District Principal of Collegiate Planning and Special Projects Brennan McDonald presented an update at HPSD's Board Meeting on January 20, 2025. Alberta Education approved HPSD's application to become a Collegiate School in June 2025. Since approval, the Division has expanded post-secondary partnerships and micro-credential opportunities aligned with Career and Technology Studies (CTS) pathways.HPSD currently partners with Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Olds College, Northwestern Polytechnic, NorQuest College, and Portage College, while actively exploring additional partnerships. Micro-credentials are short, focused courses that allow students to develop specific, job-ready skills aligned with industry and post-secondary expectations. As students complete micro-credential courses, they earn digital badges that can be added to résumés to demonstrate skills to employers and post-secondary institutions. Many micro-credentials also carry high school credits.
Thursday, February 5, 2026
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
IT Job Scene Bad: Zoho Founder Warns Students Eyeing Foreign Education Amid Layoffs - NDTV Profit Desk
He underscored his belief that young people should not be trapped in debt under the guise of education. Instead, Vembu advocates for industry-driven solutions, such as companies funding training programmes and recognising alternative credentials beyond traditional degrees. "The only smart course is for prospective employers to fund training programs and for the industry to broadly accept such alternative credentials rather than ask for formal degrees," he stated. He further stressed the importance of skill development, stating, "The best investment we make as a company is in training and skill development. I hope companies do this widely, so we don't strand young people in debt."
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
As Wisconsin’s population ages, UW-Green Bay offers hundreds of courses for older adults - Beatrice Lawrence, WPR
As a retired family doctor, 76-year-old Norm Schroeder knows a thing or two about how to live a healthy life. That’s why, for the last eight years, he’s been keeping his mind and body active by taking classes through the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Lifelong Learning Institute. And he’s been encouraging others his age to do the same. “(It’s) good for our brain health because there’s cognitive stimulation in the classes where you either can learn new things, or relearn things that you’ve forgotten many years ago,” Schroeder told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.” “And for our physical health, we even have classes in line dancing, nature hikes and bicycling. I can cover all those bases.”
Monday, February 2, 2026
Drexel CCI Introduces Micro‑Credentials Aligned with Employer‑Driven Skills - Drexel
With the rapid transformation of technology and the jobs that support the industry, Drexel’s College of Computing & Informatics has always been committed to providing its students with an education that prepares them to meet the challenges of this ever-changing workplace. To achieve this goal, CCI works closely with industry co-op partners to ensure that the college curriculum is constantly evolving to align with employer needs. As a result, CCI has developed a new Digital Badging Program that enables students to demonstrate proficiency in specific computing and informatics skills that are now prioritized by employers. Students who succeed will be awarded a Digital Badge — a micro-credential — that can be included on resumes and presented to employers.Karen DeVose, Ed.D, Assistant Dean for Academic Advising and Student Success, noted that “digital badges transform undergraduate learning into recognizable skills that open doors to opportunity. They make learning visible, meaningful, and marketable to employers.”
Sunday, February 1, 2026
8 Surprising Degrees You Can Earn Online - Anayat Durrani, US News
With scores of options ranging from turfgrass science to professional flight, there's probably an online program for you. "Students today are looking for degrees that align with specific careers, emerging industries and real-world impact, while still offering flexibility," says Elysia Labita, executive director of portfolio strategy for EdPlus at Arizona State University. "Universities are responding by rethinking which programs should be available online, not just which ones are easiest to deliver that way."
Healthcare and tech workers are ditching degrees for quick-fire courses - Yajush Gupta, Dynamic Business
New research from Risepoint shows 26% of online learners gained salary increases after short courses, as two-thirds study in high-need sectors like healthcare and education. What’s happening: New research reveals two-thirds of online learners in Australia are studying fields facing acute talent shortages, including healthcare, education and technology. Why this matters: As Australia grapples with persistent workforce shortages across critical sectors, short-form courses and micro-credentials are emerging as a practical solution.
Saturday, January 31, 2026
Food security program to undergo review - Leander C. Domingo, Manila Times
THE midterm review of the Postgraduate Micro-Credentials for Food Security and Climate Change (PMC-FSCC) project started on Wednesday.The PMC-FSCC project is aimed at generating inputs to develop modular, flexible, and stackable micro-credential programs. Funded by the European Commission's Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education program, the review was set for April 23 to 24, 2025, at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna.
Friday, January 30, 2026
A Meta manager explains how she thinks about hiring: curiosity and constant learning matter more than a degree - Business Insider
Meta manager Cindy Tan says earning a college degree is just the bare minimum for landing a tech job. Instead, Tan says it's the micro-credentials you earn from bite-sized courses that will impress employers. "I'm not saying that we should all not do our degrees anymore. But I think there's more to it, whether that's your social experiences or being more entrepreneurial," Tan said in an interview with Business Insider last month. Tan, 47, joined Meta in 2021 and is a managing director overseeing the social media giant's clients in Asia Pacific.
