You've launched your career and now it’s time to sharpen your skills. But how can you expand your work horizons without sacrificing a manageable work/life balance?

Excellent options can be found in short-term micro-credential programs that are offered by many universities.

When you need to respond to a quickly changing work role, get back into the workforce or transition to a new position, micro-credentials offer a fast and flexible way to upskill or reskill and remain competitive in your field. Designed for professionals in a variety of industries, they offer a balance of theory and hands-on practice to meet up-to-date skill development needs and move your career forward. To maximize your career opportunities and stay in touch with the diverse landscape of new methods and technologies, specialized training is key. This is where short-term micro-credential training can make a real difference in getting you to your long-term career goals.

Micro-credential programs that offer a Professional Specialization Certificate (PSC) provide practical, applied skill training and flexible delivery options so that you can balance your work commitments and career advancement needs at the same time. In many cases, such specialized training can offer direct benefits to your current work projects through instructor mentorship, peer review work and practice-based skill applications.

"In particular, the way I approach the organization, structure and use of data has benefitted my work in many ways."

Wendy de Gomez, a capital planning analyst, took one such program, the PSC in Population Health Data Analysis (PHDA) through Continuing Studies at the University of Victoria in partnership with Population Data BC. She credits the program with helping her get ahead in her career.

“Over the time it took me to finish the program, I had three different jobs. All of them have been contract positions, and I believe the data analysis and mapping skills have helped me to be employable in each situation,” says Wendy. “All the courses have supported my knowledge, skills and confidence to use data more effectively. In particular, the way I approach the organization, structure and use of data has benefitted my work in many ways."

Because Micro-credential PSC programs like PHDA are specifically designed for working professionals, they take into consideration the need for online flexibility. They offer compact, real-world training and they tend to incorporate a collaborative professional environment.

"I found a strength of the program to be the engagement of the other students, who are usually all from diverse backgrounds with varying levels of experience with the content."

Sarah Costa, a health economist with the Canadian Centre for Applied Research in Cancer Control, found the collegial learning environment a very positive element of the PHDA program.

"I found a strength of the program to be the engagement of the other students, who are usually all from diverse backgrounds with varying levels of experience with the content. It was helpful to learn from each other,” says Sarah. “The workload was also quite manageable for those who are working full-time in addition to the courses. The teachers were knowledgeable and passionate about the topics and were willing to help students answer their questions or provide assistance for the course projects." 

For professionals working in the health and social science field, the PSC in Population Health Data Analysis program offers:

• A focussed, compact credential that both complements and enhances previous training and education
• The flexibility of an online learning environment, meaning the program can be completed from anywhere and works around existing work and family commitments
• Applied data analysis skills and techniques upgrading, achieved through the completion of just four courses

• Posted November 4, 2022