Collin College partners with Rice University to open tax initiative to provide students with free textbooks, resources - North Dallas Gazette

Collin College is now part of the Institutional Partner Program for Rice University’s educational technology initiative, OpenStax. The free program provides higher education institutions with open educational resources (OER) to support their mission of improving educational access and learning for everyone. (volodymyr-hryshchenko / Unsplash)

After a lengthy selection process, Collin College was named a partner in October 2022. OpenStax representatives will visit the college in the upcoming spring semester and offer faculty and staff ways to implement OpenStax resources in class for student success.

https://northdallasgazette.com/2022/12/21/collin-college-partners-with-rice-university-to-open-tax-initiative-to-provide-students-with-free-textbooks-resources/

Gauging the macro impact of microcredentials - Susan Manning, eCampus News

By pairing microcredentials with digital credentials, individuals are prepared for a changing workforce and can make a big impact in three key ways.  Digital credentials provide a common language of knowledge, skills, and abilities for the emerging workforce. Employers use them to help talent management verify, quantify, and understand the skills and competencies of both candidate pools and current employees. Think of microcredentials as the “what” and digital credentials as the “how.” Microcredentials represent what is being learned.  Digital credentials are how a student makes use of what is being learned.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2022/12/21/gauging-the-macro-impact-of-microcredentials/

Immersive East Tennessee State Program Provides Accelerated Tech Degrees, Guaranteed Jobs - American Council on Education

ETSU, home to one of Tennessee’s most comprehensive computer science programs, and BCBST, a leading employer in the state, recently debuted an intensive program called the BlueSky Tennessee Institute to help replenish the talent pipeline. Upon graduation, students will earn a bachelor’s degree in computing with a concentration in information systems from ETSU and a full-time job offer paying over $50,000 from BCBST. BlueSky has accumulated enough scholarship funding to enable the first cohort to graduate debt-free, and it aims to replicate this for subsequent classes. The partners hope the program’s affordability and the career security it provides will expand the tech talent pool by attracting students who were not planning to go to college.

https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/Member-Spotlight-ETSU-BlueSky.aspx

Micro-credentials: The new way forward to plug talent gaps and support lifelong learning - Arina Sofiah, Human Resources Online

However, the global issue of attracting and retaining talent remains prevalent in the post-pandemic world. In the ICT sector specifically, Singapore faces a talent gap of 19,000, particularly in roles like software engineering and development. As one tech leader pointed out: “Singapore is home to 80 of the world’s top 100 tech companies and over 3,800 tech enabled start-ups, yet one of the nation’s biggest challenges that persists is talent shortage.” As a whole, Singapore needs 1.2mn additional digital workers by 2025 to remain competitive, according to a report commissioned by Amazon Web Services. Clearly, there is a need to nurture a strong pipeline of local talent, including fresh graduates and mid-career professionals, while ensuring our existing workforce remains relevant and competitive in this fast-changing digital economy.

https://www.humanresourcesonline.net/micro-credentials-the-new-way-forward-to-plug-talent-gaps-and-support-lifelong-learning

UT System and Google announce Google Career Certificates for up to 10,000 Texas university students - Catherine Frazier, University of Texas System

The certificates equip people with job-ready skills in the fields of data analytics, e-commerce and digital marketing, IT Support, automation in python, project management and user experience (UX) design. “Pairing a bachelor’s degree with a Google certificate leads to graduates who are both broadly educated and specifically skilled—a winning combination for students and employers,” said UT System Chancellor James B. Milliken. Through Google’s largest university partnership to date and with the support of Coursera, UT institutions will embed the certificates into undergraduate degree programs and co-curricular experiences with options to receive university credit at no additional cost to students.

https://www.utsystem.edu/news/2022/12/09/ut-system-and-google-announce-google-career-certificates-10000-texas-university-students

Millions of Credentials Available – So What’s Next? - Rob Coyle & Kelly Hoyland, IMS Global

However, while we celebrate this growth, we cannot let it distract us from continuing to ensure that as digital credentials become more common, they also become more valuable to both learners and employers.  Credential Engine CEO Scott Cheney made a good point in an article from Inside Higher Ed when he said, “The diversity of the marketplace is both a good thing and a challenge. It shows there’s a lot of innovation and there’s a lot of different ways to advance yourself, but we don’t have good information still about which ones are the best ways, and that’s what we really have to focus on … It’s easy to get lost in this chaos.” 

https://www.imsglobal.org/article/millions-credentials-available

Workforce hampered by broken relationship between community colleges and employers, report finds - Rick Seltzer, Inside Higher Ed

