Tammy Mercier is proud of the work she鈥檚 doing at Atlantic Central, the organization that represents and supports the credit unions of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.
鈥淎s manager of Sales and Member Experience Training,鈥� she explains, 鈥淚 work with almost 2,600 staff across the credit unions in all four Atlantic provinces designing and facilitating training programs as well as coaching executive and leadership teams.鈥濃��
It鈥檚 a role that鈥檚 taken on a life of its own, thanks to Mercier鈥檚 enthusiasm and dedication. And thanks to the skills and confidence she gained through the certificate in Adult Education (now the certificate in Adult Learning Fundamentals) she completed at Dal鈥檚 Faculty of Open Learning and Career Development (OLCD).
鈥淎ll my past accreditations gave me one part of what I needed. I have a finance degree and I have a political science degree and I鈥檝e been a coach. But I hadn鈥檛 actually learned to teach. I needed that teaching piece. The certificate with Dal was a pretty incredible experience. It鈥檚 changed my whole career.鈥�
鈥淔olks, I鈥檓 out of here. I got accepted to the fire department.鈥濃�擬ike Hall (supplied photo)
It鈥檚 been nearly 30 years since Mike Hall began working with the St. John鈥檚 Regional Fire Department. He laughs when he remembers how he found out he got the job. The Memorial University (MUN) administration office called him from class to pass along the good news message from his dad.
鈥淚 went back to my lecture and just walked in and said, 鈥楩olks, I鈥檓 out of here. I got accepted to the fire department. I鈥檓 done.鈥� So that was it. They all started clapping and applauding. Maybe there鈥檚 still a locker back in university with my stuff in it. Because I don鈥檛 think I cleaned it out.鈥�
For decades, Hall focused on his day-to-day work in the ranks of the fire service and never looked back. That changed when he, once again, got a message from his dad.
鈥淚 remember my dad coming over one time and he said to me, 鈥楧id you ever hear about the guy who kept smashing himself in the head with a hammer?鈥� I said, 鈥楴o.鈥� He said, 鈥楶eople used to ask him why do you keep doing that to yourself? And he said, Well, it feels so good when I stop.鈥� He said, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e that guy. You know, it鈥檚 time for you to grow up, take the reins of your career, and dig in.鈥� So, I took that advice.鈥�
Hall returned to MUN to complete a project management certificate and then he spoke to his director in the fire department about becoming part of the management team. She told him to consider a Fire Leadership program to help him round out his skills. Hall鈥檚 search brought him to OLCD for the Certificate in Fire Service Administration, a nine-course online program to help fire service officers develop their administrative and managerial skills.
Genevieve MacIntyre turns toward her computer screen and clicks open the bookmarks that take her to the concepts she wants to remember from the microcredential certificates she recently completed.
鈥淚 refer to these daily. They鈥檙e reminders of what I鈥檝e learned. And reminders of what I didn鈥檛 know. There was a phrase that Crystal [the instructor] kept using in the program: 鈥榊ou only know what you know, and you don鈥檛 know what you don鈥檛 know.鈥� It鈥檚 good to be aware that you don鈥檛 know everything. All you can do is just keep learning.鈥�
MacIntyre is the manager of communications, marketing, and student engagement with Dal鈥檚 Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. She considers herself a lifelong learner and when she saw that OLCD was offering microcredentials that resulted in a certificate in equity, diversity, and inclusion, she knew it would be a great fit.
鈥淓very day I create and prepare materials for diverse audiences. I also work with teams across the university and externally. It鈥檚 important for me to have awareness of the histories and contemporary issues facing people in marginalized groups. I wanted to take the program to help guide my knowledge of how best to feature, engage with, and present opportunities to people from diverse audiences. And, when I鈥檓 called on to be part of hiring committees within my faculty, having the knowledge of equity, diversity, and inclusion is also important.鈥�
Microcredentials are one of the newest offerings from OLCD. They allow learners to achieve specific skills or competencies valued by employers. Successful completion is verified with digital badges that can be shared on social media and added to resumes.
鈥淗aving the badges on my profile shows my drive to keep learning and expanding my knowledge. It鈥檚 nice to have proof of it. It鈥檚 a way to show
that I achieved another dimension to my knowledge, another form of education and certification.鈥�
MacIntyre says completing the microcredential courses in equity, diversity, and inclusion have helped her be more mindful of the impact her words might have on others. She also left the program with connections she didn鈥檛 have before.
