Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) has just announced their Awards of Excellence winners, and St. Lawrence College (SLC) has won a silver award for its Integrating Digital Micro-Credentials into Correction Canada’s Learning Management System program. The awards were given at CICan’s annual conference held in Montreal April 23-25, 2023.
SLC put forward five nominees for the 2023 CICan awards program which recognize and promote excellence within Canadian colleges and institutes with gold, silver, or bronze prizes awarded in nine different categories ranging from Student Leadership to Applied Research, Managerial and Non-Managerial staff, EDI, and more.
The silver winning entry, Integrating Digital Micro-Credentials into Correction Canada’s Learning Management System, is a partnership with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) to integrate self-guided digital micro-credentials into the learning management system at CSC. This is a brand-new learning opportunity and the first of its kind in Canada. Each micro-credential earned comes with a digital badge that can be shared with employers and added to a digital profile or portfolio.
“Micro-credentials are created to provide recognition for short duration competency-based training and are developed to focus on in demand workplace skills,” said John Conrad, Director, Innovation and Business Engagement. “They include real-world learning experiences and assessments and are developed in consultation with industry experts to ensure they reflect the skills that employers are looking for.”
To date, SLC and CSC have successfully integrated six micro-credentials into their learning management system, including:
Tourism and Hospitality – Culinary Basics
Tourism and Hospitality – Remarkable Customer Service
Professional Effectiveness in the Skilled Trades
Logistics – Fleet Optimization
Logistics – Inventory Optimization
Intercultural Competence and Workplace Inclusion
“In collaboration with SLC’s program planning team, we have developed an excellent system for program integration, and this allows for our micro-credentials to be available to all institutions in Canada that have adopted the CSC learning management system,” Conrad explained. “This partnership has opened a world of possibilities for inmates to upgrade their skills online and earn post-secondary credentials.”
“I’m so proud of all our nominees, and of the work being done across SLC,” said Glenn Vollebregt, SLC President and CEO. “As for our Silver Award in Program Excellence, the program recognized is a terrific example of our innovation and engagement with industry, and this award helps to highlights the importance of community partnerships for us at St. Lawrence College.”