The relationship between community colleges and employers isn’t adequate to feed today’s workforce, especially when it comes to middle-skill jobs, according to a report released Monday that calls on both education and business leaders to revamp their practices. Just 10% of community college leaders said employers would guarantee jobs to students who completed programs, according to the report from Harvard Business School’s Project on Managing the Future of Work and the American Association of Community Colleges. Some 47% of employers said hiring from the open market is more cost effective than spending on training new workers.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/workforce-broken-relationship-community-colleges-employers-HBS-AACC-report/638576/

Young adults want more workforce training - Laura Ascione, eCampus News

In the midst of the growing conversation about the ROI of a college degree, a new report from Multiverse reveals that parental expectations push students to attend college, even though 50 percent of young adults believe a college degree isn’t worth the cost. The report challenges the notion that only one education pathway–a degree–can lead to high-paying and high-growth careers.  Among other compelling data points, the survey revealed that while 48 percent of adults say they were expected to attend college, 76 percent would skip college if their dream job was attainable post-high school.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2022/12/07/young-adults-want-more-workforce-training/

Suggested Alternative Names for ‘Noncredit’ Programs - Matt Reed, Inside Higher Ed

Broadly speaking, “noncredit” programs fall into three major categories: adult basic education, workforce development and personal enrichment. ABE refers to programs like adult literacy or entry-level ESL. They’re meant to address illiteracy or to help recent immigrants learn or improve their English. Workforce development programs are meant to help prepare people for specific types of jobs. Sometimes they substitute for traditional degrees, although they’re also popular among career changers and among folks who need continuing education to remain current in their fields. The final category refers to courses that people take just for personal interest. 

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/confessions-community-college-dean/suggested-alternative-names-%E2%80%98noncredit%E2%80%99-programs

Microcredentials: Why Industry Is in the Driver’s Seat - Vis Naidoo, Cheryl Kinzel, & Natasja Saranchuk; Evolllution

Microcredentials are rooted in the digital badge movement that first gained traction to support adult learning in the workforce. One of the earliest players was a group called Open Badges, created by Mozilla Foundation in 2013 with funding from the MacArthur Foundation. This focus can be traced back to the “use of symbols in ancient times to reflect different meanings (and) has evolved into modern-day usage of digital badges and microcredentials to indicate achievements, knowledge, skills, and competencies.”[1] 

https://evolllution.com/programming/credentials/microcredentials-why-industry-is-in-the-drivers-seat-2/

Seek and ye shall find (some) micro-credentials - Campus Morning Mail, Australia

The Commonwealth-funded MicroCred Seeker was built and will be run by the NSW Universities Admission Centre. There are MCs from just ten universities and five private providers, but a bunch more of institutions are listed, suggesting content from them is imminent. However the big corporates who provide training to all comers aren’t in sight – Google for example, which offers courses via Coursera. Perhaps they don’t fit a definition of MC or are in the queue.  TEQSA-registered providers are getting first go, with others, “able to be onboarded in future phases.”

https://campusmorningmail.com.au/news/seek-and-ye-shall-find-some-micro-credentials/

Retrain, reskill returning OFWs; ensure their stay — Argyll Cyrus Geducos, Manila Bulletin

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. raised the need to “retrain” and “reskill” overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who wish to come back to the country for good as he pointed out that “micro-credentials” will make workers adaptable and diversely skilled.  Marcos said this in a meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) members, where they tackled workers’ skills development and learning recovery programs. According to Marcos, micro-credentials are vital for Filipino workers to remain competitive in the workforce.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/10/marcos-cites-need-to-retrain-reskill-ofws-returning-to-ph-for-good/

Five Thoughts on the Next Five Years: Where Higher Ed is Headed - Vickie Cook, Evolllution

While the most impactful trends will vary somewhat among institution types, this article will review five trends that will impact institutions across the United States in the next few years.... A fourth trend that continues to grow is Continuing Education and alternative credentials. Strategic thinking about the future must include a fortified Continuing Education effort with strong initiatives in building alternative credentials that help students incrementally gain and skills develop their employability. Practicing sound CE principals to deliver customized courses allows for professional skill development to meet the private employment sector’s needs. 

https://evolllution.com/programming/applied-and-experiential-learning/five-thoughts-on-the-next-five-years-where-higher-ed-is-headed/

The Micro-Credentials Movement Has Arrived - Eric Lloyd, Chief Executive

When companies as widely recognized and well established as Boeing, Walmart, and IBM start moving in a similar direction on something, it’s safe to say the idea has legs. In this case, companies are looking towards skills-based hiring in tandem with degree-based hiring. The idea here is for companies to remove “must-have” barriers around hiring—such as “must have an MBA” or “must have a four-year degree”—in favor of hiring for the skills they need in a specific candidate. According to an oft-cited piece of research, hiring for skills is five times more predictive of job performance and, ultimately, results in a better-prepared workforce.

