Phil Legate knows firsthand the value of a Humber Polytechnic micro-credential.

Legate, associate director with Advising and Career Services at Humber Polytechnic, took the Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Marketing and Business micro-credential last winter. Legate has an interest in AI but very little formal education or experience with the technology. He felt it was important to stay abreast of AI for both his Humber career and his small business.

“I was very interested in taking the micro-credential and it was about getting some practical knowledge and hands-on experience with AI,” said Legate.  

A micro-credential is a competency-centred offering that is standalone, short in duration and focuses on a skill or topic responsive to industry, employer, or community needs. It allows skills and competencies to be learned in a flexible, fast, and affordable way.  

Frank Cappadocia, dean of Continuous Professional Learning, said Humber offers nearly 50 micro-credentials. Most take less than 30 hours to complete, and many can be completed in even less time.  

They cover a wide variety of subjects, including Sustainable Urban Farming, Understanding Investigative Genetic Genealogy, Coaching and Developing Others, Adobe Illustrator: Essential Skills, Esports Social Media Management, and many others.

Cappadocia said micro-credentials impart essential skills for people at various career stages. Whether they're looking to enhance their resume, test their capabilities in a new field, or take their existing expertise to the next level, Humber's micro-credentials are designed to help them achieve their professional goals.

For example, the Phlebotomy for Health Care micro-credential provides the knowledge and skill development required to draw blood samples. Cappadocia said a nurse or nurse practitioner could take the micro-credential that allows them to pursue new avenues in their careers.

They’re also for those working in a field who have been out of school for some time and want to polish up their skills or acquire new ones that can help with their careers. Micro-credentials allow this to be done quickly and impactfully.

Micro-credentials can also be useful to employed people who are looking for a career change but aren’t ready to commit to a full-time program. They’re a way to explore a completely different career before enrolling.  

Cappadocia said, for example, that a person who’s interested in a career in public relations but isn’t 100 percent sure could take the Professional Communication micro-credential to explore that career possibility.

Legate said he appreciated the micro-credential’s flexibility as someone working full-time with a family. It was delivered online in the evening once a week, which allowed him to enroll. If it had only been offered in person, it likely wouldn’t have worked with his schedule.

The micro-credentials also come with a digital badge that can be used in a resume or on LinkedIn to show prospective employers they have earned the skills from an accredited institution.

Legate said he now has confidence in AI that he didn’t have going in. The micro-credential also inspired Legate to begin conversations about how Humber can infuse AI into his department’s Career Steps Workshops series, including one on job search strategies.  

For more on what Humber offers, visit the micro-credential webpage.