Oklahoma House passes bill to designate ‘Credentials of Value’ in higher education - Zachary Allison and Cole Brumbelow, KSWO

Legislation seeking to reform how higher education interacts with workforce demand has passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives. House Bill 2398 would establish a statewide framework allowing the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education to designate specific degrees, certificates, licenses and other credentials as “Credentials of Value.” Programs seeking the designation would be required to annually demonstrate strong outcomes for students alongside state and regional workforce needs.

https://www.kswo.com/2026/03/12/oklahoma-house-passes-bill-designate-credentials-value-higher-education/

$5bn Projection: American Varsity To Train, Certify African Talents In AI - Taiwo Hassan, New Telegraph

A leading African game development Maliyo Games studio has announced a partnership with Arizona State University (ASU), to advance game development education and up skill African talent through artificial intelligence (AI) curriculum. In particular, the duo partnership is set to expand over the next few years, aiming to train and certify 10,000 learners across Africa in both AI and game development. Some representatives from Arizona State University, United States, who visited Maliyo Games in Lagos, Nigeria, where they engaged with trainers and learners, explored expansion opportunities, and gained deeper insight into the local African gaming ecosystem.

https://newtelegraphng.com/5bn-projection-american-varsity-to-train-certify-african-talents-in-ai/

Provost's office funds 24 transformative initiatives - Rob Schweers, Iowa State University

The office of the senior vice president and provost has announced $2.4 million in funding across two years for 24 transformative initiatives to support new academic programs, student success and career readiness, and build additional capacity in artificial intelligence (AI). Senior vice president and provost Jason Keith announced the one-time funding initiative in December, and proposals were due in early February. "We were very impressed with both the quality and innovation of the proposals, as well as their connection to Iowa State's strategic plan," Keith said. "At their core, the projects create new opportunities for students, faculty, staff and Iowans; support future enrollment growth; and help navigate changing environments for research funding and community engagement, all while supporting the university's land-grant mission." Proposals were reviewed and ranked by unit leaders (deans, directors, vice presidents) and forwarded to the provost's office for final consideration. Projects with common themes, such as AI, micro-credentials and custom education, will coordinate efforts and meet regularly to share progress and challenges, and help ensure their work can be applied broadly across the university.

https://www.inside.iastate.edu/article/2026/04/15/provosts-office-funds-24-transformative-initiatives

iPeople sees micro-credentials as a solution for PHL’s skills gap - Business World

Education firm iPeople, Inc., said micro-credentials can help bridge the skills gap in the Philippines and position Filipinos at the forefront of emerging roles and talent globally. “Across our network, we’re transforming how education works from traditional four-year degrees to lifelong, stackable learning experiences,” iPeople, Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rey Vea said in a news release. “Micro-credentials form a new learning culture that empowers Filipino students to take control of their future careers,” she added. “Building skills and credentials they can take with them anywhere they go.

bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2026/04/16/743476/ipeople-sees-micro-credentials-as-a-solution-for-phls-skills-gap/

Program seeks to get Chicago Public Schools students into aviation - Dylan Olsen - CBS Chicago

Atlantic Aviation and Barrington Irving Technical Training School have launched a workforce incentive with CPS. The program will be for Morgan Park High School students to learn about different careers within the aviation industry. "Whether it's building airplanes, constructing race cars, earning micro-credentials, or preparing for a career in aviation, there's so much to explore, and even more to achieve," Barrington Irving, the founder of the technical training school that bears his name, said in a promotional video from Atlantic Aviation.

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/program-chicago-public-schools-aviation/

New 'AU Ready' program at American University readies students for the workforce and pays for internships - WUSA9

Undergraduate students will have access to $4,500 towards an internship or research opportunity beginning sophomore year.Today’s job market is uncertain and for a college student getting ready to enter the workforce, that can be stressful. At American University, a brand-new program called "AU Ready" aims to give students the skills, and finances they need to land their first job. “You need the academics, plus the network, plus the experience and this allows us to fold all three together in a really organized and meaningful way," said Liz Romig, the Interim Assistant Vice Provost at American University's Career Center. Over 85% of American University students have at least one internship. and some of those don’t pay. AU Ready hopes to ease that burden, making $4,500 available to every undergraduate student for an internship or research opportunity.

