Perceptions About the Tight U.S. Labor Market - George Lorenzo, Workforce Monitor

The labor market obviously has dramatic effects on our nation’s overall social and economic well-being on multiple levels. Understanding how the current, long-standing tight labor market has positively and dramatically impacted the lives of previously marginalized job seekers, gives us an informative window into how we can maintain such positivity well into the future.  A tight labor market is one marked by consistently low unemployment rates that result in many employers being challenged to maintain adequate staffing levels. Tight labor markets create new and enhanced hiring scenarios for job seekers who have typically been sidelined.

https://wfmonitor.com/2023/04/25/tight-labor-market/

NJ’s Cannabis Apprenticeship Training Initiative seeks apprentices - Rowan University

New Jersey’s Cannabis Apprenticeship Training Initiative—one of the nation’s first programs dedicated to training workers in the growing cannabis retail field—is gearing up to welcome its first group of 20 students this summer. A pilot program uniquely presented by a broad consortium committed to workforce development in the state, the Cannabis Apprenticeship Training Initiative will provide industry-specific training for employees in the cannabis retail sector. The apprenticeship program is unregistered because cannabis currently is not legal at the federal level.

https://today.rowan.edu/news/2023/04/cannabis-apprenticeship-program.html

Robotics In Energy – A New UH Micro-Credential Course - Rashda Khan, University of Houston

“A huge gap exists between the expertise of the current workforce and the dynamic growth in robotics and their capabilities,” said Ramanan Krishnamoorti, vice president of energy and innovation at the University of Houston. “The workforce, now and in the future, needs to be really knowledgeable about technology – not only for optimal efficiency, but also to adapt to changing scenarios and innovate new solutions.” To address this skill gap challenge, UH’s Subsea Systems Institute (SSI), in collaboration with SPRINT Robotics – an internationally recognized not-for-profit organization, has developed a four-part series of micro-credentialing courses focused on robotics. UH, located the Energy Capital of the World, is perfectly positioned to bring together all the key elements needed for an impactful industry-focused robotics course.

https://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2023/april-2023/04192023-robotics-energy.php

Educators can learn more about economics through UNLV's 8-week, $35 economics microcredential - KTNV

The UNLV's Center for Business and Economic research will start their next economics microcredential for Clark County School District teachers on April 15. However, an official with UNLV said teachers are able to register until May 15 due to the nature of the class being online and asynchronous. The economics microcredential comes after a a legislative pass in 2017 that requires teaching of economics in classrooms. CBER said they saw a need to, "help teachers teach economics in the classroom." The class will be taught by a UNLV Lee Business School economics professor according to the college. The class is also said to meet once in person to provide further support of the materials and to learn specific activities.

https://www.ktnv.com/news/education/educators-can-learn-more-about-economics-through-unlvs-8-week-35-economics-microcredential

Autonomy, Microcredentials Address Need for Effective STEM Educators in Grant-funded Professional Learning Program Co-developed by Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Gail Jones - Janine Bowen, NC State

“Gaining Retention and Effectiveness through Advancing Teacher-Centered STEM Professional Learning for STEM Elementary Teachers in Rural Communities” will provide teachers in high-need school districts with a professional learning program that includes teacher-identified learning needs and goals, competency-based online microcredentials, microcredential coaching and support, and teacher compensation and recognition for achievements. The project will be conducted in collaboration with Appalachian State University. The College of Education will receive $254,813 of the overall $993,814 in funding from the National Science Foundation. 

https://ced.ncsu.edu/news/2023/04/17/autonomy-microcredentials-address-need-for-effective-stem-educators-in-grant-funded-professional-learning-program-co-developed-by-alumni-distinguished-graduate-professor-gail-jones/

DCC Announces New Microcredential in Cannabis Retail Management - Dutchess Community College

Dutchess Community College unveiled a new Business program offering on Saturday during a Cannabis Workforce Initiative (CWI) event held in Greenspan Cafeteria. The Cannabis Retail Management microcredential will welcome its first cohort in fall 2023, with registration now officially open. What is a microcredential? Microcredentials are short, focused credentials designed to provide in-demand skills, know-how and experience. Stackable microcredentials can also provide a pathway to a certificate or full degree. The 13-credit microcredential will help students develop critical business skills in retail management, merchandising, storeroom operations, cost control, customer service and cannabis science.

https://www.sunydutchess.edu/about/facts/news/articles/cannabis-retail-management-microcredential.html

Silver Program Excellence Award Goes to St. Lawrence College

The silver winning entry, Integrating Digital Micro-Credentials into Correction Canada’s Learning Management System, is a partnership with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) to integrate self-guided digital micro-credentials into the learning management system at CSC. This is a brand-new learning opportunity and the first of its kind in Canada. Each micro-credential earned comes with a digital badge that can be shared with employers and added to a digital profile or portfolio. 

