Bow Valley College is proud to announce it has been awarded $1.52 million by the Government of Canada's Future Skills Centre to help Canadians secure employment by demonstrating their competencies to prospective employers. This significant investment in Bridging the Gap will be used to develop both scalable Artificial Intelligence (AI) assessments and a technology platform to support reskilling and upskilling.

Technology in service of students

The unique aspects of Bridging the Gap are its pan-Canadian scope, the inclusion of underrepresented populations, an emphasis on both technology infrastructure and service delivery, and a coalition of 10 academic, public and private partners.

Bow Valley College and six additional post-secondary institutions will each identify two in-demand jobs in their region. Scalable AI assessments will be created for those jobs, which will then be offered to job seekers through a network of almost 50 community partners. Bow Valley College will certify the results with a micro-credential that can be presented to employers. "This will be a valuable tool for laid-off Canadians, people hoping to advance within their organization, and those looking to transition to a new career," says Dr. Misheck Mwaba, Vice President Academic, Bow Valley College.

Addressing the skills gap

Future Skills Centre funding addresses labour market disruptions and Canadians' transitions to new jobs or industries. The Centre looks for ways employers can effectively develop and deliver demand-driven solutions to skills gap challenges, and build a resilient workforce.

Its implementation is being led by Pivot-Ed, a Bow Valley College venture that optimizes human potential. Pivot-Ed helps individuals to demonstrate their competencies for a role, recommends learning for identified gaps, and certifies the results with a recognized micro-credential.

Bridging the Gap is funded by the Government of Canada's Future Skills Centre. Le projet Bridging the Gap est financé par le Centre des Compétences futures du gouvernement du Canada.