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/education/au-ready-program-internships-american-university/65-09b9421c-37e6-4fdb-bb09-5f74c8be7dce

Central Illinois union painter shares the value of apprenticeships in a statewide professional development program - Addy Carnahan, Lauren Warnecke, WGLT NPRIllinois

Jalissa Jones, also from ISU's Center for Specialized Professional Support, said people tend to think of apprenticeships being exclusively related to trades, but that's not always the case. “Another really vital part of this program is the idea of changing people's minds about what apprenticeships and what apprentices look like,” she said. “It can be in medical field. It could be in cybersecurity or insurance. There's a lot of insurance apprenticeships, which is not something I knew before I started working at this job.…I think that is the forward face of apprenticeship.”

https://www.nprillinois.org/illinois/2026-04-09/central-illinois-union-painter-shares-the-value-of-apprenticeships-in-a-statewide-professional-development-program

Registration open for Introduction to Data Analytics online certificate course - Newport-News Center

Data analytics skills are in high demand across a wide range of careers and industries. Register now for Virginia Tech’s Introduction to Data Analytics certificate course and build skills that can help power your career forward. The six-week course begins Tuesday, July 28, and will meet online each Tuesday from 2–4 p.m. Pamplin College of Business faculty members Barbara Fraticelli, Reza Barkhi, and Jacob Shortt will lead course modules designed to help participants:

Establish a foundation: Learn the history, core terms, and key concepts that provide a strong understanding of data analytics and why it matters.

Develop skills: Build in-demand skills and gain hainds-on experience you can apply in the workplace.

Apply knowledge: Use case studies and industry-specific examples to explore how data analytics can support marketing, increase revenue opportunities, improve efficiency, and create other competitive advantages. 

Participants who complete the program will receive a certificate of completion from Virginia Tech, along with continuing education units (CEUs) based on total contact hours.

https://news.vt.edu/notices/2026/04/newport-news-center-data-analytics.html

CBS 2 Chicago reports: Cook County Jail teams with Olive-Harvey College to offer forklift certification program for inmates - City Colleges of Chicago

Inmates operating heavy machinery may sound counterintuitive, but at the Cook County Jail, it’s a major opportunity for women behind bars. They are getting the chance to learn a trade to help them find a job when they get out. At the Cook County Jail, on the other side of the barbed wire, you’ll find something unexpected is going on. In the freezing temps, chains dangle from a guard watching 10 incarcerated women, all layered under their heavy-duty orange jumpsuits.

https://colleges.ccc.edu/2026/01/26/cbs-2-chicago-reports-cook-county-jail-teams-with-olive-harvey-college-to-offer-forklift-certification-program-for-inmates/

Students are increasingly choosing community college or certificates over four-year degrees - Jessica Dickler, CNBC

More high school graduates are opting for a two-year degree or even shorter-term credentials. 

This year, enrollment gains in undergraduate certificate and associate degree programs outpaced bachelor degrees, according to a new report.

Also boosting the appeal: New workforce Pell Grants aimed at helping students pay for short-term job training programs.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/15/four-year-college-loses-ground-community-college-gains-steam.html

Schedule of this blog changed to Monday to Friday - No weekend posts

 Look for the next posting on Monday.  Thanks!

Schedule of this blog changed to Monday to Friday - No weekend posts

 Look for the next posting on Monday.  Thanks!

Microcredentials Confuse Employers, Colleges and Learners - Susan D’Agostino, Inside Higher Ed

Three recent studies highlight confusion about alternative credentials. But all parties seek quality, verifiable, bite-size, low-priced online offerings targeting specific industries. Reskilling. Upskilling. Certificates. Certifications. Badges. Licenses. Microcredentials. Alternative credentials. Digital credentials. So many terms. So little agreement on what they mean, least of all in higher ed. “Employers say, ‘It’s great that this individual has these skills, but we’ll ask our own questions to verify the learner’s knowledge,’” Kyle Albert, assistant research professor at the George Washington University Institute of Public Policy, said. “It’s a trust-but-verify situation.”

insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/teaching-learning/2023/03/02/microcredentials-confuse-employers-colleges-and

To Win the AI Race, America Must Close the Digital Divide - Chhaya Kapadia, New America

On its march towards an AI-driven future, our federal government has stopped prioritizing whether all Americans can get online. This retreat is not just harmful to people; it’s contrary to the administration’s goals to “usher in a new Golden Age of American Innovation.” After releasing an AI Action Plan last summer designed to “achieve [U.S.] global dominance” in AI, the White House followed up with a policy framework this March charging that “American workers must benefit from AI-driven growth, not just the outputs of AI development, through youth development and skills training, the creation of new jobs in an AI-powered economy, and expanded opportunities across sectors.” Yet, while the government is putting so much effort into accelerating the nation’s adoption of AI, it has halted or cut funding meant to close the digital divide—undermining its stated interest in winning the race for tech supremacy. 

