Monday, August 14, 2023

IIT Madras to offer new online certificate programme for practising engineers - Careers 360

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is offering an online certificate programme in ‘Additive Manufacturing Technologies for Practising Engineers’. The new certificate programme will be offered through its Center for Outreach and Digital Education (CODE). Candidates with a bachelor's degree in engineering or applied sciences or basic sciences with at least three years of working experience are eligible to apply. 

Sunday, August 13, 2023

Program Launch: One-Stop for Internships, Co-Ops - Ashley Mowreader, Inside Higher Ed

To break down silos and increase access to work-based learning, Old Dominion University established a new department focused on internships for all students on campus. Many higher ed professionals are focused on adding internship opportunities and increasing participation. Leaders at Old Dominion University, for example, aim to better connect students with relevant work experience and break down barriers to access through the Monarch Internship and Co-Op Office, centralizing experiential learning opportunities across campus for all learners.

Saturday, August 12, 2023

Micro-Credential Market to See Huge Growth by 2028 : Udemy, Microsoft, FutureLearn, Coursera - SB Wire

Micro-credentials may be the next big thing in employment upskilling, and institutions, non-profits, and corporations are already using them. Because anyone can offer a micro-credential and there are no official constraints, the standards for each credential differ widely. These credentials can be obtained by completing a series of online exams, writing an essay, or putting together a presentation. Micro-credentials are often shorter than other credential options such as college degrees or certificate programs, however, this is not always the case because the requirements are defined by the credential-granting school. This means that the source of your micro-credential is important, as not all micro-credentials are created equal,

Friday, August 11, 2023

What are micro-credentials and can they help you get a job? - Aoibhinn Mc Bride, Tech.eu

We're having a look at the value of micro-credentials for job seekers and how flexible online courses can enhance your CV and ensure career relevance in a dynamic job market. While further study will usually sit in the education section of your resume or application, micro-credentials relate to online courses or achievements that aren’t necessarily connected to the job you’re applying for, but which give hiring managers a better idea of the bigger picture. 

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Report Finds Microcredentials Poorly Understood or Utilized by American Workers But Critical for Professional Development - Kate Lucariello, Campus Technology

A new research report, "Enabling Learning for Life: New Realities for Work and Education," by global technology company D2L, suggests that while American workers are interested in upskilling in their careers, they have little understanding of the value of microcredentials and how to go about obtaining them. The study draws on reports published over the last five years, the company said. It particularly asks questions about how higher education can play a significant role in helping workers upskill to meet the demands of the "paradigm shift" toward emerging jobs based heavily on new technology, including AI.

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

From Novelty to Necessity: Strategic Microcredential Development and Universal Recognition in Higher - Ed Erica Noll-Crawford, Evolllution

So, higher ed really has to step up its game if it wants to keep up. That said, microcredentials must be intentional. Higher ed often wants to create cool, new degrees that might sound fun, but don’t have a true job market for. They also might turn to Microcredentials to do the same thing—building a program out for fun or personal interest rather than for Workforce Development. However, we’ve found that it’s better when creating microcredentials is an intentional process. At Miami University Regionals, we don’t approve new microcredentials unless a business or industry signs off on it. We want students to have job opportunities with these credentials, so we must have strategy and meaning behind what we create or offer.

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Navigating Microcredentials and VFR - Paul Walsh, Evolllution

Higher education does not have one mandated logbook for determining how to get where you are going with microcredentials. Even our accreditors (FAA?) don’t offer much on microcredentials beyond warning of breaching the golden rule of the credit hour. A search for microcredentials on the MSCHE website resulted in zero hits. The EvoLLLution, to its credit, has featured microcredentials over 205 times since the term was coined nearly a decade ago. I’d be preaching to the choir if I repeated everything that has already been written on the benefits of or lessons learned in microcredentialing projects. Allow me to hit some highlights and offer a few visual flight rules regardless of whether you’re sitting at the airport plotting your course and waiting for clear skies or already aloft.

