Micro-credential Proposal Approval Process - Trinity College Dublin

Trinity College Dublin Council approved the adoption of the European Council definition of micro-credentials on 1 June 2022 as follows:

'Micro-credential means the record of the learning outcomes that a learner has acquired following a small volume of learning. These learning outcomes have been assessed against transparent and clearly defined standards. Courses leading to micro-credentials are designed to provide the learner with specific knowledge, skills and competences that respond to societal, personal, cultural, or labour market needs. Micro-credentials are owned by the learner, can be shared and are portable. They may be stand-alone or combined into larger credentials. They are underpinned by quality assurance following agreed standards in the relevant sector or area of activity’.(European Council, 2021).

https://www.tcd.ie/teaching-learning/academic-affairs/course-development/course-proposals/new/new-microcredentials.php

A European approach to micro-credentials - European Commission

Within Europe, a growing number of people need to update their knowledge, skills and competences to fill gaps between their formal education and the needs of a fast-changing society and labour market.  The recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to accelerate the green and digital transitions also requires individuals to upskill or reskill. Maintaining and acquiring new competences is essential to enable active participation in society, to ensure continued personal, social and professional development and to boost employability and socio-economic innovation. 

https://education.ec.europa.eu/education-levels/higher-education/micro-credentials

Microcredentials are poised for great growth in the global economy - Laura Ascione, eCampus News

Microcredentials aren’t new, but their potential is growing–and, in some cases, they may grow to be a preferred form of postsecondary education and training. Microcredentialing is among one of EDUCAUSE’s six key technologies and practices identified in its 2022 Horizon Report as having a significant impact on the future of postsecondary teaching and learning.   The demand for upskilling and reskilling, driven in part by the growth of data- and analytics-based jobs, is also supporting the potential of microcredentials‘ impact.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2022/06/13/microcredentials-are-poised-for-great-growth-in-global-economy/

Mohawk College faces backlash for shuttering one-of-a-kind Accessible Media Production program - Bobby Hristova, CBC

Mohawk College is facing criticism over its move to shutter Accessible Media Production — its one-of-a-kind program geared toward making Canada more accessible to people with disabilities. The eight-month, online, post-graduation certificate program teaches students how to create accessible content, like captions and described video, and delves into disability legislation and inclusive writing. It also includes a capstone project. While the Hamilton-based college says the program will be replaced by micro-credentials and no content will be lost, the program's creator, who is also the lead on developing the micro-credentials, is skeptical.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/mohawk-college-accessible-media-production-program-1.6481612

Micro-credentials and digital badges are the latest technology to help students and employees "upskill" and "reskill" existing skillsets - Hayley Lemery, WGCU

“There are specific skills needed for individuals to really gain competencies that keeping up with this fast-changing environment in business and workplaces,” Dr. Aysegul Timur, the vice president and vice provost for Strategy and Program Innovation at FGCU, said. “So, we thought that we could create micro-credentials and digital badges to prepare our students for this.” The micro-credential program at FGCU currently has courses in cyber security, artificial intelligence, internet of things, cloud computing, data science, blockchain technology, quantum computing, and design thinking. “Once you complete a micro-credential you earn a digital badge."

https://news.wgcu.org/2022-06-06/micro-credentials-and-digital-badges-are-the-latest-aid-to-help-students-and-employees-upskill-and-reskill-existing-skillsets

21st Century Skills: Preparing Students for Future Workforce Needs - Susan Fourtané, Fierce Education

College education should contribute to the development of the right skill set. Such a skill set has been identified by executives and hiring managers across a wide range of industries as necessary for on-demand careers today and in the future. Skills such as creativity and critical thinking are increasingly sought after by employers. But, is the current higher education offer in sync with these and other 21st century skills which are what the future workforce needs? 

https://www.fierceeducation.com/leadership/21st-century-skills-preparing-students-future-workforce-needs

State of Continuing Education 2022: Why Institutions Are Hesitant to Adopt Micro-Credential Programming - Sheila LeBlanc, Evolllution

I suggest it’s not just the institutional willingness to adopt—it’s actually government funders, it’s employers, it’s creating a shared understanding of what micro-credentials are. My opinion is that it’s rooted in the lack of a credentials or qualifications framework. We don’t have a common language to discuss our alternative credentials, in terms of the depth and breadth of learning taking place or what it is that we’re measuring. Across the higher education system, people have a sense of what a bachelor’s or master’s degree is, or even what a graduate certificate is to a certain extent. But when we start talking about alternative credentials and micro-credentials, we haven’t created enough common understanding within higher education institutions to encourage the rest of the academy and our colleagues in various faculties and disciplines to work in that space actively.

