Malaspina offers new Essential Skills for Supervisors diploma

Supervisors, or those being considered for supervisory positions, in trades and skilled occupations will benefit from a new diploma program offered at Malaspina University-College.

The Essential Skills for Supervisors: Trades and Skilled Occupations diploma program is designed to ease the transition of trained employees working in trades and skilled occupations to supervisory positions.

The diploma program is designed by industry and co-sponsored by Industry Training and Apprenticeship Commission (ITAC) in response to needs expressed by managers, supervisors and business owners for formal training in supervisory skills required for today's workplace.

The program will interest those moving into supervisory capacities like shift supervisor, parts manager, service manager, leadhand, foreman, or crew leader in industries such as sawmills, automotive repair shops, equipment manufacturing, heavy equipment sales and repair, pulp mills, shipbuilding and repair, utilities and construction.

Dan Lines, Malaspina's coordinator for the program said, "We're convinced this new program will fill an ongoing need for industry to develop people for supervisory positions in their various workplaces."

"The diploma program consists of ten core courses and three electives, each of which will take two to four days in classroom, plus time to complete assignments, mostly on weekends and evenings. This will allow participants to remain employed full-time, while completing the diploma over a two-year period," said Lines. "Students will select and complete a workplace-based project as a part of each course ensuring that the learning is meaningful to the individual's work environment."

Linda Love, Malaspina's dean of applied programs, said, "I believe this is the first diploma program in B.C. where you're given credit for the education and training received during your apprenticeship. The beauty of this program is that you can work full-time while completing the diploma."

Applicants must possess a relevant credential like a trade qualification, certificate of qualification or certificate of apprenticeship plus three years of additional experience after receiving certification, or be qualified in a skilled occupation with supporting letter from your employer.

As all courses will have a distance-learning element, with instructors and students exchanging assignments via email and other electronic means, participants must have some compute literacy and access to a computer and be able to use a computer in a Windows environment plus basic word processing skills, email and Internet.

Classes start June 15. For further information, please contact Lines at (250) 741-2442 or email: linesd@viu.ca.