Business continuity planning is no longer optional
Ongoing global, national and regional emergency events—such as the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, cyber-attacks, fires and floods, and cellular network breakdowns—have made organizations acutely aware of the importance of having business continuity plans in place when a crisis strikes. This is where Continuing Studies at UVic comes in. We are here to assist organizations and businesses by training your staff at every level to be ready for all kinds of emergencies, and to ensure your operations continue even during disruptions.
Business continuity programs
There are two programs to choose from:
Organizational Preparedness and Adaptability (OPA)
This single-course program could be for you if you want to learn the fundamentals of business continuity planning and emergency management before considering a more in-depth program, such as EMOC.
Emergency Management for Organizational Continuity (EMOC)
You will benefit from this four-course micro-credential program if you are interested in more in-depth knowledge and skill development, including the ability to produce detailed planning documents for your organization.
| PROGRAM | Organizational Preparedness and Adaptability (OPA) | Emergency Management for Organizational Continuity (EMOC) |
|---|---|---|
| CREDENTIAL | Micro-certificate | Micro-certificate awarded on completion of all four courses |
| DELIVERY STYLE | Online asynchronous | Online asynchronous |
| NUMBER OF COURSES | 1 | 4 |
| COURSE DURATION | 6 weeks | 12 weeks per course |
| HOURS OF STUDY | approximately 4-6 hours per week | approximately 5-7 hours per week |
| START DATES | ongoing | ongoing |
| PROGRAM FEES* | $495 | $695 per course |
| BEST SUITED FOR | Staff and managers of organizations in all sectors, both early-career and mid-career, who are non-specialists in business continuity and who would like to learn the fundamentals before considering a more in-depth program such as EMOC. | Staff and managers of organizations in all sectors, both early-career and mid-career, who are non-specialists in business continuity and who would like more in-depth knowledge and skills, including the ability to produce detailed planning documents for their organization. |
| MORE DETAILS | View Program | View Program |
Help your organization withstand disruptions
Watch this video to learn how our EMOC and OPA programs combine emergency preparedness, resilience and continuity planning to give you the skills you need.
Who are these programs for?
Since these programs appeal to a broad spectrum of professionals, we often get asked who specifically would benefit from taking each program. To guide you in your search for the right training opportunity in the business continuity and emergency planning areas, we've identified three personas:
- Kai, The Planner
- Mira, The Implementer
- Matthew, The Innovator
Each these personas is from a different background. They are professionals in very different industries and career stages, yet their priorities, core beliefs, motivations, frustrations and needs are fitting illustrations of how the OPA and EMOC programs can help them. They are not real people. Yet, we are confident you will see yourself in Kai, Mira or Matthew and gain a better understand of how you can benefit from the programs—not only to develop your career further but also to move your organization forward.
Business continuity programs designed for non-specialists
Watch this video to learn how our EMOC and OPA programs can give you the skills to plan for crisis, no matter what industry you work in.
Business continuity skills for success
Demand for business continuity skills is like so many things in our "new normal"—unprecedented. Job postings for business continuity planners have more than tripled in Canada since the start of the pandemic:
Unique Job Postings Trend shows the growth or decline of deduplicated job vacancy advertisements scraped from over 45,000 websites.
Source: EMSI
Smaller employers, and larger ones that recognize the value in spreading continuity planning knowledge across the organization, need non-specialist staff who have the relevant skills. The top skills employers seek are those you'll learn in our business continuity programs:
Specialized Skills – Skills that are primarily required within a subset of occupations or equip one to perform a specific task (e.g. "NumPy" or "Hotel Management"). Also known as technical skills or hard skills.
Source: EMSI 
Common Skills – Skills that are prevalent across many different occupations and industries, including both personal attributes and learned skills. (e.g. "Communication" or "Microsoft Excel"). Also known as soft skills, human skills, and competencies. Source: EMSI
Ready for a crisis?
Not sure if your organization or business is prepared for a crisis? Take this short quiz to see, at a glance, if your workforce is disaster-ready!
Take quiz
Crisis Communication for Public Relations Professionals
The online Crisis Communication for Public Relations Professionals micro-certificate gives you the expertise to develop, implement and evaluate effective crisis communication plans for your organization. You will emerge as a resilient communication, armed with the knowledge and skills to navigate a crisis.
View program
Emergency Management for Organizational Continuity
This four-course micro-credential program focuses on the interrelationship of: Emergency Preparedness, Emergency Response and Business Continuity. Plan for and maintain business continuity in the event of an emergency such as a natural disaster, pandemic, conflict or cyber-attack.
View program
Organizational Preparedness and Adaptability
A six-week online program to help you become more proactive, rather than reactive, and to prepare your organization to withstand any crisis.
View program
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