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Wharton Online Launches Entrepreneurship Certificate
Wharton Online today announced the launch of its new Entrepreneurship Certificate, a fully online, self-paced credential designed to help professionals cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset, identify high-potential opportunities, and execute ideas that create real-world impact. Built around a clear three-stage learning journey – Inspiration, Identification, and Implementation – the certificate brings together Wharton faculty research and practical frameworks to demystify entrepreneurship and make it accessible to a broad range of learners. Participants may enroll in individual courses or complete all three to earn the Entrepreneurship Certificate. “Entrepreneurship is not limited to founding a startup,” said Lori Rosenkopf, vice dean of entrepreneurship at the Wharton School and academic director of the program. “It is about creating value through innovation, whether you are building something new, leading change inside an organization, acquiring and growing an existing business, or pursuing a mission-driven venture. This certificate meets learners where they are and gives them evidence-based tools to move forward with confidence.”
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Up to 25 percent of U.S. colleges may close soon, Brandeis president warns - The College Fix, University Business
Higher education is approaching a period of profound disruption, and many colleges may not survive, Arthur Levine, the newly appointed president of Brandeis University, said during a recent event. Levine estimated that between 20 and 25 percent of colleges will close in the coming years, while community colleges and regional universities move increasingly online. He made these remarks during a recent American Enterprise Institute event titled “Tackling Higher Education’s Challenges: A Conversation with Frederick M. Hess and Brandeis University President Arthur Levine.”
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
AI's Impact on Future Education - Jensen Huang, YouTube
In this video, the future of education is described as a fundamental platform shift where traditional universities must evolve or risk becoming obsolete. Huang argues that because the cost of intelligence is dropping, institutions can no longer rely on their old business model of bundling knowledge, networking, and credentials [02:09]. AI is transforming learning from a slow, expensive "knowledge distribution" process into an "intelligence factory" that is adaptive, personalized, and available 24/7 [02:42]. This shift moves the educational barrier from a student's ability to "do" a task to their ability to know "what" to do and why it matters, prioritizing judgment and curiosity over rote memorization [01:32]. As AI becomes a "force multiplier," the traditional four-year degree is being challenged by a model of continuous, project-based learning. Instead of "front-loading" education before starting a career, learners will use AI as a life-long thought partner to maintain "learning velocity" in an exponentially changing world [17:10]. The universities that survive will move away from being content providers and instead become "crucibles" for high-stakes practice, ethics, and character building—areas where human mentorship and social proof remain irreplaceable [08:19]. Ultimately, the video suggests that the rarest and most valuable skills in the AI era are not information retrieval, but "taste," "direction," and the courage to frame and solve complex, real-world problems [24:04]. (Gemini 3 assisted with summary)
Monday, January 26, 2026
ILO promotes micro-learning to drive jobs and skills development - Ecofin Agency
The International Labor Organization (ILO) says lifelong learning must evolve toward more flexible and inclusive formats to keep pace with rapid changes in labor markets. Among the solutions identified, micro-learning has emerged as a strategic lever to develop targeted skills that can be mobilized quickly, according to ILO analyses published in 2024 and 2025. Micro-learning is based on very short training modules, usually completed in less than ten minutes. The content is designed to be accessible at any time, mainly through smartphones and tablets, allowing learners to fit training into busy schedules.
Sunday, January 25, 2026
Aotearoa New Zealand: Growing veterinary student numbers spark nationwide call for externship partners - Massey News
In 2023, admissions to Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University’s Bachelor of Veterinary Science increased by 25 per cent, lifting the total intake cap to 175 students (125 domestic students and 50 international students). The change follows an increase in the number of places available for domestic students set by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) and reflects the urgent need to strengthen the veterinary workforce across the country. Entry to the Bachelor of Veterinary Science is consistently oversubscribed and takes place via a competitive selection process. For nearly 20 years, Tāwharau Ora School of Veterinary Science has worked alongside contracted veterinary clinics nationwide, partnering to deliver externships which provide structured, hands-on clinical placements that form a core part of the degree. These placements allow final-year students to apply their learning in real-world settings, working alongside experienced professionals in commercial environments.