鈥淓veryone was there for the same sort of reasons. We all wanted to grow our knowledge, to do better at what we鈥檙e already doing, to learn what we don鈥檛 know, and to share our experiences. There were a few other people from Dal in our cohort, people from across the province, the country鈥攁s far as Alberta鈥攁nd beyond. It was just nice to connect with people from other places and in other industries and roles. And it was a safe space where everyone felt comfortable asking each other questions, and everyone was very respectful.鈥� (Daniel Abriel photo)
Tara Van Lunen can鈥檛 help but smile as she walks shoulder to shoulder with other Dal students rushing off to class. At first, she thought she would go back to school to expand on her background in business. But after she was accepted into the Transition Year Program (TYP) offered through OLCD, she started feeling a pull in a different direction.
鈥淚t was around the time the missing children were found on the residential school properties. So, with that in the news, and because I鈥檓 Indigenous myself, I started to change my mind. I decided I wanted to do something different. To be more hands on in the community.鈥�
Now Van Lunen is studying sociology at AV俱乐部, with her sights set on getting into the social work program. She also plans to complete a minor in Indigenous Studies. When she looks back, she says it was taking those first few steps that were the most challenging.
鈥淚t was definitely a scary decision, but I felt 100 per cent supported in TYP. I just had a sense of fitting in. I mean, it鈥檚 intense鈥攊t鈥檚 six courses鈥攂ut they prepare you and encourage you. Two of my professors nominated me for two different committees at AV俱乐部. I鈥檝e never been on a committee before. I鈥檝e never felt this supported before.鈥�
Launched in 1970, with the goal of increasing the successful participation of Black and Indigenous students at AV俱乐部, TYP was exactly what Van Lunen needed to restart her academics, and the program has continued to give even after she completed it.
鈥淏ecause my final grade average in TYP was good, my AV俱乐部 tuition has been waived. So now, if I want to go four years, five, six, seven, whatever it might be, it鈥檚 absolutely free of cost. Getting rid of that burden right there is huge. And that helped me want to kick it up and do really well. Even though I was stressed out and it was a lot of work, it was like I could see that end goal and see a better life for me and my son.鈥� (Daniel Abriel photo)
The Faculty of Open Learning & Career Development has been offering accessible and transformative learning journeys at Dal for close to 40 years. As demonstrated by its name change in 2021, it's continually evolving to meet the needs of its learners, to prioritize inclusion, and to fulfill its commitment to lifelong learning. More than 500 courses are offered, either individually or as part of a certificate, and OLCD supports learners in achieving goals that range from preparing for university to improving English-language skills to taking the next step in their career.
Full Circle
When she decided to take on the certificate in Adult Learning Fundamentals, Mercier was also a single mom working 40-plus hours a week, so it was quite a commitment. But she could see the opportunities all around her, so she decided it was well worth the short-term pain. Mercier soon realized her classes were filled with people who were also pursuing success while living a full life.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize what I was looking for until I came into this group of amazing people from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and even careers. We all kind of went through this really unique evolution together and it was it was pretty amazing, and the possibilities were endless.鈥�
She says the program has helped her build upon her successful years in the wealth management space, taking her career to a whole new level.
鈥淚t truly gave me credibility, for one thing. But it also gave me the bones or the framework to be able to say, 鈥榦kay, this is how I see the learning sessions working,鈥� so I was able to create this training program because of what I learned at Dal. Every year it鈥檚 growing and I鈥檓 adding products to the shelf and creating new tools. It allowed me to really open up this creativity that I didn鈥檛 even know I had.鈥�
Hall is currently finishing up the courses he鈥檚 taking to earn the Certificate in Fire Service Administration. He鈥檚 enjoying brushing up on all the budgeting, planning, and management skills he鈥檒l need to succeed at the next level of his career. And he鈥檚 going to be completed faster than he originally expected.
鈥淐hris [Fevens, project manager with OLCD鈥檚 Recognition of Prior Learning] told me they might be able to give me some credit for prior learning. He told me I might get a full course or even two, but I could apply for up to three. I really put a lot of work into giving a real solid presentation in terms of who I am as a person, my learning background, what I鈥檝e done, what I鈥檝e seen, so they could really springboard me here. Within six weeks of the process, he came back and said, 鈥業鈥檝e got some great news for you. We鈥檙e going to give you full credit for all three courses you鈥檝e applied for.鈥� I said, 鈥榊ou鈥檝e got to be kidding me!鈥� He said, 鈥楴ope! You鈥檙e one of the very few that we're going to give full credit to.鈥� From nine courses down to six. That changed the whole dynamic of this.鈥�
For Van Lunen, coming to Dal was a matter of trusting her instincts and putting aside some of her past experiences to make room for her future success. For her, that leap of faith in herself has really paid off.
鈥淚 learned to believe in myself. And to believe in my ability to do well, even under pressure. I never really gave myself the credit. Or I would just give up easily. But there was just something about the TYP program and the support that I got that made me know that I could do it. Now I have confidence in myself.鈥�
This story appeared in the DAL Magazine Spring/Summer 2023 issue. Flip through the rest of the issue using the links below.