https://evolllution.com/programming/program_planning/state-of-continuing-education-2022-why-institutions-are-hesitant-to-adopt-micro-credential-programming/

THE NEW GENERATION OF A.I. APPS COULD MAKE WRITERS AND ARTISTS OBSOLETE - Nick Bilton, Vanity Fair

Sudowrite and Dall-E use machine learning to produce astonishingly serviceable text and images in a flash. What does that mean for stodgy old human beings? In 2016, the Obama administration authored a report warning that the robots were coming, and that millions of Americans could soon be out of a job. In 2021, McKinsey predicted that algorithms and androids would vaporize 45 million jobs by 2030. And the Brookings Institute prophesied in a 2019 study that 52 million U.S. jobs would be affected by algorithms by 2030. Over the past few months, new advancements in A.I. have made it clear that writers, illustrators, photographers, journalists, and novelists could soon be driven from the workforce and replaced by high-tech player pianos. [ed note: Will these humans be in the market for new certifications to enable new careers?]

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/06/the-new-generation-of-ai-apps-could-make-writers-and-artists-obsolete

A strategic reset: micro-credentials for higher education leaders - Rory McGreal & Don Olcott Jr., Smart Learning Environments

This article provides university leaders an introduction to the emerging micro-credentials field, including a snapshot of the global landscape. Despite the accelerated interest in micro-credentials, this article also raises a fundamental strategic question for leaders at the outset: Are micro-credentials right for our university? Part I discusses the basic elements of mcro-credentials, definitions, types of micro-credentials, and affordances and barriers and various providers of micro-credentials. Part II presents a snapshot of what is happening on the global playing field and the challenges inherent in trying to standardise micro-credentials globally. The final section of the article provides some general observations by the authors, lessons from practice, and brief example of how institutions may implement a strategic reset using micro-credentials.

https://slejournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40561-022-00190-1

CUNY Joins Hands with Virtual Internship Program, Skillful.ly - Niko Balkaran, CUNY News

CUNY has announced its partnership with the virtual internship program, Skillful.ly. This is a move meant to expand CUNY’s Upskilling offerings.  They are both virtual training courses designed to help CUNY students, alumni and New Yorkers learn essential professional skills to add to their resumes. CUNY partnered with companies such as IBM, Google and Coursera to offer programs under five different tracks such as business, healthcare administration and IT and software development. 

https://yorkpbnews.net/news/cuny-joins-hands-with-virtual-internship-program-skillful-ly/

KQED launches free media literacy training course - Haje Jan Kamps, Yahoo Finance

Not just universities are getting into micro-credentials. San Francisco public radio station KQED this week announced it is launching a free workshop and self-paced online course to help increase media literacy. The resources are aimed at K-12 educators and other folks who are involved with teaching media, but are freely available to other fans of media nerdery and enemies of fake news alike. Completing the course results in a PBS Media Literacy Educator micro-credential, which is a step toward getting the full Media Literacy Educator Certificaton, which is a set of eight micro-credentials spanning a range of media creation and analysis topics.

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/kqed-launches-free-media-literacy-232549612.html

Micro-credentials portal to boost lifelong education - Adrian David, Straits Times

A portal is now available to promote flexible education as one of the main thrusts to support lifelong learning. The 'Micro-credentials Portal', by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), will serve as a one-stop centre for local and international students to obtain information on micro-credentials programmes in Malaysia. Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad said the portal was expected to provide facilities to institutions of higher education, to make further reviews on micro-credentials and for the transfer of students' credits to be awarded academic qualifications.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/06/801960/micro-credentials-portal-boost-lifelong-education

Dropping the Degree as a Hiring Requirement - Doug Lederman, Inside Higher Ed

The state of Maryland joins numerous employers in no longer requiring a bachelor’s degree for many jobs. What are the implications for colleges and universities?  Bridgette Gray, chief customer officer at the nonprofit group Opportunity@Work, which is helping Maryland identify nondegreed workers to fill jobs in technology, administration and customer service, describes the market conditions that prompted the state’s decision and why equity was a primary factor behind its move. Maryland found itself now in the same space where degree inflation is happening. Think in terms of roles of end-user support roles in tech. It’s an entry-level role. It doesn’t need a bachelor’s degree, but you may need a credential.”

