Students involved with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Pathways to Innovation and Leadership program can earn micro-credentials by participating in hands-on workshops, completing real-world experiential learning opportunities and enhancing their career-readiness skills. But what are micro-credentials, exactly? Micro-credentials are short, focused programs that allow students “to gain and showcase specific skills or knowledge through various learning experiences,” according to Iowa State University’s Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. “Micro-credentials help students stand out in the job market,” said Amy Mendee, CALS Pathways to Innovation and Leadership program coordinator. “Along with the digital badges students can display on their LinkedIn accounts, micro-credentials provide an extra layer of proof that students have the skills needed to be successful in the job they’re applying for.”
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Monday, March 24, 2025
WHO Academy launches six online courses ahead of World TB Day 2025
In the lead up to World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) has re-launched a suite of six online courses under its new e-learning platform, WHO Academy, that are designed to strengthen global capacity to combat TB through enhanced surveillance, diagnostics, treatment and social support systems. These courses, developed by WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Programme, provide critical knowledge and practical skills to health workers, laboratory experts, programme managers and policy makers worldwide.
Sunday, March 23, 2025
Talent and Culture provides professional development resources to all employees - Mountaineer News
Trainings are designed to enhance organizational effectiveness and positively impact employee engagement, and are available in several formats to accommodate different learning styles and preferences. Formats include the following:
eLearning courses, which are online, on-demand and self-paced.
Microlearning courses, which are short online courses focused on one learning objective.
Recorded webinars, which are past recorded courses with a virtual facilitator.
Live training sessions, which are in-person or virtual and instructor-led.
Course topics include effective performance management, communication, customer service, building a strong team and more.
Saturday, March 22, 2025
Beyond Transfer: Insights from a Survey of American Adults - Public Agenda
Nearly four in ten respondents (39 percent) have tried to transfer credits toward earning higher education credentials. Among those, most tried to transfer credits toward earning a bachelor’s degree and nearly half have done so within the past five years. One-quarter of respondents who have tried to transfer credits say they were able to transfer only a few or none of the credits they earned and 37 percent found the process of trying to transfer credits to be difficult. More white than Black or Latino respondents say they transferred all or most of their credits and more say the process of transferring credits was easy. The most often cited reason credits were unable to transfer is because the college being transferred to did not accept or recognize the credits, work experience, or prior learning. Most respondents who have tried to transfer credits report negative experiences, including one in five who had to repeat classes they had already taken.
Friday, March 21, 2025
Funding Student Success: Eliminating Transportation Barriers - Ashley Mowreader, Inside Higher Ed
Grant funding for green programs will support clean transportation offerings for a North Carolina community college, as well as skilled trades training for green jobs. Even for students who do have access to their own transportation, research from Florida Atlantic University found a connection between poor mental health of commuter students and their likelihood to be in a car crash, which could further impact students’ retention and completion, as well as their mental and physical health. The new vans will provide accessible transportation for students to participate in curricular and extracurricular activities, as well as increase access for residents to engage in the new skilled trades program launching at GTCC, Clarke says.
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Small is beautiful for learners tackling microcredentials - Rob Telfer, FE Week
The global Micro-credentials Courses Market size expanded rapidly in 2024 and will grow substantially by 2032, according to Business Research Insights‘ analysis. A YouGov survey of almost 4,000 UK graduates found most of those who paid higher tuition fees are significantly more likely to feel that the cost of their education was bad value for money. The poll is just the latest symptom of a growing trend where students are increasingly turning away from the traditional three and four-year university programmes in favour of other further education options.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Master's in Natural Language Processing - Dublin City University
This master's degree combines the disciplines of artificial intelligence, linguistics, and computer science, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of natural language processing and its applications. Students will be taught by leading academics who have extensive experience in natural language processing, data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The programme features a series of guest lectures delivered by industry experts in natural language processing, as well as practicum supervision, ensuring students gain practical experience in this rapidly growing field. The nine-month intensive curriculum builds upon the students' prior background in computer science, preparing them for successful careers in this dynamic and transformative industry.
