Quarterly Report from the Chair

Greetings our dear members,

It is always a great pleasure to provide an update on recent developments at BCPLAN and the advocacy work that the Action Network is conducting to further solidify and promote PLAR in British Columbia.

To begin with, we opened the Fall season with a webinar on tools and strategies in the assessment of prior learning. The webinar had a total of 47 registrants. Moreover, we had an 80% attendance and an 88% participant retention rates throughout the webinar, adding another success to BCPLAN’s track record.

With the rapid re-entry of micro-credentials in the education market in the province, we have also contracted a consultant to develop a white paper to be used for various audiences when applying for funding, focusing on the weaving of micro-credentials and PLAR. More details to come in the near future.

As always, I am excited to share some updates on the exceptional work BCPLAN members have been working on this past quarter:

Sustainability and Partnerships

• The committee has been conducting activities to engage new members to sustain growth and support of PLAR as a profession.
• We have reached out to diverse stakeholders to present at upcoming webinars and professional development events at BCPLAN. Please visit www.bcplan.ca/events to stay up-to-date with the upcoming events.
• Due to recent growth over the past few years, BCPLAN is conducting a Strategic Planning Meeting to assess progress made and set goals for advocacy and growth of PLAR in BC.
• One of the center pieces of current projects is the development of Indigenous PLAR initiative with a focus on decolonizing PLAR. Stay tuned for more details.

Communications and Advocacy

• Organized a series of webinars in October and November. More events are being finalized and will be published on the website soon.
• BCPLAN continues with its advocacy for PLAR and works with adult learners to share their PLAR success stories as a way to demonstrate tangible benefits of this field.
• We are excited to officially launch our podcast series – BCPLAN PLAR Podcast – where we will further delve into prior learning assessment and recognition. Please visit www.bcplan.ca/plar-podcast to listen to the first episode.

I would like to conclude this report by thanking BCPLAN Board of Directors, our committees, and especially you, our members, for your continued support of the Action Network. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any suggestions, comments, or questions regarding the work BCPLAN does.

Warm regards,

Susan Forseille