Indigenous Entrepreneurship Micro-credential

Starting a business is about more than just understanding the steps. It is about working through your ideas, identifying opportunities, and having the chance to connect with people who have successfully started their own business.

The new Indigenous Entrepreneurship Micro-credential program, developed by UNBC Continuing Studies and Hubspace, introduces the principles and practices of entrepreneurship and small businesses to Indigenous learners.

It is fully funded for successful applicants.

The micro-credential will consist of three courses each created with an Indigenous lens:

1. Building a Business

Introduces student with no background in business to concepts and process for planning a business.

Core competencies:

Experience and explain the business planning process
Inventions: use practical ideas for generating business opportunity ideas
Use business principles to define the business

2. Customers and Competitors

Building on concepts in Course 1, participants will learn about markets. They will learn how to identify who their customers are for their product or service, and who the different competitors are in their market.

Core competencies:

Intro to analyzing markets
Core concepts for marketing plans
Using common platforms to find customers and competitors

3. Finance and Human Resources

With the context of Course 1 and Course 2, participants will explore concepts to build the structure of their business. Key topics will be developing financial and staff management skills.

Core competencies:

Basics of bookkeeping and accounting
Experience of financial management platforms
Introduction to staff management team building

In addition to teaching key topics foundational to building a business, all three courses will uniquely explore entrepreneurship as an alternative to typical employment. Guest speakers will include successful Indigenous entrepreneurs.

The learning structure will focus on both academic context and practical experiences, as students explore real-world applications. All courses will be delivered virtually, supporting student participation and access from communities throughout northern BC.

Learning Model

Live sessions will consist of exploring course topics, group discussions and learning from guest speakers who will share their experiences of the entrepreneurial landscape. Students will also participate in online independent learning where key concepts and knowledge exchange will occur.