate in person, on the phone and in writing with parties. You need to establish trust and rapport, negotiate and facilitate discussions.
Mediation can be a cheaper, faster alternative to settling disputes in court. The Ontario court system now has a mandatory mediation program for all civil and estate matters. This means that all parties to a court case must try to settle their disputes through mediation before they can have a court trial. Now, mediation is also very common in family disputes, including divorce and child custody.
The work prospects for this job are: GOOD
The average hourly wage for this job is: C$36.06/hour.
These links will give you a list of related educational programs or where you can search for them. There may be other schools that have similar programs, such as private career colleges. You may be able to get advanced standing.
Here is a list of some bridging programs. These programs can help you assess your education and skills, get practical training or improve your language skills so that you can work in your field.
None
Some college programs and bridging programs in this field include co-operative (co-op) work experience. Many of the college programs listed above include role plays and simulations.
The data in this profile is provided for informational purposes only. Some of the information may have changed since this profile was written. Please check the source for the most up-to-date information.