George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
Explore Micro‑credentials at George Brown Polytechnic - short, focused learning experiences designed to help you develop specific, industry‑relevant skills and competencies efficiently. These bite‑sized programs offer practical knowledge that can be applied immediately in the workplace and often award digital badges upon completion, allowing you to showcase your achievements and enhance your career opportunities.
| Micro-credential Stack/Cluster | Micro-Credential Title | Description | Competencies | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneurship | Business Idea Development | Learners brainstorm and develop a business idea. They will evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities of the business idea and how to position the business for success. Customer needs and relationships, business partnerships, resources, and value propositions are also discussed. |
| 15 |
| Entrepreneurship | Business Plan | Learners apply their business ideation to the workings of their business by focusing on how the goals of the business can line up with the success implementation. At the end of this module, learners will begin an assessment called the Business Model Canvas, to assist in documenting their business plan. Learners focus on a statement that can connect to the public, appealing to the needs and wants of potential customers. |
| 20 |
| Entrepreneurship | Financial Plan | Financial planning is essential for ensuring the financial stability of a business. Learners will explore how financial planning can inform decision-making, help effectively manage resources, and lay the groundwork for sustainable growth. Learners will also examine how financial planning can mitigate risks in contracting. |
| 20 |
| Entrepreneurship | Growing Your Business | Growing your business to include new services or expanded operations is a key part of its long-term viability. Learners employ strategies to establish credibility and articulate the value of their business to a variety of audiences. They gain familiarity with competitive bidding processes and submit bids that match project requirements and market conditions. |
| 20 |
| Essential Employment Skills | Communication | Employers consistently say that professional communication is an essential skill they look for when they are hiring new employees. The ability to communicate with customers/clients and colleagues is critical to ensure smooth customer interactions, teamwork with coworkers and supervisors, and meeting the requirements of the business. |
| 20 |
| Essential Employment Skills | Critical Thinking and Problem Solving | Problem-solving skills and a customer service mindset are crucial for success in the workplace. A thoughtful approach to problem-solving and critical thinking, that respects clients, colleagues, and/or supervisors, will help you learn how to address challenges while focusing on customer service. |
| 20 |
| Essential Employment Skills | Information Management | Managing information effectively provides benefits to business organizations and their customers/clients. This includes quicker access to data and information, better decision making, and increased accountability. Using practical illustrations and applications, this course is designed for you to develop key information management skills and provides tips and recommended practices for their proper application in your day-to-day work. |
| 20 |
| Essential Employment Skills | Interpersonal | Teamwork is shaped by the skills and expertise of all members, who collectively enhance productivity and ensure the delivery of higher quality work, including customer service. This interactive course provides opportunities to apply basic skills grounded in interpersonal communications theory including verbal and non-verbal communications skills, conflict management, and ethical interpersonal behaviour. |
| 20 |
| Essential Employment Skills | Numeracy | Many important workplace tasks require employees to understand and work with numbers. The ability to work with numbers impacts how we handle money and how we obtain materials and other necessary resources for daily business operations. Through the use of relevant examples and effective use of calculators and other automated processes, this course is designed to help you acquire a strong foundation of basic math skills and vocabulary necessary for success in business environments. |
| 20 |
| Essential Employment Skills | Personal | Professional responsibility requires taking ownership of your work performance and striving to meet the demands of your position. Examining the impact of following company policies, completing duties in a timely way, remaining punctual, and taking accountability for your actions, this course combines self-assessment and skill development to help make you more valuable in the workplace, support co-workers and organizational goals, and advance your career. |
| 15 |
| Mass Timber | Advocacy and Pitch | This module explores the role of advocacy and business pitches for mass timber builds. Learners will communicate the benefits and challenges of mass timber build, provide strategies to achieve cost efficiencies, examine the importance of code compliance, explain the rationale for expanding the market with mass timber, and learn strategies for advocacy and writing a pitch. |
| 15 |
| Mass Timber | Design | This module covers the principles of mass timber design, emphasizing the structural properties of mass timber materials, regulatory compliance, sustainability considerations, and innovative design practices. It aims to provide learners with the knowledge and skills to develop detailed and compliant mass timber building designs. |
| 25 |
| Mass Timber | Estimates and Calculations | This module explores the calculations and estimates involved in mass timber builds. Learners will compare cost drivers of traditional steel and concrete buildings to mass timber; cost for mass timber buildings, including design and processes; estimate environmental impacts of a mass timber build; analyze lifecycle assessments; estimate carbon impacts; calculate moisture tolerance; determine the required fire resistance ratings; and calculate the impact of design and construction decisions of mass timber builds. |
| 20 |
| Mass Timber | Process | This module examines the process of mass timber builds. Learners will analyze structural systems and the components of mass timber builds, the properties and roles of structural components in a mass timber build, the tools used in the installation of mass timber products, and installation approaches and roles in mass timber projects. |
