New micro-credential programs being offered through North Island College will help people re-skill or upskill to prepare for high-demand jobs.
The courses are part of B.C.’s economic recovery efforts to help more people find their place in the post-COVID-19 economy.
Micro-credentials are short courses that help people gain specific skills for high-demand careers. The short duration makes it easier for people to fit in learning around their work and family commitments.
Micro-credential courses being offered at NIC include skills for film and television, and medical terminology skills for office administration. The new courses are some of 24 new micro-credential programs being offered at 15 of B.C.’s public post-secondary institutions, supported by a total investment of $4 million ($2 million from the province and $2 million from the Canada-BC Workforce Development Agreement).
“These new programs at North Island College are really good news for our communities,” Courtenay-Comox MLA Ronna-Rae Leonard said. “As the film industry grows in the north and mid-Island, and with demand for workers in the health care sector higher than ever, these programs will help people in our region be ready to take advantage of these opportunities.”
People whose employment has been impacted by COVID-19 will particularly benefit from these opportunities, designed to help them upskill in their current field or reskill to embark on a new career path.
This announcement is in addition to new short-term skills training courses to be offered through NIC. Subjects include warehousing skills, carpentry foundations and basic digital skills. These courses are designed to meet the needs of people who lost their jobs due to COVID-19, particularly youth, women, and low-skilled individuals.