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
First UK courses in Agricultural Communications open for applications - Farming.co
Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) will teach students on its new online micro-credentials courses how to tailor their messages for different audiences and to track their impact, including how to get the most out of social media. Course lecturer Dr Jeff Miller, a tenured professor of agricultural communications at the University of Arkansas, said: "Agricultural communications courses have been established in the United States for a number of years and I think there's a growing need for the discipline to be introduced in the UK. "One of the keys to strengthening the agriculture industry in the UK lies in communicating about its national importance and about the industry's commitment to improving both the economic and environmental aspects of producing food."
Monday, March 17, 2025
The rise of skills-based learning: A new era in education and employment - P V Ramana, the Hans India
The job market is undergoing a major transformation as employers shift their focus from degrees to skills. By 2025, nearly 50% of employees will need reskilling, making hands-on expertise more valuable than traditional qualifications. As industries evolve, skills-based learning through micro-credentials, online courses, and bootcamps is becoming the preferred pathway to career success.
Sunday, March 16, 2025
The Future of Apprenticeships Under Trump - Sara Weissman, Inside Higher Ed
Advocates for apprenticeship programs came into a second Trump administration with a rosy outlook on their future. Historically, these on-the-job training programs have enjoyed bipartisan support, and apprenticeships featured prominently in Project 2025, the conservative policy blueprint for a second Trump administration put forth by the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank. The plan encouraged their expansion, lauding the programs as a meaningful alternative to “the woke-dominated system of public schools and universities." But now, apprenticeship proponents are divided on how hopeful to feel.... Already, some grants supporting apprenticeship programs have been cut to trim costs or for perceived connections to diversity, equity and inclusion work. The Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship, which advises the Department of Labor on apprenticeship issues, has been disbanded, along with other federal advisory bodies.
Saturday, March 15, 2025
NSBE helps CU Engineering student land internship at Medtronic - Charles Ferrer, University of Colorado Boulder
Nathan Mahary is a fourth-year undergraduate student in the Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering Department. He interned at Medtronic, a global medical device company, and has been heavily involved with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) during his time at CU Boulder. Medtronic treats about 70 health conditions and their technologies include cardiac devices, surgical robotics, insulin pumps, surgical tools and patient monitoring systems. When I started college, I initially entered as an open engineering major to explore my options, but inevitably knew I’d end up in electrical and computer engineering. I just love how the two fields complemented each other, allowing me to work in both hardware and software. Through NSBE, we had a connection with Medtronic. Medtronic invited NSBE members to visit their facility, and they asked for resumes for anyone interested in learning about their career opportunities. I submitted mine and then received an email inviting me to an interview. I wouldn’t have had that opportunity to learn about Medtronic without NSBE.
Friday, March 14, 2025
The Community College Internship Program at NREL
The Community College Internship (CCI) program is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science undergraduate education and research program. Participation in the CCI program at NREL is designed to complement academic programs and provide students with valuable, hands-on technical and research experience. NREL provides the opportunity for interns to train as technicians or scientific researchers in world-class laboratory facilities under the direction of staff who serve as research advisers and mentors.
Thursday, March 13, 2025
What Students Value in Internships - Ashley Mowreader, Inside Higher Ed
New data from Handshake shows current students place value on trying out careers through internships and look for fair pay when choosing a role. The value of internships for students’ career navigation and future employment opportunities is clear for colleges and many employers. But what do students think of internship experiences, and how do they benefit them in their future planning? A new report from Handshake, published Feb. 20, highlights trends across students who have and have not participated in internships, the impact on their goals beyond college, and the barriers that hinder engagement. Among the trends present: More interns are participating in paid internships and earning above minimum wage while doing so, and company culture can influence students’ willingness to return for a full-time position.
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Penn State faculty, employers, students offer advice on summer internship process - Elsa Brumbaugh, The Daily Collegian
As Penn State students prepare for the second half of spring semester, many are fully immersed in the summer internship hunt. Finding a summer internship may feel like a daunting task — endless applications, stressful interviews, inevitable rejections — but the university has plenty of resources to offer. Bob Martin is the assistant dean for the Office of Internships and Career Placement in the Bellisario College of Communications, which offers a variety of services, including in-person appointments, mock interviews and resume reviews to help students land internships and eventually entry-level jobs.
