Media Contacts

Sean Leslie

Communications Director
Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training
250 893-4403

Backgrounders

Micro-credential programs available to boost workers’ skills

Twenty-four micro credentials were developed and are being offered between November 2020 and spring 2021 at 15 public post-secondary institutions.

The programs align with high-demand and/or high-opportunity occupations in communities throughout British Columbia. They are broken down into five areas of focus:

Essential workplace skills:

Royal Roads University

  • Workplace communications skills – skills in writing, supervision, decision-making and digital and social media communication.

University of the Fraser Valley

  • Digital marketing skills – skills in web writing, InDesign, Photoshop, WordPress, MS Teams, marketing and digital collaboration.

Emily Carr University of Art and Design

  • Web and digital design skills for transitioning online – entry-level employment skills for website design/development, computer programmer and media developer.

College of New Caledonia

  • Core skills for a digital world – digital literacy skills, communication, collaboration and content creation.

University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus

  • Critical skills for communications in the technical sector – communication skills (e.g., technical writing, editing, presentations, team communications) for new and mid-career learners in science and engineering sectors.

College of New Caledonia

  • Core skills for data literacy – fundamental skills in locating, generating, interpreting, evaluating, explaining and presenting data for decision-making as a core specialty skill across a range of industries.

Royal Roads University

  • Leading projects in a digital environment – fundamental skills, concepts, tools and techniques to successfully manage and lead digital transformation projects and teams through changing conditions in a digital environment.

British Columbia Institute of Technology

  • Skills for the digital world – for learners changing careers, seeking to reskill and recent high-school graduates to experiment with the facets of digitalization such as coding, hardware, electronics or design.

University of Victoria

  • Essential skills for data literacy – introducing learners to the basic skill level in data literacy and the fundamental skills required to work effectively with data and business intelligence.

CleanBC/climate action:

British Columbia Institute of Technology

  • Essentials in natural resources and environmental protection – introduction to an overview and the essential skills and techniques commonly used in natural resources.

Camosun College

  • Advanced skills for clean energy and efficient buildings – designed to provide short, relevant credentials in clean energy, efficient building design and high-performance building construction.

University of British Columbia

  • Skills for assessing climate change and adaptation­ – skills to assess climate change vulnerability, identify adaptation options and select actions that are important for land management and other sectors.

Technology and emerging economies:

British Columbia Institute of Technology

  • Introductory studies in mass timber construction – introduction to mass timber products and building systems course, plus several preparatory modules focused on training gaps as identified by the industry.

University of British Columbia

  • Skills in blockchain foundations and applications – preparing learners for blockchain-related positions, such as blockchain business analysts, blockchain data security and privacy professionals.

University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus

  • Skills in industrial automation: programmable logic controller – training for engineering and technology students and professionals looking to upskill or transfer to a career in emerging industrial automation sectors.

North Island College

  • Skills for film and television – pilot project involves the development, testing and piloting of film and television crew skills training within a micro-credential framework.

Health and human services:

University of Victoria

  • Skills to support independent living – upskilling and incorporating skills for home-care aides to prevent falls among frail older adults and persons with disabilities who live in their own homes and receive home support services.

College of the Rockies

  • Skills for home support – a range of skills training for individuals providing home support care both within Indigenous communities and for private home-care employers within the East Kootenay.

North Island College

  • Medical terminology skills for office administration – skills and knowledge of medical terminology as used in the health-care sector to help provide opportunity for employment in administrative assistant and clerical positions.

Coast Mountain College

  • Exploring health careers – introduction for learners to explore careers in the health sector (e.g., nursing, medical lab assistant).

Construction maintenance:

Vancouver Island University

  • Skills development for building support workers (BSW) – standardized BSW blended program, including a stand-alone COVID-19 module for enhanced specialized cleaning techniques and best practices during COVID-19 and other pandemics.

Thompson Rivers University

  • Renewable energy fundamentals for electricians – for ticketed or apprenticing electricians to be familiar with the theory and practices required for safe, efficient designs and installations with emerging technologies.

Selkirk College

  • Core skills for facilities maintenance – entry-level skills and experience to prepare learners for entry-level positions in the building/facilities maintenance industry.

Selkirk College

  • Core skills for refrigeration occupations – training for workers and learners throughout the province with skills and competencies to enter and advance in this sector.