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.”
Thursday, March 16, 2023
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Survey Reveals Employers' Views on Microcredential Benefits, Concerns - Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology
Out of 510 organizational leaders surveyed, 95% reported being at least somewhat familiar with microcredentials, and more than two-thirds (69%) said they were extremely or very familiar with alternative credentials or training. Most survey respondents associated a number of benefits with the inclusion of microcredentials on a prospective employee's résumé. Those included: showing an employee's willingness to develop their skills (cited by 76% of respondents); demonstrating initiative (63%); easily communicating employee competencies and skills (60%); and showing that the employee stays up to date with particular subject areas (56%).
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Strategically Aligning Higher Ed and Workforce Using Microcredentials - Falecia Williams, Evolllution
Microcredentials are the next big disruptor in higher education, but implanting them successfully means listening to students and responding to their needs as well as close collaboration with industry to ensure relevancy. With the talent gap continuing to grow and learners looking to stay relevant in the job market, workforce and higher ed need to be on the same page. Microcredentials can help align these two industries—if done correctly. In this interview, Falecia Williams discusses the need to focus on microcredentials, the importance of speaking the same skills language and how to work closely with industry to meet the employer and learner needs.
Monday, March 13, 2023
Why higher ed needs to get on board with micro-credentials - Alcino Donadel, University Business
With alternative and non-degree credentials becoming ever more appealing to employers, colleges and universities are in the perfect position to corner the market. A new study focusing on employers’ perspectives on micro-credentials reveals that while a strong majority of them believe it boosts a prospective hire’s value, not enough colleges and universities are capitalizing on it. More than 70% of respondents agreed that job applicants with non-degree or alternative credentials have increased the past two years and those hires helped their organization fill an existing skill gap (74%) and improved the quality of their workforce (73%). It’s no wonder, then, that 71% affirmed that their organization is becoming more accepting of non-degree or alternative credentials in lieu of traditional four-year degrees.
Sunday, March 12, 2023
Micro-Internships Give Women a Foot in the Tech Industry Door - Ashley Mowreader, Inside HIgher Ed
Judy Spitz, a former Verizon chief information officer, wants to close that gap by helping college-age women receive paid summer internships. Spitz founded Break Through Tech working with Cornell Tech as a partner. The organization’s Sprinternship program places students in short-term programs to gain hands-on tech experience in a workplace setting. The program has proven successful in giving project-based learning opportunities to over 1,000 women and getting the majority of them in that coveted next-step intern role.
Saturday, March 11, 2023
Micro-credentials, maximum impact: Quick Train courses contribute to cleaner, more inclusive economy - Red River College Polytechnic
Manitoba’s only polytechnic is ready to boost Canada’s resilient recovery, with the introduction of Quick Train Canada, a fully funded series of micro-credentials from post-secondary institutions throughout the country. RRC Polytech is part of a coalition of Canadian colleges, polytechnics and cégeps, called Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2), that worked together to secure federal funding for this important training initiative, and is the only Manitoba institution to offer Quick Train courses.
Friday, March 10, 2023
Graduates with industry micro-credentials more likely to be hired, reveals Coursera report - Ayantika Palm, Financial Express
Employers are 72% more likely to hire candidates with professional certificates along with degrees, revealed Higher Education to Employment Survey by Coursera. Furthermore, it suggested that 37% of ‘middle skills’ jobs, (defined as jobs which require some post-secondary education or training but less than a four year degree), still need a degree. In India, unemployment among youth between the age of 20-24 years was at an all-time high of 43.7% in June of 2022 the report read.
Thursday, March 9, 2023
Employers value microcredentials but don’t know how to assess their quality - Natalie Schwartz, Higher Ed Dive
Although a majority of surveyed employers say they value alternative credentials, many also harbor concerns over assessing the quality of education and understanding the skills and competencies they represent. That’s according to a recent survey of 510 employers from the University Professional and Continuing Education Association, also known as UPCEA, and Collegis Education, a technology services provider for colleges. Despite their concerns, 23% of respondents said the greatest benefit alternative credentials provide are giving workers real-world experience.
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Ministry of Education, Coursera to develop innovative lifelong learning system in UAE - Emerates News
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Coursera, a leading online learning platform, to develop an innovative lifelong learning system in the UAE. The agreement was signed during the World Government Summit (WGS) 2023 by Dr. Mohamed Ebrahim Al Mualla, Under-Secretary for Academic Affairs at MoE, and Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera, in the presence of Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, and other senior officials. The MoU aims to enhance cooperation between the two parties in establishing local and international partnerships to promote credit-recommended content in the UAE. The partnership will also support UAE-based higher education institutions in developing credit-worthy micro-credentials.
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Specialization Recruitment Employers turning to micro-credentials in hiring - Dexter Tilo, Human Resources Director
Industry micro-credentials are emerging as the latest hiring preference for many employers across the world as they begin leaning into skills-based hiring, according to a new report. In a Coursera survey of 1,668 employers from 11 countries, 88% said they believe that industry micro-credentials can help a job candidate stand out. Micro-credentials are a "record of focused learning achievement," according to UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP).
Monday, March 6, 2023
Lessons Learned: Implementing Digital Badging Strategies - Sherri Braxton, Evolllution
Digital badging and credentials allow students to tangibly prove their skills to employers—skills they can learn quickly and efficiently as needed, pointing to a broader trend of higher education needing to work for the student and not the other way around.
With an increasing amount of people looking to change careers or find the skills to keep them relevant in the workforce, there’s growing interest in credentials and digital badging. Learners want to be able to gain skills employers can immediately verify without interrupting their careers. This means more institutions are looking to get onboard and implement credentials and badges—but they don’t have to start from scratch. In this interview, Sherri Braxton discusses the importance of developing digital badges, how to overcome common obstacles and the lessons she learned while implementing these strategies.