Monday, August 7, 2023

Define, Refine and Design: A Collaborative Approach for Introducing Microcredentials to Your Learning Ecosystem - Jeremy Lingle, Katie Linder, Jason Drysdale, Evollution

Recently at CU Denver, we have focused on shoring up the infrastructure for our microcredential offerings. One core element of this initiative: internal working groups comprised of faculty and staff from a range of campus teams. Our engagement with external partners has also led to some important discoveries as we explore how to respond to learner and market needs nimbly and proactively. Through this collaborative work, we have identified several obstacles and opportunities for introducing microcredentials as a key campus strategy: (1) developing a shared understanding of microcredentials, (2) identifying and prioritizing solutions for process inefficiencies, (3) clarifying resources for determining market need and (4) creating supports for program developers.

https://evolllution.com/programming/credentials/define-refine-and-design-a-collaborative-approach-for-introducing-microcredentials-to-your-learning-ecosystem/

Sunday, August 6, 2023

Strategic and Operational Roadblocks to Broad Acceptance of Microcredentials - Mike Jackson and Michelle Alvarez, Evolllution

There is still no agreement among higher education institutions and other entities developing microcredentials as to what constitutes a microcredential, with definitions varying by institution or entity. There are efforts to develop a shared taxonomy, but that effort has not yet been broadly embraced. Institutions launching microcredentials have had to develop their own vision and framework for utilizing microcredentials on their campus, author their own taxonomy, develop a review or governance process, identify the badging platform they will use and develop a process for awarding the badges.

Saturday, August 5, 2023

The On-Ramp to Scaling Microcredentials: Advice from the Acceleration - Lane Arthur Thomas, Evolllution

Depending where your institution seems to be along the continuum—from offering just a few microcredentials to offering many—there are some things to keep in mind if you want to achieve large scale with these types of offerings. Every institution is different, but there are some common principles that can determine how this sort of transformation will evolve. So, as you turn onto the entrance ramp, destined for a significant offering of microcredentials at scale, let’s review a few approaches that can help you pick up speed.

Friday, August 4, 2023

Process Keys to Microcredential Success - Daria LaTorre, Evolllution

As demand for microcredentials continues to grow, it’s critical that institutions focus on fulfilling the mission at the heart of microcredentials—flexible, affordable and relevant short-term education—through collaboration and student centricity.
Institutions may encounter both strategic and operational roadblocks when developing microcredential programs. With so much variety in content and format, it can be a challenge to strategize and launch a plan for a microcredentialing initiative. However, with some thoughtful planning that keeps efficiency at its core, institutions can effectively develop microcredentials to best serve their student learners.

Thursday, August 3, 2023

Upskilling: Why It’s Important and How Higher Education Can Help - Cecilia Buchanan, Fierce Education

Key findings of the report include: Continuous upskilling is not the norm—yet: 80% of U.S. adults expressed some interest in pursuing additional skills training in the next year but only 35% had pursued some form of professional development/upskilling. There is no clear preference for training providers: 15% of U.S. adults said they are not sure where to go if they need to build additional professional or technical skills that are job- or industry-specific. Micro-credentials may hold promise, but they’re not yet widely understood by individuals: 30% of U.S. adults didn’t know how to describe what a micro-credential is in response to an open-ended question.

https://www.fierceeducation.com/student-engagement/upskilling-why-its-important-and-how-institutions-can-help

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Micro-Credentials and Digital Badging to Become Staple in HR Field, Says Test Preparation Expert HRCP - Yahoo Finance

The global market for online degrees and micro-credentials is expected to reach $117 billion by 2025, as people become more adapted to e-learning settings. According to HRCP, a leading provider of human resource study materials, micro-credentials allow people to learn knowledge or skills in bite-sized chunks and pass an evaluation to earn a credential for a very specific skill or area. These credentials stack, allowing people to earn a digital badge once they've finished a certain set of micro-credentials. Digital badges can be displayed on the person's resume, email signature, or social media as proof of their achievement.

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Thinking about a microcredential course? 4 things to consider first - Simon Leonard, the Conversation

Preparing people for professional environments has always been a core purpose of universities, and the adoption of microcredentials will likely expand the ways this can be done. A microcredential, however, is a different educational proposition to a traditional degree course. So it is important the consumer chooses wisely. But even though they are different, the two are still compatible. You may even find yourself engaging in both traditional university courses and microcredentials as you evolve and adapt throughout your career.

https://theconversation.com/thinking-about-a-microcredential-course-4-things-to-consider-first-207619

Monday, July 31, 2023

Microcredentials far from maturity, Educause poll finds - EdScoop

Non-degree credentials and certificates have been offered by colleges for years, but few programs are well-established, a survey found. While non-degree credentials and certificates have been offered across higher education for years, those programs frequently are not well-established, the poll found. Only 9% of respondents indicated that their institution has a mature microcredential program, while 19% said their institution did not offer any microcredentials at all and 4% said they didn’t know about any microcredentialing at their institution. A majority of respondents, 69%, indicated they are in the early stages of launching or expanding microcredential programs.

