How do you address this gap? With a relentless focus on skills, we are committed to giving everyone a chance in this new economy. Some of the changes in the labor market can be permanent, and we need to harness and enable our workforce at all levels to foster growth as a whole. This is a challenge that both the public and private sectors must work together. Training programs that help underutilized workers develop new skills in areas such as technology can help them access rapidly growing new sectors. You can also expand your talent pool by providing employees with upskilling opportunities and micro-credentials. Microcredentials are rapid training programs that help people learn new skills quickly and adapt them to companies that require specific skill sets. This gives people the momentum they need to shift careers quickly.
Tuesday, August 23, 2022
Monday, August 22, 2022
Alternative Credentials: Considerations, Guidance, and Best Practices - AACRAO
A comprehensive update of the state of alternative credentials and best practices. In .pdf format.
Sunday, August 21, 2022
Helping you to adapt and succeed in a post-pandemic world - University of Manitoba Extended Education
In 2023, we will launch our first micro-certificate. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) micro-certificate is for professionals to learn to leverage AI in order to devise and implement technological solutions for their business or organization. In the future, in addition to our variety of programs and courses, there will also be micro-credentials complete with what makes them unique — the digital documenting of skills and competencies learned.
Saturday, August 20, 2022
Higher Ed Considers Adopting Digital Credentials - Annie Galvin Teich, Fierce Education
The primary benefits for learners are the portability and shareability of digital credentials. With 80% of the world already using smartphones, learners always have proof of their education, certifications, and eligibility for work. Digital credentials can be easily shared with recruiters or potential employers and posted on LinkedIn profiles. There are benefits to these badges that make them difficult to replicate and use fraudulently and can also be granted for more singular or stand-alone achievements in addition to the traditional degree programs.
Friday, August 19, 2022
Nondegree pathways interest employers and Gen Z — but they still view them as too risky - Laura Spitalniak, Highered Dive
Employers and high school students both believe in the value of nondegree career pathways, but both groups still view those options as too risky to fully rely on them, according to a new report from Jobs for the Future, a nonprofit focused on workforce and education systems. The report, released in partnership with the student success nonprofit American Student Assistance, found that four out of five employers think companies should hire candidates based on skills, not degrees. Even so, 52% said they still hire from degree programs because they believe it’s the less risky option. Among high schoolers, three in four want to focus on skills that prepare them for in-demand jobs. But 65% said they worry about choosing the wrong postsecondary pathway and 37% said they believe employers favor degrees.
Thursday, August 18, 2022
75% of New Jobs Require a Degree While Only 40% of Potential Applicants Have One - David Trend, Truthout
The numbers are deceptively simple: 75 percent of new jobs insist on a bachelor’s degree, while only 40 percent of potential applicants have one. According to the advocacy group Opportunity@Work, employers mistakenly equate college completion with work aptitude, while disregarding self-acquired knowledge or nonacademic experience. The group asserts that the nation’s undervalued workforce “has developed valuable skills through community college, certificate programs, military service, or on-the-job learning, rather than through a bachelor’s degree. Workers with experience, skills, and diverse perspectives are held back by a silent barrier.” As a consequence, more than 50 percent of the U.S.’s skilled workforce has been underemployed and underpaid.
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
A ‘Degree’ of Difference - Larry Field, New Jersey Business
Schools are also supplementing graduate degree programs with certificate-earning classes. Certificate programs provide graduate-level specialization aimed at broadening a student’s skillsets. TCNJ’s Tomkiel explains, “These are targeted courses, like our educational leadership program, which is a perfect add-on for someone who knows they want to lead a school; or specialization courses, like data analytics. Certificate programs are an alternative to a full degree; where they acquire specific knowledge instead – or on top of – a Master’s program.” Businesses increasingly use certificate programs (such as data analytics) to provide employees with specific skill sets in emerging areas important to their employers.
Tuesday, August 16, 2022
Certificate vs. Degree vs. Bootcamp: What’s The Difference? - Christin Perry, Forbes
If you decide it’s time to level up your education, you’ve got plenty of options for doing so. Should you attend a bootcamp or a degree program? What’s the difference between a certificate vs. a degree? Which is right for you? With so many programs available, especially in the tech sector, it can be difficult to choose. In this article, we’ll break down the differences between a bootcamp vs. a degree vs. a certificate so you can decide which path is right for you. [ed note - useful for determining prospective learner perspective]
Monday, August 15, 2022
NCMC announces new engineering technology degree pathway - Petosky News
Students planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology can now begin their education closer to home –– and at a significant cost savings –– thanks to North Central Michigan College’s newest program of study. Embedded within the program’s curriculum are standards set by the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA), which is the world’s only credentialing entity that provides certifications and stackable micro-credentials related to Industry 4.0.
Sunday, August 14, 2022
Regulators must keep-up with the pace of education innovation - MAHSOOD SHAH, Campus Morning Mail (Australia)
Apart from the endless quest for cost efficiencies, some of the key innovative developments include: pedagogical design for fully online or blended course delivery; building digital capability; development of microcredentials; new forms of third-party partnerships; and revisiting learning and student support with a strong focus on personalised on-campus and online experience. As tertiary education institutions innovate their learning and teaching practices, it is critical that national regulators and professional accreditation bodies support their pursuit of innovation at a scale and speed that assures their international competitiveness.
Saturday, August 13, 2022
Higher education: Microcredentials, macro challenge - Andrew Silver, Research Professional News
Microcredentials are facing a macro challenge. Last month, the governments of EU member states backed a proposal to develop a unified approach to using the certificates of short-term learning. But not all EU countries are giving the idea their full support. Microcredentials are emerging as a major area of focus for Europe’s leading universities as they look to change their traditional ways of teaching for a future that requires new—and continuously updated—skills.