https://www.stlawrencecollege.ca/news/silver-program-excellence-award-goes-to-st-lawrence-college

Northern State University now offers micro-credentials - Lori Walsh, Ellen Koester, Ari Jungemann; SDPB Radio |

Northern State University is offering a new digital way for students to flaunt their skills to employers. Take a free micro-credentialing course at NSU to get a digital badge certification in highly-marketable skills. Joshua Citrak is the director of innovator empowerment at the university. He joins In the Moment to explain what a micro-credential is and how you could get one.

https://listen.sdpb.org/education/2023-04-20/northern-state-university-now-offers-micro-credentials

Five Erath students make Vermilion Parish history - KATC

These five Erath High School students made Vermilion Parish history this month as they became the first ever group of aspiring teachers in the school district to earn the Educators Rising “Classroom Culture” Micro-Credential! The “Classroom Culture” Micro-credential is the first in a series of five different “Beginning to Teach” credentials offered through the Educators Rising curriculum for preservice educators. Each micro-credential submission requires an estimated 5-15 hours of work. Congratulations to the following students on this historical accomplishment! 

https://www.katc.com/news/vermilion-parish/five-erath-students-make-vermilion-parish-history

Career-Focused Credentials Are Booming. We Need to Know What They’re Worth. - Michelle Van Noy and Kermit Kaleba, Governing

But this proliferation of credentials raises questions about their quality and value. Credential Engine reports that there are nearly 1 million credentials being offered in the U.S., only about 20 percent of which are traditional degrees awarded by colleges and universities. A lack of consistent, reliable quality standards for career-focused credentials makes it difficult for job seekers to select the right programs and for employers to assess whether credentials demonstrate specific skills and competencies. For their part, policymakers need better standards and more outcomes data to inform their efforts to expand financial aid and other support to help learners access the credentials they need.

https://www.governing.com/work/career-focused-credentials-are-booming-we-need-to-know-what-theyre-worth

U.S. Inching Closer to Goal of Working Adults Attaining Degree or Credential - Liann Herder, Diverse Education

Nearly 54% of working age adults in the U.S. have achieved some kind of postsecondary degree or credential, putting the country even closer to the Lumina Foundation’s goal of 60% attainment by 2025. Lumina, a private nonprofit working to increase learning opportunities for all after high school, has been tracking credential and degree attainment for adults from 25 to 64 years of age since 2008. The latest numbers for 2021 have revealed the largest two-year increase in degree attainment since Lumina began this project.

https://www.diverseeducation.com/reports-data/article/15306261/us-inching-closer-to-goal-of-60-of-working-adults-attaining-degree-or-credential

Coursera Survey: Student and Employer Demand for Microcredentials Is High - Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology

According to a global survey from Coursera, employers and students alike see value in microcredentials that document job-relevant skills and experience. The online learning provider commissioned research firm Dynata to poll 3,600 students and employers across eight countries — Australia, India, France, Germany, Mexico, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States — about the motivations, needs, and challenges of both students pursuing a degree and employers hiring them. Globally, 89% of students in the survey agreed or strongly agreed that earning an entry-level professional certificate or microcredential will help them stand out to employers and secure jobs when they graduate.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2022/09/29/coursera-survey-student-and-employer-demand-for-microcredentials-is-high.aspx

Filling the gap between curricula and workplace skills in Asia with microcredentials -Times Higher Education

Microcredentials can assist graduates and working professionals to meet changing industry demands, but more needs to be done to fill the gap between curricula and in-demand skills. In a webinar held by Times Higher Education in partnership with Coursera, an expert panel centred its discussion on microcredentials, how they can be integrated into university curricula and what needs to improve to fill the skills gap in Asia. The integration of microcredentials into curricula is essential to assist graduates in meeting industry demands. “Especially in the case of microcredentials, which are highly related to industry, the university can collaborate with businesses to come up with some great courses where input from industry is used to help design the curriculum,” said Ewe Hong Tat, president of the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/filling-gap-between-curricula-and-workplace-skills-asia-microcredentials

RSU students earn OSRHE-approved micro-credentials - Claremont Daily

Two dozen Rogers State University students are scheduled to graduate this spring as the first in the state to earn an Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE)-approved micro-credential as a drone pilot. As the first to earn this OSRHE-approved recognition, these students will graduate with an increased mastery in a particular area of STEM, giving them specialized skills and an increased viability as they enter the workforce. “As a state, in relation to workforce development, there has been a push from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for universities to provide short, focused credentials designed to provide in-demand skills. This has taken the form of micro-credentials,” said R. Curtis Sparling, RSU Technology and Justice Studies interim department head and assistant professor. 