https://chiefexecutive.net/the-micro-credentials-movement-has-arrived/

Arkansas college offers trucking operations 'micro-credential' program - Truckers News Staff (TN)

A new opportunity to learn about how trucking companies operate is available at an Arkansas college.  Focus EduSolutions, in partnership with Arkansas Tech University, announces the launch of a program awarding micro-credentials in Trucking Operations. The program was designed by industry experts for those looking to start a new profession or further their careers. The micro-credentials will teach the basics and fundamentals of how to be successful in trucking.

https://www.truckersnews.com/jobs/article/15304062/arkansas-college-offers-trucking-operations-microcredential-program

Warren Buffett's recent life advice to deal with the stresses of inflation gives you full control of the outcome.- MARCEL SCHWANTES, INC.

Years ago, he counseled that investing in oneself and improving one's own talent "is the best thing you can do." That's why sharpening your skills and becoming consistently good at something is one of the strongest protections against inflation. "Whatever abilities you have can't be taken away from you. They can't actually be inflated away from you," he said. "The best investment by far is anything that develops yourself, and it's not taxed at all." To heed Buffett's advice about being exceptionally good at something, we need to know what exactly we should be good at. 

https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/it-took-warren-buffett-a-few-words-to-give-best-life-advice-you-will-hear-today.html

Increasing Access to Upskilling and Professional Development - Cecilia Buchanan, Fierce Education

Promoting lifelong learning and facilitating success beyond the classroom is a core mission that is shared among many industries including higher education institutions, public libraries, and various government agencies. With the shared goal of connecting individuals to the right learning path for their individual needs, industries across the board can work together to develop the workforce and increase economic growth. 

https://www.fierceeducation.com/student-engagement/increasing-access-upskilling-and-professional-development

Department of Education New Program to Help Students Find Jobs - Cecilia Buchanan, Fierce Education

The U.S. Department of Education recently announced a new initiative that aims to bridge the gap between education and quality jobs. The new plan from the Biden-Harris Administration, Raise the Bar: Unlock Career Success, supports career-connected learning to increase job pathways for students.  Supported by the Departments of Commerce and Labor, the announcement of Raise the Bar: Unlock Career Success pledges to increase and expand access to quality training programs to better prepare students in entering high-demand industries. 

https://www.fierceeducation.com/student-engagement/department-education-new-program-help-students-find-jobs

Embracing Credential Transparency to Connect Education with Work - Teresa Lubbers and Chris Lowery, Fierce Education

In a world where there are nearly one million credentials of all types offered by the nation’s colleges, universities, training programs, boot camps and other education, it’s not always clear where a path from education to work starts or ends. That needs to change — and it’s currently underway. In 2017, Indiana became the first state to sign on with Credential Engine, a national nonprofit that envisions credential transparency and open data as tools to  unlock the learn-and-earn ecosystem nationwide and help every learner make more informed decisions about the credentials they might pursue. 

https://www.fierceeducation.com/leadership/embracing-credential-transparency-connect-education-work

How many unique education credentials exist? More than 1M, according to a new count. - Rick Seltzer, Higher Ed Dive

Almost 1.1 million unique educational credentials exist in the U.S., according to a new tally mapping a sprawling web of certificates, badges, licenses, diplomas and the like — as well as who offers them. The count comes in a report released by the nonprofit Credential Engine, which is trying to improve the available information about learning and career pathways. The report sorted its estimated count of credentials into four buckets: 

350,412 from postsecondary institutions awarding degrees and certificates, down 9,301 from its 2021 tally.

13,014 from MOOC providers awarding course completion certificates, microcredentials and online degrees from foreign universities, up by 3,624.

656,753 from nonacademic providers and 56,179 from secondary schools.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/unique-credentials-certificates-over-1-million/638130/

Open the Title IV Door The federal financial aid system is locking students out of more affordable learning options - Burck Smith, Inside Higher Ed

Ironically, by restricting applicability to accredited colleges, Title IV requires the poorest students to enroll in riskier, higher-priced postsecondary options and not the increasing number of low-cost alternatives, many of which are offered by learning providers other than traditional, accredited postsecondary institutions. Today, there are more than 550,000 postsecondary credentials that are outside the Title IV system, including certificates, badges, licenses and certifications. These range in length, price, value and meaning, but many have gone through evaluations such as American Council on Education Learning Evaluations to determine how many college credits they equate to. Many also cost a fraction of the amount of the equivalent college programs and can be completed much more quickly than a traditional degree program or at a flexible pace.

https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2022/12/06/rethinking-federal-aid-alternative-credentials-opinion