Sunday, July 30, 2023

UNO’s New Microcredentials Offer Rapid Upskilling to Meet Top Workforce Needs - University of Nebraska Omaha

New short-form course offerings from the University of Nebraska at Omaha will provide learners of all ages and from all industries with opportunities to learn in-demand skills and fill critical workforce gaps in a short amount of time.Beginning in Fall 2023, UNO will begin to offer microcredential programs. These flexible, affordable, and accessible new course offerings enable learners to increase their knowledge of in-demand skills through short-form non-credit courses.

Saturday, July 29, 2023

Micro-credentials: Empowering Filipinos for the future of work Noemi Lardizabal-Dado - Noemi Lardizabal-Dado, Manila Times

In an evolving tech landscape, micro-credentials are proving to be instrumental for upskilling and reskilling. Micro-credentials are skill-centric certifications aimed at helping learners enhance their proficiency across various knowledge domains. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized the value of micro-credentials for Filipino workers to stay competitive in a meeting with members of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) last year. "It's not a four-year course. It's not a degree. But you can present this to qualify for a job," said President Marcos. He emphasized the need to provide retraining and reskilling opportunities for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) intending to return to the country.

Friday, July 28, 2023

Free college in Colorado? It’s covered if you’re interested in teaching, firefighting, law enforcement, construction or forestry - Jenny Brundin, Colorado Public Radio

Colorado has such dire workforce shortages in early childhood education, education, firefighting, law enforcement, construction and forestry that if you want a job in those fields, the state will pay for your college education to get a job. Gov. Jared Polis officially launched the program “Career Advance Colorado” on Tuesday. It will provide tuition, fees and course materials to students on those specific career training paths. “We’re excited to save Coloradans money and train people for good-paying jobs by offering free community college education for in-demand positions at the state’s 19 community and technical colleges,” Polis said.

https://www.cpr.org/2023/07/18/colorado-free-college-career-advance-program/

Thursday, July 27, 2023

Recruiters Say Alternative Credentials Can Land You a Job, But Validating Them is a Challenge - Business Wire

As college degrees become more expensive and post-grad salaries stagnate, job seekers are turning to more affordable options such as coding bootcamps and certification programs. According to Capterra’s 2023 Alternative Credentials survey of 300 recruiters, 96% of them say they’ve had at least one applicant submit a resume with an alternative credential in the past year. “Dropping inequitable college degree requirements on job openings and recognizing the value certificates, digital badges, or other alternative credentials can bring to an organization are a great start.” However, as the demand for alternative credentials surges, recruiters also face a significant challenge in validating their authenticity and relevance for specific jobs. A significant 43% of recruiters say they sometimes or always don’t recognize an alternative credit when it appears on a resume, and 71% agree that evaluating the quality of alternative credentials is harder than assessing a college degree.


Wednesday, July 26, 2023

NNSA to award $2.17 million for new apprenticeship programs - National Nuclear Security Administration

“Across the NSE, we see a need for a greater number of skilled trade workers. Training in these areas is increasingly limited; therefore, the ACCESS program is working to develop training programs to fill the gaps,” said Dr. Kevin Greenaugh, Chief Science and Technology Officer, Office of Defense Programs. Hardinge, Inc., Elmira, NY, will receive $978,053, for the project Level Up @ Hardinge, which will recruit and train apprentices in advanced manufacturing for the workforces at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Kansas City National Security Campus, and Y-12 National Security Site. 

https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/articles/nnsa-award-217-million-new-apprenticeship-programs#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20%E2%80%93%20The%20U.S.%20Department%20of,emerging%20technician%20positions%20throughout%20its

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

7 Questions on Experiential Learning at Indiana U - Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology

I started with reading a lot of books about advertising and how it works and all that stuff, but as I taught more and more, I gradually realized that the best thing is to just have the students do some advertising. That allowed me to not have to figure out in advance how I'm going to teach every single thing, but rather make corrections or adjustments as we go along. If you're a good teacher, you can pay attention to what people need, at what time they need it, and go into it and help them. So experiential learning is a big part of how I teach. I'm always looking for projects that have some meat and gravitas to them.