https://www.claremoreprogress.com/news/rsu-students-earn-osrhe-approved-micro-credentials/article_12d2792e-dafe-11ed-a83e-37a1bb899ada.html

The Race to Decarbonize America Needs More Workers - Matt Simon, Wired

The US already has all the technology needed to rapidly bring down carbon emissions. The trouble is finding enough people to install it all. So the jobs are there, but qualified workers to fill them are harder to find. “The green transition is going to generate upwards of 25 million new jobs [in the US] in the next 15 years—this is just going to be a tremendous transformation of the US workforce,” says Mark Paul, an environmental economist at Rutgers University. “You can’t outsource the installation of heat pumps or solar panels on somebody’s roof to China or Bangladesh.”  But, Paul adds, “do we have enough electricians, enough solar installers, enough wind installers, enough home retrofitters to transition immediately? Absolutely not.”

https://www.wired.com/story/the-race-to-decarbonize-america-needs-more-workers/

7 trends and innovations shaping the future of college, university education - India Today

The future of higher education is exciting, and students and young professionals must be aware of the trends and innovations shaping it. Online learning, personalised learning, micro-credentials, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and data analytics are just some of the trends and innovations that are transforming higher education.... 3. Micro-credentials are short, focused learning programs that offer students a quick way to acquire new skills and knowledge. Micro-credentials are often offered online and are designed to be completed in a short period, usually a few weeks or months. These programs are an excellent way for students to gain specific skills and knowledge that are in high demand in the job market, without having to commit to a long-term degree program.

https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/7-trends-and-innovations-shaping-the-future-of-college-university-education-2359919-2023-04-14

What’s New with Microcredentials in Higher Education? - Andy Viano, EdTech

Solving the enrollment crisis is a complicated and daunting task with no quick fix, but the confluence of two significant economic developments offers a good place to start: High school graduates, many of whom watched their parents carry burdensome student loans deep into adulthood, are questioning the value of a costly four-year degree. Employers, faced with a shortage of qualified job candidates, are more willing to take on new workers who lack an advanced degree and instead have job-specific skills that can be honed through on-the-job training. That’s led to an explosion of interest in certificate programs — bite-sized educational pathways that give students proof of competency in the form of microcredentials.

https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2023/04/whats-new-microcredentials-higher-education-perfcon

Portuguese Language and Cultures Online Undergraduate Certificate

The UMass Dartmouth certificate in Portuguese Language and Cultures helps develop and strengthen communication skills in Portuguese, as well as understanding of related cultures. A strong foundation in the Portuguese language and Lusophone cultures prepares students to pursue further coursework in Portuguese and related areas. It also prepares students to take advantage of opportunities in fields such as international relations, business, translation and interpretation, teaching, government, and many more. Eligible students have earned a high school diploma. 

https://www.umassd.edu/programs/portuguese-language-culture-cert-online/

Manhattanville College and The Windward School Announce Online Certificate Program in Dyslexia Education

he Rose Institute at Manhattanville College and The Windward School, a leading independent day school for children with language-based learning disabilities, have announced their collaboration to offer a new 16-credit online certificate program for teachers. The Dyslexia and Science of Reading Advanced Certificate will give these educators an in-depth understanding of the research and evidence supporting the Science of Reading.

https://www.prweb.com/releases/manhattanville_college_and_the_windward_school_announce_online_certificate_program_in_dyslexia_education/prweb19273875.htm

RSU students become first in state to earn drone pilot credentials - Alexandria Tafoya, KTUL

Rogers State University announced Friday that 24 students are scheduled to graduate this spring and earn Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education-approved micro-credentials as drone pilots. While graduating with the credential recognizes these students' increased mastery in their area of study, this accomplishment is especially significant considering they will be the first students in Oklahoma to do so.

https://ktul.com/news/local/rsu-students-become-first-in-state-to-earn-drone-pilot-credentials

Will ‘Microcredentials’ Revolutionize Higher Ed? - GEORGE LEEF, National Review

That something might be “microcredentials,” and in today’s Martin Center article, Rick Hess peers into his crystal ball to see if they might be the next big thing. Hess writes, “The idea is simple: Formal learning has to be somehow measured. Microcredentialing offers a way to more precisely assess and document that learning. Microcredentials signal completion of short courses in specific marketable skills. Some of the more popular and useful ones cover discrete expertise in high-demand fields like IT support, data analytics, and cybersecurity.”

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/will-microcredentials-revolutionize-higher-ed/