Sunday, March 5, 2023
The Role of Soft Skills in the Workplace - Emily Torp, At Work Daily
In today’s competitive job market, possessing technical skills alone may not be enough to ensure career success. Employers are increasingly recognizing the importance of soft skills in the workplace. Job seekers who possess these skills are more likely to be hired and promoted. So, what are soft skills? Soft skills are a set of personal attributes that enable individuals to interact effectively with others. These skills are often referred to as interpersonal skills or people skills. They include things like communication, problem-solving, teamwork, time management, and leadership.
Saturday, March 4, 2023
91% students, 92% employers in India believe professional certificates can help get jobs - India Today
Both students and businesses are placing an increasing priority on the value of professional certifications in response to a cutthroat, rapidly evolving job market. As per a recent Coursera survey, 91% of students, 92% of employers in India believe professional certificates can help get jobs. The findings of Coursera's Higher Education to Employment Survey show the extent to which skills-first credentials are impacting both college selection by students and employment decisions by employers.
Friday, March 3, 2023
Expert's Voice | Jeff Maggioncalda, Global CEO of Coursera, Says Micro-Credentials Help Secure Jobs - Forbes
Jeff Maggioncalda, Global CEO of Coursera, tells Ramia Farrage that micro-credentials will help applicants secure the jobs of the future #ExpertsVoice #Forbes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-f4x-yPQaI
Thursday, March 2, 2023
Westminster launching micro-credential programs - Gia Francisco, WCN
What exactly are micro-credentials, and how will they apply to Westminster students? According to the National Education Association, micro-credentials are "a competency-based recognition issued for professional learning experiences." Westminster will now introduce the micro-credential as digital badges that appear on transcripts. The College will award the badges to students who learn, demonstrate and showcase specific skills in a particular field.
This month, the Board of Trustees approved the Data Analytics Micro-credential program. It comes from the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and the School of Business. To complete the credential, a student must complete 12 hours of coursework identified in computer science and business. Data analytics focuses on analyzing raw data to make conclusions about that information.
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
New Coursera survey shows high demand for industry micro-credentials from students and employers in tight labor market - Scott Shireman, Global Head of Coursera for Campus
In a competitive and fast-changing labor market, employers increasingly expect their entry-level talent to join their workforce already equipped with job-relevant skills and hands-on experience. At the same time, university-age students and their parents are thinking more critically about the ROI of traditional three and four-year degree programs: most notably, whether students will secure a job after graduation. As a result, Coursera is seeing universities and colleges around the world leverage entry-level professional certificates, also known as industry micro-credentials, and career-relevant skills training in their degree programs to improve student recruitment and graduate employability.
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Apprenticeship programs are becoming more popular as an alternative to college - Jessica Dickler, CNBC
Some experts say the value of a bachelor’s degree is fading and more emphasis should be directed toward career training. A growing number of companies, including many in tech, are also dropping degree requirements for many middle-skill and even higher-skill roles. In an apprenticeship program, a company generally trains a student in one skill for a specific field. That often leads to a job, sidestepping the traditional college path — and costs. Over a decade, the number of registered apprentices rose 64%, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Monday, February 27, 2023
Cabrini University Joins Global edX Network, Offering Its First MicroMasters® and MicroBachelors® Programs and Bringing Existing Online Degrees to the edX Platform
Cabrini University and edX, a leading global online learning platform from 2U, Inc., today announced that Cabrini has joined the global edX partner network and will be bringing its existing online Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Master of Education in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment programs to edX under the platform's flexible degree model. Additionally, Cabrini—a renowned private Catholic university—will launch a MicroMasters program in education, creating a stackable master's degree pathway for those looking to continue their studies at a renowned institution, as well as a MicroBachelors program in social sciences.
Sunday, February 26, 2023
TRU tasked with developing provincial process to assess short-term courses STUDYING MICRO-CREDENTIALS - Kristen Holliday, CastaNet
Thompson Rivers University’s Open Learning division has been tasked with developing a provincial process to assess micro-credentials — short-term, easy to access courses — offered at institutions across B.C. In a news release, TRU said it received $73,143 to assess up to 15 provincially funded micro-credentials that have been awarded to post-secondary institutions.The university said it formed a committee of representatives from post-secondary institutions to develop an assessment process and provide recommendations.
Saturday, February 25, 2023
Senate legislation would address teacher shortage in Kentucky schools - THE NEWS-ENTERPRISE
The bill addresses workforce shortages and alternative teacher certifications under what is known as “Option 6” certification. This bill will extend the current program from three to five years. This legislative reform will benefit over 1,600 teachers currently enrolled in the program across our commonwealth. Kentucky, like all states, faces a workforce shortage in various industries and education is not immune, the release said. According to recent reporting by the Courier Journal using figures from the Kentucky Department of Education, the state is short approximately 1,700 classroom educators. SB 49 will help alleviate the teacher shortage by extending how long a provisional teacher certificate lasts, providing more time for candidates with baccalaureate degrees to complete alternate teacher certification, the release said.
Friday, February 24, 2023
Akowe wants to put Nigerian certificates on the blockchain, and here’s how it will work - Bolu Abiodun, TechPoint Africa
If you graduated from a Nigerian public university, getting your certificate or transcript was probably a time-consuming process, with verification taking forever. Akowe, a startup founded by Ayodeji Agboola in 2020, wants to leverage the power of the blockchain to digitise certificate issuance and verification. Per the founder, it is a digital wallet for verified and verifiable academic records.
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