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Kendall Unfiltered: All majors should require internship to graduate - Kendall Timms, the Post
Hands-on learning is integral in expanding your knowledge and preparing you for the workforce. It can also show you if you actually want to be in that field or not, because some people think a certain career will be exactly what they want to do, until they actually do it and realize it’s not for them. Forbes explains the importance of internships by stating, “School teaches skills but doesn't give exposure to what work is like in real life… Not only do you get to learn from experts, you get to pick their brain on how they got to where they are.” Having an internship was very important for my career path in broadcast journalism because it’s a very demanding field and I needed to prepare myself for that. I did my internship at a news station in Columbus, Ohio, and got to see and do the day-to-day operations of a reporter and truly learn what that grind is like.
Monday, March 10, 2025
Who’s Not Applying for Internships? - Ashley Mowreader, Inside Higher Ed
While internships are a high-impact practice tied to student completion and job placement after college, not every student is taking advantage of internships. For some, time is a barrier, with a high academic course load and outside of class activities that put pressure on learners. For others, paying for college means they can’t take time away from their current jobs or need payment to participate in an internship. Recent data from Handshake shows gaps in application trends among student majors. Students in business, computer science and engineering majors are twice as likely to have applied to an internship by senior year compared to those in social sciences, art and design, general studies, or health professions.
Sunday, March 9, 2025
Ridges Sanctuary, College affiliation opens new doors to learning - Linda Blaser, Lake Forest College
Lake Forest College is pleased to announce a budding interdisciplinary affiliation with The Ridges Sanctuary, a leading environmental conservation organization in Bailey’s Harbor, Door County, Wisconsin. This affiliation, implemented under the leadership of Krebs Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Tara Natarajan, offers students unique hands-on learning experiences in both field research and environmental studies—further setting the College apart as a leader in immersive experiential education.
Mid-career allowance for part-time courses applies to transition programme, full qualifications up to undergrad degree - Business Times
It will also apply to micro-credentials that are stacked to these full qualifications, said Minister of State for Education Gan Siow Huang at the ministry’s Committee of Supply debate on Thursday (Mar 6). “While some learners would hope for a broader set of courses to be eligible, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has to strike a balance between flexibility and prudent use of public funds,” said Terence Ho, associate professor in practice at the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Part of the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, the allowance is for mid-career Singaporean workers aged 40 and above. Its expansion to part-time courses, from next year, was announced in Budget 2025.
Saturday, March 8, 2025
Why the University of Texas System is offering microcredentials to students — for free - Lilah Burke, Higher Ed Dive
Microcredentials are often touted as a way for students and working adults to learn skills and move into new industries without the same time and money commitment required to pursue a college degree. But some college officials are working to pair microcredentials with a traditional four-year education. The University of Texas System expanded its partnership with Coursera late last year to provide some 15,000 students across its five health campuses with free access to the online learning platform’s microcredentials. Through the partnership, students, faculty, staff, and alumni have access to Coursera’s Career Academy, which offers some 50 professional certificate programs with companies like Google and Microsoft.
Friday, March 7, 2025
8 tips for employers hiring candidates early in their careers for transportation jobs - College Recruiter
Hiring early-career transportation professionals isn’t just about finding people with the right licenses or certifications—it’s about identifying candidates who are dependable, safety-conscious, and adaptable to changing conditions. Employers should look for individuals who’ve shown responsibility and strong work ethics through internships, part-time jobs, or hands-on training programs.
Thursday, March 6, 2025
FIBAA Introduces Revised Assessment Guide for Certified Continuing Education Courses and Micro-Credentials - Olga Leshchanskaya, Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation
FIBAA is pleased to announce the adoption of its newly revised Assessment Guide for Certified Continuing Education Courses and Micro-Credentials. Approved during the 16th FAZK meeting, the updated guide will take effect on March 1, 2025. The revision reflects FIBAA’s commitment to maintaining high-quality standards in continuing education while adapting to evolving educational trends and quality assurance requirements.
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