Beyond the Webinar, “Beyond the Resume”
Posted on June 18, 2025
There are many elements affecting the world of work today—from tariffs and political relationships to generational shifts in the workplace, technological evolutions, and consumer preference changes. As employers struggle to find talent that meets the pace of change, traditional hiring models based on degrees and titles are giving way to a more dynamic, skills-first approach.
On June 17, 2025, the School of Continuing Studies hosted Beyond the Resume: Micro-Credentials, Skills-Based Hiring, and the Future of Qualifications, a webinar with three panelists from their leadership team.
Dr. Dianne Tyers, Assistant Vice-President; Dr. Carolyn Creighton, Director, Operations and People; and Mariel Mading, Manager, Professional Workforce Learning and Innovation shared expert insights on how both employers and employees can find clear paths forward to meet their career goals and strategic priorities. With more than 80 people in attendance across 12 different industries, the panelists delved into the world of micro-credentials, competency-based learning and hiring, and co-creating just-in-time training.
“One thing that these rapid changes are bringing to the forefront in organizations is a real shift in terms of how businesses are identifying what their challenges are,” shared Tyers.
Businesses are noticing a skills gap in the labour market and as a result, talent management perspectives are shifting.
“The biggest priority when it comes to managing people in an organization today is upskilling the workforce—making sure that employees have the skills they need to do the jobs they have today and prepping them for the jobs of tomorrow,” explained Tyers.
While investing in an employee’s professional development is critical, it’s also important to have learning experiences that offer effective training without a lengthy commitment.
Macro-Impacts with Micro-Credentials
With the growing need for upskilling in a fast-paced world, micro-credentials are a powerful and mutually beneficial tool in our workforce toolkit. Job seekers develop strengths, initiative, and proactive career planning, while employers can more effectively accomplish their strategic goals, gain access to a more skilled workforce, and increase their company’s output and productivity.
Creighton reflected on the time she spends looking through applications as part of her role, “When I’m looking at multiple applicants, if I see that individuals have demonstrated that commitment to professional development through micro-credentials or micro-certificates, it certainly does have a positive impact on their application.”
Micro-credentials are quickly becoming powerful tools in the workforce and pave the way for a skills-first future. They are short, practical, competency-based learning experiences that are created in collaboration with industry partners. Learners can enjoy the flexibility of stand-alone learning opportunities, that can be stacked with other micro-credentials, to supplement their skills. Not only do micro-credentials provide a way for learners to confidently showcase the competencies that employers value, and in language that they understand, but they are also credentialed with a secure, digital, shareable badge which can influence hiring decisions.
Clearing the Way for Competency-Based Learning and Hiring
Traditional hiring often focuses on qualifications, credentials, or years of experience. Competency-based hiring asks a more powerful question: “Does this person have the skills and behaviours needed to succeed in this role?”.
Creating job descriptions that focus on core and role-specific competencies, designing interview questions to surface real examples of past behaviours and skills application, and simulating role-relevant challenges through assessment tasks result in hiring decisions that better align with performance potential, not just pedigree.
“When you’re defining competencies, you’re not just hiring for a role,” shared Mading. “You’re hiring for the success in your culture, in your team, and in your larger strategy and business needs.”
This approach focuses on transferable skills and potential, often making for a more inclusive and performance-driven hiring decision. Enabling strong performance once employees are in their roles can also be influenced by competency-based learning—shifting the focus from training people to complete a task, to activating the behaviours your company needs to succeed. Connecting credentials to your company’s mission makes learning strategic, not reactive.
Customizing Solutions for Unique Organizational Shifts and Challenges
The School of Continuing Studies at the University of Guelph offers training tailored to your organization’s specific needs and skills gaps. Together, we can design a professional development plan for your employees that solves your industry’s challenges with a quick return on investment.
Starting with a discovery phase, we explore your goals and workforce needs to truly understand the obstacles you are facing in your organization.
Next, our team of experts co-create content with you, so we can develop and refine your tailored training plan.
The final result is the launch of a custom training program than can then be delivered to your employees as an in-person workshop series, or as instructional modules in our online learning management system.
A key element of our customized training is that employers are able to embed the learning content into their day-to-day work. From using the content directly in team meetings to incorporating the competencies into performance measures and hiring practices, custom training offers companies a pathway to reaching specific, measurable goals.
Learn more about our customizable training through the School of Continuing Studies’ Corporate Learning Hub and find workplace training that actually works – for you and your employees. If you’re interested in micro-credential development, contact our Business Development team.