https://www.newamerica.org/insights/america-digital-divide-ai-competitiveness/

Harvard expands access to free AI and coding courses online - Nucleus AI, Your Story

Want to learn AI without spending a fortune? These free Harvard courses cover programming, data science, and machine learning. Harvard University is offering a range of free online courses through edX, allowing anyone to access high-quality lectures, assignments, and study materials at no cost. The courses are self-paced, beginner-friendly in parts, and structured enough for serious upskilling. Here are some of the most relevant courses you can start right now!

https://yourstory.com/ai-story/harvard-free-ai-courses-2026

From Ba to UNSW: Pratyaksha continues family legacy - Waisea Nasokia, Fiji Sun

At 17, during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021, she completed an online Certificate in Financial Accounting from Harvard University in just two months.Growing up in a business family, Pratyaksha Dayal always knew where she wanted to go. Inspired by her grandfather, Prakash Dayal, and later her father, Jay Dayal, the 22-year-old has now taken a major step towards that goal—graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales in Sydney. She majored in Innovation, Strategy and Entrepreneurship after three years of study.

https://fijisun.com.fj/news/education/from-ba-to-unsw-pratyaksha-continues-family-legacy

Ending the era of unpaid internships - Florida Atlantic University, Inside Higher Ed

Florida Atlantic University wants to turn this system on its head by ending the era of the unpaid internships. Forty percent of Florida Atlantic’s student body is Pell-eligible and many balance low-paid work to support themselves financially during their studies. “Looking at the data, we realized that we need to go out and fund internships that would not otherwise exist,” explains Florida Atlantic president Adam Hasner. The university is located in southeast Florida, a region where job creation is growing and internships are available year-round, so he wanted to leverage its unique geographical advantage.

https://narratives.insidehighered.com/florida-atlantic-university-ending-era-unpaid-internships/index.html

Schedule of this blog has changed to Monday to Friday - No new postings will be made Saturdaqy or Sunday.

 Look for the next posting on Monday at 5 AM Central time.  Thanks!

Schedule of this blog has changed to Monday to Friday - No new postings will be made Saturdaqy or Sunday.

 Look for the next posting on Monday at 5 AM Central time.  Thanks!

Culinary 1st! UH Community College students earn Japanese certification - University of Hawaii

Culinary students from Kapiʻolani, Kauaʻi and Leeward Community Colleges had the rare opportunity to earn an internationally recognized credential, the Bronze Certification of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries. This was the first time the program was offered in Hawaiʻi and only the second time in the U.S. The program gave 41 UH Community College students a globally recognized resume builder, and a credential backed by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). Instruction was led by Chef Takeshi Suda, from Yamagata Prefecture.

news.google.com/read/CBMirwFBVV95cUxNVEhCWno2OW9LckdVeDFvY2k5SHhMWDU5U2p0ZFhzQ2ZCTVl1Qy0wZUtqQU5QUENILUMtVFZpTEQ4S3ZMOU9TYW9VUXJ4NzFUclJfY2ZQdjh2dUJHSzJNWVRfWXlhX184LTFPYjRaUjlIcFJKNndBdTVhd1BobnZYMlpLdWNNT042ZU5aU1ZwazFKazJhT1Q2aF9vV05NcDVsWERnN01XTHh0c0VKUFRn?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen

New Saint Vincent College certificate aims at developing values-based leaders - St. Vincent's College

Thanks to collaborative efforts between the Saint Vincent College Education Department and the Fred Rogers Institute (FRI), graduate students and professionals in child- and youth-serving fields will soon be able to enhance their leadership skills through the Certificate in Values-Based Leadership program. The 15-credit, graduate-level program is offered fully online and focuses on the leadership example of Fred Rogers, a Latrobe native, minister and beloved TV personality who created and hosted “Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.” “This mutually beneficial program allows the FRI to teach three of the courses, strengthening its instructional presence while giving our graduate students access to a deeply meaningful, one-of-a-kind learning experience grounded in Fred Rogers’ timeless principles,” said Dr. Tracy McNelly, chair of the Education Department housed in the College’s School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. 

https://www.stvincent.edu/news/2025/12/new-svc-certificate-aims-at-developing-values-based-leaders.html