While many Saskatchewan Polytechnic programs worked quickly to shift to online delivery due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Leadership Skills program never skipped a beat. Designed to be highly interactive and completely online, the program is a series of six courses providing knowledge in the areas of leadership, management, supervision, coaching and mentoring.
Due to the program’s format, the shift to working and learning from home hasn’t had an impact on delivery. It has however increased the number of students enrolling in the program. “We have had an increase in demand for the courses and have opened up an April to July semester to assist the students while they are off and have extra time to do some studies,” says Dalton Mervold, program head of the Trade Innovation and Leadership, Leadership Skills, Blue Seal and School of Transportation programs at Sask Polytech. He also notes that employers are taking this opportunity to provide their employees with additional education and training, which has added to the surge in enrolment.
The Leadership Skills program differs from traditional leadership programs; there are no essay questions and most of the assignments are done using postings limited to 250 words. The format makes for a highly engaging and motivating learning environment. With more students in the courses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the student learning experience has only improved as the amount of engagement between students has increased.
While COVID-19 has caused a major disruption in every day life, students are using it to fuel their discussions and course work, “many of the discussions have been around how the students are coping and dealing with this distraction,” says Mervold. Despite the challenges going on around them, students, employers and instructors, are finding ways to turn the challenges of COVID-19 into opportunities to learn in new ways and better themselves and their communities.
About the Leadership Skills certificate program
The skills and knowledge developed through the Leadership Skills program are in demand in every industry and sector from construction, health and IT to hospitality, public service, business and more. The program is offered completely online which allows students to complete the courses after regular work hours.
Students build practical skills using real life examples, case studies, research and interactive content. They also learn what makes leaders effective and what management skills work best in different situations.
Learn more about the Leadership Skills certificate program or register today!
Published April 2020.