| 25 |
| Mass Timber | Product Protection | This module examines the various factors involved in mass timber product protection. Learners will explore wood moisture, sealers, pressure treatment, vapor wrapping, on-site unloading and storage, on-site wood maintenance, stains and water damage, and fire protection. |
| 15 |
| Mass Timber | Products | This module delves into the products used in mass timber builds. Learners will explore the different types of products, their uses; and how products are produced, evaluated, and assessed for use in mass timber construction. Learners will learn about life cycle assessments and how products adhere to building code regulations in Ontario and Canada. |
| 20 |
| Mass Timber | Project Management | This module provides an in-depth exploration of project management within the mass timber construction industry. It combines online learning with on-campus practical components, leveraging advanced technologies such as gaming simulations, and digital twinning. The course aims to equip learners with the skills to manage mass timber projects efficiently, emphasizing unique material risks, sustainability, and innovative construction techniques. |
| 20 |
| Mass Timber | Site Management | This module delves into site safety, considerations for guiding and managing project goals, and reviewing requirements for permits, approvals, and inspections in compliance with building code regulations. Learners will employ strategies and techniques in order to create and maintain a safe working environment: by the end of this module, learners will be well-prepared to foster a culture of safety and accountability, ensuring that future projects are efficiently executed without compromising the health and safety of the team. |
| 20 |
| Mass Timber | Sustainability | This module looks at sustainability in mass timber. Learners will explore sustainable sourcing and forest management, and the impact of sustainable sourcing on the construction industry. Learners will examine the environmental impacts of mass timber use, as well as innovation in mass timber and future forward applications for mass timber products and design. |
| 15 |
| Housing Construction and Maintenance | Routine Inspections | The objective of this project is to create five (5) stackable competency-based micro-credentials designed to develop in-demand skills that contribute to labour shortages and safety on housing development sites and support continuance of new housing construction when faced with delays due to unexpected maintenance and repairs or project management issues. |
| 20 |
| Housing Construction and Maintenance | Preventative Maintenance and Repairs | The objective of this project is to create five (5) stackable competency-based micro-credentials designed to develop in-demand skills that contribute to labour shortages and safety on housing development sites and support continuance of new housing construction when faced with delays due to unexpected maintenance and repairs or project management issues. |
| 25 |
| Housing Construction and Maintenance | Regulations | The objective of this project is to create five (5) stackable competency-based micro-credentials designed to develop in-demand skills that contribute to labour shortages and safety on housing development sites and support continuance of new housing construction when faced with delays due to unexpected maintenance and repairs or project management issues. |
| 15 |
| Housing Construction and Maintenance | Collaboration with Stakeholders | The objective of this project is to create five (5) stackable competency-based micro-credentials designed to develop in-demand skills that contribute to labour shortages and safety on housing development sites and support continuance of new housing construction when faced with delays due to unexpected maintenance and repairs or project management issues. |
| 15 |
| Housing Construction and Maintenance | Reporting | The objective of this project is to create five (5) stackable competency-based micro-credentials designed to develop in-demand skills that contribute to labour shortages and safety on housing development sites and support continuance of new housing construction when faced with delays due to unexpected maintenance and repairs or project management issues. |
| 15 |
| Infection and Disease Prevention and Control | Follow Health Protocols | In the hospitality industry, health and safety protocols play a vital role in maintaining the wellbeing of guests and clients. Learn the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and standards for handwashing and sanitization. Following health protocols will keep guests and staff safe. Learners also will explain health protocols to guests. |
| 15 |
| Infection and Disease Prevention and Control | Respond to Questions and Concerns | Communication is essential in the transmission of information to clients, guests, and colleagues. Those in the hospitality industry are expected to give guests, clients, and colleagues information and be able to respond to questions and concerns that arise. Learners will be given strategies and tools in order to questions and concerns, as well as explain protocols and practices. |
| 15 |
| Infection and Disease Prevention and Control | Recognize Signs and Symptoms of Illness | Can you recognize the signs and symptoms of an illness? Identify the indicators of illness. Explore situations where guests and colleagues are not following protocols. Use strategies and regulations to learn more about what to look for when a client, guest, or colleague is sick and what symptoms may be the sign of something else. |
| 15 |
| Infection and Disease Prevention and Control | Respond to Signs of Illness | After identifying the signs of illness, a hospitality employee needs to be able to respond to the situation. A hospitality employee will need to interact to situations where guests and colleagues aren't following protocols and respond to the guest and colleague to ensure protocols are followed. |
| 15 |
| Infection and Disease Prevention and Control | Follow Reporting Requirements | If a guest or colleague contracts and infectious disease, the organization will need to file reports to management and government authorities. Employees need to know what needs to be part of a report and who needs to receive the report. This micro credential will provide you with the information and procedures to file reports with management, colleagues, or government authorities. |
| 15 |