Canadian HR Reporter

www.hrreporter.com 15 value this approach in providing trusted skills and competencies compared to the more traditional system of degrees and diplomas? The perception from employers that are involved in the development, teaching and maintenance of these programs is that this is part of the life-cycle of adult learners, says Taylor-O'Reilly. "They look to us to partner with them to upskill their workforce because they can't always hire people with these skills: they're coming in and they're hiring people right out of our programs, and they can't find enough of them." But for those that source and hire people directly, the recruitment field in general could use more education on what micro-credentials are and what they offer, says Bland. "I'm lucky because I work in post- secondary that offers some micro- credentialing, so I know a bit more about it than maybe the average recruiter," she says. "In my peer circles, though, when we see that continuing education or micro-credentialing on a resumé, we view it as a sign of initiative — a commitment to growth and learning. I coach my hiring managers on recognizing those to be a degree or diploma, which would include certificates," says Taylor-O'Reilly. NorQuest College in Edmonton has time-based classifications for many of its micro-programs. "The ones that we offer are usually around four to six hours; they're usually delivered in a workshop scenario," says Dawn Bland, talent acquisition specialist at the college. Micro-learning programs are generally taken after a person has gained some form of post-secondary learning, she says. " They're meant to enhance any skills, education or experience that individuals already have. Anybody who takes a micro-credential or a digital badge, they're going to gain skills and knowledge on top of any credential they've already achieved," says Bland. "Let's just use my vocation of recruitment [for example]. You can take a whole HR diploma or you can take a micro-credential specifically in talent attractions in social media. It's a focused bit of learning in one area of a vocation." How well is it appreciated? The concept of micro-learning has grown over the years, but how well do employers achievements in the same way." And the popularity of micro- credentials is growing, says Bland. "I see a lot of LinkedIn profiles where people are starting to share those badges on social media. It's a great initiative that people are wanting to learn and grow and specialize." Mixed reactions Back at Anaconda, the reaction to the micro-learning project has been mixed, according to Abballe. "If I look at the general workforce, they're kind of split right now: You have younger employees, maybe, that are very comfortable with technology and are embracing this and thinking, 'OK, we'll just fold in the training in our day and it'll be great.'" But when it comes to the more seasoned workers, there is some trepidation. "A lot of employees are blue-collar workers, so their comfort level with technology maybe isn't at optimum [and] a lot of our department heads are in the 30 to 40 [years old] range. They're quite young, but the population they lead is significantly older so we know that is going to be a bit of a challenge," she says. "I see a lot of LinkedIn profiles where people are starting to share those badges on social media." Dawn Bland, NorQuest College When the micro certificates are earned by the Anaconda and Agnico Eagle workers, they will be provided with "industry-wide recognition" with certification provided by the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR), says Abballe. "This will be an evolution and, hopefully, get some momentum with other mining companies. The idea is to create a blueprint for workplace-based micro-learning that can actually be replicated and scaled across topics and industry." CHRR Employees at a worksite of Anaconda Mining

• Cover