Rushell Dissanayake
Registration Services Representative, Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery - Land Registration Services Branch (Ontario Public Service)
Graduate Program in Public Policy, Administration & Law, Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law (MPPAL) 2023
Public Administration, Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) 2022
Tell prospective students a bit about the work you do.
Through the role of a Registration Services Representative, my core functions are to process different types of documents related to land registration. Such documents comprise of transfers (the transfer of property from a seller to its rightful buyer), survivorship applications, mortgages, power of attorney documents, application to change names, transfer of mortgages, and much more. Processing and certifying these documents are vital to the province, specifically the general public who wishes to sell and/or buy property. What makes this job so interesting are the different documents and cases we come across on a daily basis. We collaborate with solicitors across the province to ensure that these documents are adequately submitted to our databases prior to certification.
Besides this, I also provide assistance for solicitors and the general public to navigate through the province's land property records portal to ensure that they are able to attain property deeds, documents related to a piece of land, how to request changes or corrections to a property record, and so forth.
As a public servant, I continue to ensure that I provide top tier services to the people in the Province of Ontario. One key takeaway I learned about this position is that you learn something new every day, no matter how long you have been working in this role.
Tell prospective students a bit about how your studies at York helped you to get where you are today.
The Bachelor of Public Policy and Administration (BPA) program opened up so many opportunities for me. The 3 core streams that are offered by the program (management, policy analysis, and lastly, law, justice and public policy) are a key asset for those taking the program. Not only will you learn so many things within these streams, but additionally you will be involved with gaining an understanding of a diverse number of subjects. Although I selected the management stream, I was able to learn various subjects that range from public law, policy analysis to economics.
Aside from the academic component, what makes this program so special are the extracurricular activities and hands-on courses that are offered. Throughout my first few years at York, I focused solely on my academics and failed to partake in the extracurricular components. During my third year in the BPA program, I was introduced to the Public Policy and Administration Student Association (PPASA) through my classmates. When I attended my first event, I had the opportunity to meet students, faculty, and professionals in the field of public service, which allowed me to see beyond just the academics provided by this program. I joined the student association as a Junior Ambassador and eventually became the Director of Outreach. Through these roles, I became invested in networking with professionals across the public and private sector. Their guidance enabled me to attain my first position in government as a Policy and Programs Assistant at the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade during the summer. There are many events (conferences, workshops, game-nights) held by the program throughout the year, and I urge all new students to attend so they can meet new people and get a glimpse of the types of obligations in the public and private sector.
The hands-on courses such as AP/PPAS 2195 3.0 Professional Skills and Communication, AP/PPAS 4200 3.0 Applied Public Policy Analysis, and AP/PPAS 4995 Practicum in Public Administration, were fundamental to enhancing my skillsets for the workforce. I had the opportunity to work on crafting and proposing policies that would help address some of the difficulties we face as a society today by collaborating with public servants across provincial and international levels.
To sum this all up, the BPA program is a life changing experience. You will notice substantial growth as you progress through the program and you will learn many things that will help prep you for your career. Take your time and enjoy the many things that are offered by the BPA program, you are in for a life-changing journey.
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