Saturday, January 24, 2026
The Army wants soldiers to travel less for training, do more in virtual reality - Patty Nieberg, Task & Purpose
Soldiers will travel less for training and do more virtually, Army leaders said Tuesday. The Army is planning to have soldiers “train differently” with more remote learning and other more innovative courses that use augmented reality and virtual reality, called AR and VR, respectively. The programs would work in lieu of having soldiers travel to schoolhouses and training centers across the United States, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George said at a virtual town hall at Fort Drum, New York. The Army’s goal is to cut down on temporary duty assignments, TDY, or short-term moves where soldiers leave their permanent duty station for training that can last from several days to months. Instead, the Army wants them to do courses and trainings “at your local home station,” George said at the town hall, which covered topics affecting soldiers, from quality of life to training.
Friday, January 23, 2026
MOOC Market Trends 2025: AI, Micro-Credentials, and Workforce Upskilling - Open PR
The global MOOC market is witnessing strong double-digit growth, fueled by digital transformation, remote work, and the rising need for continuous skill development.
Market Size: Multi-billion-dollar global industry
Forecast Period: 2025-2032
Expected CAGR: ~39.20%
The post-pandemic shift toward online and hybrid learning models has permanently changed how individuals and organizations view education, making MOOCs a long-term growth engine.
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Microcredentials Explosion Is Imminent And What It All Means - Neil Wolstenholme, FE News
A very significant structural shift in British education since the expansion of universities in the 1990s is imminent. While the headlines focus on tuition fees or teacher retention, a more profound revolution is taking place – one that challenges the very monopoly of the three-year degree The imminent explosion of microcredentials is a policy inevitability. With the rollout of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement in 2025, the UK Government will effectively decouple funding from the “full degree,” allowing learners to borrow money for individual modules and short courses. This legislative change is the spark that will ignite the powder keg. For the first time, the “atomisation” of education – that is breaking learning down into stackable, verifiable blocks – will have the financial backing of the State.
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
The “Micro-Credential” Boom: Why Degrees Are Losing to Certificates in 2026 - Srabanti Das, Editorialge
In 2026, the “Paper Ceiling” has not just cracked—it has shattered. With tuition for a four-year degree hitting record highs while the half-life of a technical skill shrinks to just 2.5 years, the math no longer favors the university. This analysis explores why a $300 certificate is currently outperforming a $100,000 diploma in the ROI economy.
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Rethinking the community college’s role in the new economy - University Business
Community colleges have historically served as engines of regional economic development, drawing on strong community integration to translate labor market needs into accessible education. However, rapid technological change and the decline of entry-level jobs now require a recalibration of this mission. Instead, the contemporary economy requires strategic partnerships focused on co-designed curricula and long-term worker adaptability. The central question has shifted from whether colleges contribute to growth, to whether they can lead with the strategic vision needed in a labor market transformed by automation and rapid occupational change. Meeting this challenge requires an expanded economic development role—one that goes beyond training transactions toward shared-value partnerships, entrepreneurship ecosystem development and active technology diffusion.
https://universitybusiness.com/opinion-rethinking-the-community-colleges-role-in-the-new-economy/
Monday, January 19, 2026
Howard Updates AI Curriculum to Align With Workforce - Government Technology
Howard University is redesigning its Intro to Artificial Intelligence course, teaching the fundamentals of AI-assisted software development that are proving necessary for entry-level roles. The course introduces AI directly into instruction through hands-on, industry-aligned training, according to a news release Tuesday. Developed in partnership with CodePath, the course draws on curriculum originally designed by the industry-aligned education nonprofit and is co-taught by Howard faculty alongside an instructor from CodePath’s faculty network. CodePath shapes its courses around employer needs, which its surveys indicate are internship experience, technical interview performance, and side projects or portfolios
https://www.govtech.com/education/higher-ed/howard-updates-ai-curriculum-to-align-with-workforce
Sunday, January 18, 2026
The US wants more apprenticeships. The UK figured out how to make them coveted roles - Kelly Field, Hechinger Report
Most students here and in the United States wouldn’t get access to expensive equipment like this until graduate school. Goshawk — a 21-year-old undergraduate student and one of 149 “degree apprentices” employed by AstraZeneca across the U.K. — started using them his second week in. “It shows the trust we’ve been given,” said Goshawk, who is working nearly full time while studying toward a degree in chemical science at Manchester Metropolitan University that his employer is paying for. By the time he graduates next spring, he will have earned roughly 100,000 pounds (approximately $130,000) in wages, on top of the tuition-free education.
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Jump Into A Fitness Career With These Online Certificate Programs - Ahsan Washington, Black Enterprise
Entering the fitness industry no longer requires physical travel to the traditional educational setting or classrooms. The rise of digital learning has created accessible online personal-training certification programs, which serve as popular entry points into the growing fitness industry. Online certification offers the perfect opportunity to enter the fitness industry, with its flexible nature and cost-effective approach, meeting the rising need for professionals who deliver online or hybrid fitness services. The CPT programs enable individuals to work as entrepreneurs or become employed in fitness centers and institutions.
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