The university is offering the Micro-credential courses as part of its commitment to upskilling Canadians to address the climate emergency.

Beginning September 2022, the Climate Adaptation Fundamentals Micro-credential, part of the MicroStart slate of rapid upskilling opportunities, will offer competency-based courses which translate into a recognized credential in as little as three months of part-time learning.  

“We know there’s a shortage of qualified people with up-to-date climate action competencies. This applies to public and private sector job opportunities that have ‘climate change’ or ‘sustainability’ in their position descriptions,” says Zoe MacLeod, Associate Vice-President of Royal Roads’ Professional and Continuing Studies.

“This Micro-credential is our response to the problem. A first-of-its-kind in Canada’s post-secondary continuing education sector, the Climate Adaptation Fundamentals Micro-credential is a solid and accelerated learning experience to help people evaluate, manage and adapt to the impacts of climate change affecting their workplace and community.”

Courses within the Climate Adaptation Fundamentals Micro-credential are recognized by employers and designed for working professionals who already have some experience in organizational settings (e.g., municipalities, governments, consulting firms, product and service firms, etc.).

There are several stackable courses within the Micro-credential. Topics include climate adaptation, Indigenous knowledge and perspectives, transition leadership, climate change policies, natural asset management, and understanding the financial impact of enacting climate change policies.

“For local organizations whose teams are looking for ways to help plan and enact creative, resilient ways to adapt to climate change, this may be the perfect fit,” says MacLeod, “And for those looking to upgrade their resumes and explore a new career opportunity, these courses are an excellent introduction to the field.” 

The new micro-credential is part of a series produced in response to the changing needs of the workforce and is part of the MicroStart program, created during the pandemic. MicroStart courses are designed to provide people with transferable skills to help grow their careers in a shifting business landscape. “This helps fill a gap in the marketplace for applied climate adaptation fundamentals,” says South Island Prosperity Partnership CEO Emilie de Rosenroll.

“SIPP is pleased to promote this program as it goes beyond the theoretical and will help us cultivate the climate-ready workforce we need across a wide variety of fields.”

Learn more about Climate Adaptation Fundamentals Micro-credentials at

https://microstartbc.com/climate-adaptation-fundamentals/ 

Contacts:

Zoe MacLeod, Associate Vice-President of Royal Roads’ Professional and Continuing Studies

Zoe.Macleod@royalroads.ca 

Phone: 250-391-2600 x 4201

Kerry Slavens, Director of PR & Engagement at South Island Prosperity Partnership

kslavens@southislandprosperity.ca 

Phone: 250-516-0152

Backgrounder:

When the pandemic hit Greater Victoria South Island Prosperity Partnership, sprang into action, collectively advocating for support, working together to pivot and adapt, and looking for ways to move the economy forward through turbulence. Under SIPP’s leadership, the Rising Economy Taskforce was convened, resulting in the region’s roadmap to recovery, Reboot: Greater Victoria’s Economic Recovery Plan.

One of Reboot’s key recommendations called for the establishing “a formalized micro-credential framework and joint menu-based program (co-designed with industry) for southern Vancouver Island to facilitate rapid upskilling of displaced workers or align with quickly emerging opportunities and market changes.”

A micro-credential is a non-degree certification that verifies a person’s competence in a particular skill or group of skills. Learners can enhance their education or learn new skills in intensive short courses that take weeks and months rather than years — so sprints not marathons.

The Rising Economy Taskforce’s recommendation to accelerate micro-credential study aligned with the BC Government's goals to fast-track British Columbians to reskill or upskill to meet the needs for high-demand jobs. It seemed like a natural next move for the University of Victoria and Royal Roads University to join forces with SIPP to bring this recommendation to life.

The result was MicroStartBC, a website and marketing recruitment campaign conceived, planned, created and launched in just 12 weeks in late 2020 by RRU and UVic in partnership with SIPP.

Launched with a targeted recruitment campaign and a user-friend web portal to easily access course offering and information, MicroStartBC had an immediate and direct impact on the community. The microcredential courses, delivered by RRU and UVic, provided upskilling to meet new job market demand and eskilling, assisting displaced workers to acquire new skills and gain meaningful employment during a time of crisis and uncertainty.

RRU’s two pilot courses achieved more than 150 enrollments (32 of which were small/medium business owners) with a 95% completion rate.

UVic’s two pilot courses achieved more than 700 registrations, with the healthcare focused course achieving a 68% completion rate; a remarkable success considering the demands on healthcare workers at the time. UVic reported that 94% of course participants felt the program was an effective learning experience.