Friday, August 12, 2022
Real-World Learning More than ever, undergraduates want to be prepped for career placement - Robin Brunet, Vancouver Magazine
University Canada West offers MBA and Bachelor degrees to prepare its students to be effective workplace leaders, and its president, Sheldon Levy, points out that students more than ever want their studies to provide good career placements via co-ops and internships. He says, “They also want professional designations or credentials that employers recognize, which is why micro-credentials validated by industry are growing in importance as part of university studies: they give students additional credentials within their degree.” UCW’s micro-credentials are focused on technology, business, and innovation, and courses include Blockchain Entrepreneurship, Data and Web Analytics, and Supply Chain Management and Logistics.
Thursday, August 11, 2022
WHAT ARE, AREN’T AND MIGHT BE MICRO-CREDENTIALS? - eCampus Ontario
In comparison to traditional courses and ways of learning that focus on structure and specific due dates for assessments , micro-credentials value self-directed learning and recognize that learners will complete smaller units of learning experiences at a pace that meets their learning needs and styles. As a result, micro-credentials should be flexible and, where possible, learners should complete them at a pace that works best for them. In some offerings, there are no specific due dates except for the end date. Micro-credentials have the potential to fill skills gaps in both the current and future labour markets.
Wednesday, August 10, 2022
5 Reasons Why Online Certificate Programmes Are Worth It - Finance Monthly
In this modern era, there is no need to educate people on the importance of education. Instead, we should help them get an education easily since many individuals quit their higher studies for several reasons. Lack of money and busy schedules are some of the most common issues that prevent them from getting professional degrees and making a bright career. Online learning is becoming massively popular worldwide, not because of the pandemic but because of the advantages it offers. Below, we’ll shed some light on how online certificate programmes are better than on-campus programmes.
Tuesday, August 9, 2022
CAE and Edalex Examine Essential Academic and Career Skills, Importance of Micro-Credentials During Professional Learning Webinar
The Council for Aid to Education, Inc. (CAE), a nonprofit developer of assessments that measure students’ academic and career readiness, and strategic partner Edalex earlier this month held a webinar on the importance of essential skills in preparing students for career success, and the use of micro-credentials to demonstrate proficiency in these areas. The July 12 discussion is now available for free on-demand viewing.
Monday, August 8, 2022
Australian Engineers Pursue Continuing Education - Manufacturer's Monthly
Engineers Australia chief engineer Jane MacMaster FIEAust CPEng said engineers must ensure their knowledge and skills remain relevant to a very dynamic industry. “Engineers need to keep developing and retaining that ability to learn.” “Communication, stakeholder engagement, risk management and ethical practice are all key areas that need to be maintained.”
https://www.manmonthly.com.au/features/five-ways-stay-relevant-engineering-career/
Sunday, August 7, 2022
Connecticut Announces 7 New Higher Ed Tech Programs, Grants - Connor Linskey, Government Technology
Gov. Ned Lamont announced the creation of seven new technology education programs at Connecticut's public and private colleges and universities on Friday. Lamont said these programs will help give students the skills they need to be successful in the tech sector. "Bringing our educators to the same table as our businesses has been a priority of our administration since day one," Lamont said in a press release. "Having businesses articulate what types of skills they need and working with Connecticut's best educational institutions to create new programs that put people in high-quality careers is how we are building a nation-leading workforce."
Saturday, August 6, 2022
New humanities certificate offers themed pathways for students - ROB MCCULLOUGH, University of Michigan - Flint
The University of Michigan-Flint's College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) is offering a pathway for students to complete a portion of their general education program through an innovative 12-16 credit hour Certificate in Humanistic Inquiry in the Liberal Arts & Sciences (CHILAS) that debuts in fall 2022. With an $85,000 grant provided by the Teagle Foundation for planning and implementation, Jennifer Alvey, associate professor of anthropology and co-primary investigators (PIs) DJ Trela, professor of English, and Stephanie Roach, associate professor of English, led the development of the program to give UM-Flint students opportunities for "humanistic inquiry" also known as skill sets that are vital to student success on campus and beyond in today's competitive job market.
Friday, August 5, 2022
Pa. state university system will chase non-traditional students to boost enrollment under next phase of redesign - Susan Snyder, Philadelphia Enquirer
With the merger of six of its schools in effect, Pennsylvania’s state university system is looking ahead to the next phase of its redesign, including how to lure adults to enroll who have some college but no degree. Daniel Greenstein, chancellor of the system, said there are about a million such adults in Pennsylvania. They are just one group of untapped potential students that could help the system stem enrollment losses and meet workforce needs, he said. He said the system also will pursue high school graduates who have the grade point averages and ability for college, but who for whatever reason are not pursuing a degree, as well as workers who would prefer other kinds of training or certificate programs in areas such as business, health care and technology.
Thursday, August 4, 2022
Husson University Online Now Offers Animal Assisted Therapy and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Certificates - Husson University
These certificate programs enhance degrees in psychology or business by providing additional specialized, career-focused knowledge. Students can now earn a certificate in animal assisted therapy from Husson University Online. This certificate program can teach students how to facilitate effective human–animal interactions - a beneficial skill set that can enhance the health of patients with anxiety and the careers of mental health professionals everywhere.”
Wednesday, August 3, 2022
States Partner On Micro-Credentials To Personalize Teacher Learning - Tom Vander Ark, Forbes
In 2020, more than 2000 educators earned more than 4000 micro-credentials. BloomBoard and Digital Promise host over 500 active microcredentials each, and the National Education Association (NEA) offers nearly 200. Educator micro-credentials are, according to New America, “a verification of a discrete skill or competency that a teacher has demonstrated through the submission of evidence assessed via a validated rubric.”
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