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/06/03/state-eliminates-bachelors-degree-requirement-many-jobs/

15 Best Certifications for Jobs to Set You Apart From Other Candidates - Goodwall

Professional job certifications are a great way to shine and show you have the right skills to succeed. Certifications are proof that an individual completed a set of training programs that focus on a specialized area of study.  The number of professional certification options available is vast, some of them can even land you a great job without a degree. If you’re overwhelmed by the options, we’ve provided a list of the best job certifications to set you apart from the crowd.

https://www.goodwall.io/blog/best-certifications-for-jobs/

15 Certification Programs for Careers That Pay Well - Geoff Williams, US News

Certificate programs are far cheaper than college, but the cost can add up. You might spend $100 per credit, give or take, so a 12-credit course to earn a certificate could cost $1,200. Still, compared with a college education that can run tens of thousands of dollars over four years, a certificate program is much less expensive. Here are 15 certificate programs for the following careers, which all have an annual median pay above $30,000.

https://www.usnews.com/careers/articles/certificate-programs-that-pay-well

8 Certifications That Actually Impress Recruiters - Glassdoor Team

With the rise of online learning, there's no shortage of classes you can take that offer you a certification in a particular trade, skill or software program. But outside of positions that require certifications — pilots, emergency medical technicians and insurance agents, for example — do any of these make a real difference in a job application? We reached out to recruiters and HR professionals to get the answer. The consensus: Certifications certainly can make a difference, but not all certifications are created equal.

https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/certifications-impress-recruiters/

Certification Finder - Career One Stop

A certification is an award you earn to show that you have specific skills or knowledge in an occupation, industry, or technology. Earning a certification can help you qualify for jobs. It’s an item that hiring employers may look for on resumes. Some employers may also require workers to be certified in their fields. You usually need to pass a test to earn a certification. Some organizations that offer certification exams also offer related training courses to help you prepare for the exam. Or, you may find certification prep training at a local community college.Get started finding the right certification to boost your qualifications by entering a keyword below.

https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Training/find-certifications.aspx

8 STEPS FOR BUILDING AN ASSOCIATION CERTIFICATION PROGRAM - SBI Association Management

More and more, we’re seeing growth in certification and credentialing programs offered by associations. Depending on the industry, many organizations are rolling out certification programs designed to differentiate and distinguish members who desire a higher level of professional achievement or an endorsement for a proven level of expertise.

https://sbims.com/8-steps-for-building-an-association-certification-program/

7 steps for building a credible certification program - Connie Moorhead, Security Info Watch

Developing a quality program takes time and resources but the payoff is well worth it.  Many manufacturers in the security industry today offer a certification program; however, each program offers different benefits, has unique milestones and wildly varying quality standards. The seven steps listed below provide a roadmap for organizations in building a certification program that is both credible and successful.

https://www.securityinfowatch.com/video-surveillance/article/12289208/7-steps-for-building-a-credible-certification-program

Credentials: Closing the Relevancy Loop - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

One of higher ed’s challenges is to close the loop on relevancy for every student in every module of every class. It is essential that we review all of our courses and degrees for relevance and applicability to lives and careers of today and tomorrow. We must consider constructing assessments not on the memorization of history, principles and facts, but rather on applying what is learned to current and future challenges. Making authentic assessments a core value in course development can go a long way toward updating the curriculum. In doing so, the course and degree titles will naturally become more descriptive and appealing to both students and employers. While this is true for degrees, it is even more relevant in the burgeoning certificate and credentialing field. 

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online-trending-now/credentials-closing-relevancy-loop

Reaching Receptive Learners: Why Continuing Education Has to Target the Right Audience - Jill Pippen, Modern Campus

How leaders market and advertise CE programs to students matters, but so does who—which demographics of potential learners—sees the ads. Finding the right audience for the right message is imperative to any successful CE division.   On this episode of the Illumination podcast, host Amrit Ahluwalia is joined by Jill Pippin, Dean of Extended Learning at State University of New York at Oswego. The two discuss the importance of defining what a continuing education unit’s mission and vision, and how institutions of all sizes can use CE methods to develop for-credit programming.   

https://moderncampus.com/blog/reaching-receptive-learners-illumination.html