LearningCity Incubator

Incubator Process

Proposals must meet certain criteria for evaluation.

  1. The proposal must require the collaboration of multiple organizations in the learning community.

  2. The proposal must be aligned with one of the strategic pillars in Calgary's Skill Development Framework.

  3. The proposal must provide a path to scaling.

Program Track 1: Endorsement Only

  • The program requires no LearningCITY financial or human resources.

  • The program’s goals align with Calgary’s Skills Development Framework and the LearningCITY Collective purpose.

  • The program has ecosystem-level scalability potential.

  • LearningCITY Collective endorsement provides the following benefits to LearningCITY and the applicant:

    • Recognizes the potential ecosystem impact of the program.

    • Promotes ecosystem harmonization and collaboration and minimizes ecosystem duplication.

    • Has no operational impact on the LearningCITY Collective.

Program Track 2:
Full Management

  • The program requires LearningCITY financial or human resources.

  • The program’s goals align with Calgary’s Skills Development Framework and the LearningCITY Collective purpose.

  • The program has ecosystem-level scalability potential.

  • The program is unfunded and requires significant support from the sustainability committee for fund development.

  • The program may impact the reprioritization of LearningCITY resources.

Program Spotlight: Competencies for Life

Scope

In 2021-22, the Calgary City Council approved the Competencies for Life (C4L) pilot. This project established a unified set of 25 enabling competencies anchored in six clusters:

  • Self-reliance

  • Problem-solving

  • Collaborating

  • Communicating

  • Core literacies

  • Core workplace skills

The C4L project was led by a team of students from various postsecondary institutions and supported by diverse community partners, including the Calgary Public Library, the Genesis Centre, and the Centre for Newcomers.

Pilot Insights

  • Employers will drive system-level collaboration.

  • A harmonized model must be flexible to support diverse audiences.

  • The central role of enabling competencies is not recognized or prioritized by talent developers or learners.

  • A harmonized taxonomy must be integrated with purpose-based talent development programming to maximize impact.

  • Harmonized assessment and verification are essential to achieve scale.

  • A harmonized taxonomy can be scaled through digitization.