Session

As part of Skills to Access the Green Economy (SAGE-05), Niagara College and Moneague College endeavoured to create labour-responsive micro credentials to address a need in the climate-smart agro food processing sector in Jamaica. There was a stated need by Moneague and industry for short, targeted courses to support the labour market and allow individuals to move from un/under-employment to employment as well as upskill and gain a credential in their field. This undertaking saw collaboration between the two colleges as well as industry partners and stakeholders in Jamaica to create Council of Community Colleges Jamaica (CCCJ) certificate courses. Using a blend of online learning and face to face training with the competency based education and training (CBET) curriculum, these micro credentials have reached a population of diverse individuals who desire a credential for various reasons including promotion at work, entering a new sector, interest in agro food processing, and a desire and/or need to upskill. The online learning set up and implementation allowed for several lessons learned and opportunities for creativity in engaging and reaching learners who have never attended school or training online or with digital tools. This panel session will outline the process involved in creating the micro credential short courses from the Associate Degree, lessons learned in setting up the online learning platform, details on the collaborative relationship to create the courses, and case studies from participants and instructors in the program.