More Students Are ‘Stacking’ Credentials en Route to a Degree - Jon Marcus, Wired

First they get a credential in a skill they need, then another, and another. Each can quickly pay off on its own by helping to get a job, raise, or promotion. Over time, they can add up to a bachelor’s degree. “Even if I chose not to finish, I would still have these pieces and I’d say, ‘Look what I’ve done,’ as opposed to, ‘I have two years of college’” but nothing to show for it, said Nelson, who works as an information technology consultant and hopes to move into an administrative role. The concept, known variously as “stackable credentials” or “microcredentials,” she said, “almost seemed too good to be true.”

https://www.wired.com/story/students-stacking-credentials-route-degree/