Microcredentials – sometimes referred to as non-degree or short-term credentials – have grown in popularity, raising many questions about their worth. In the U.S., the public has more familiarity with degrees than short-term credentials, says Marni Baker Stein, chief content officer at Coursera, an open online course provider. "There's a lot of information about short-form credentials out there on the internet that people can search for," she says. "But one has to really make sure that you are reaching out to a trusted source because there's so much misinformation out there around certificates and their value." Here's what to consider before pursuing these credentials.
Sunday, July 21, 2024
Saturday, July 20, 2024
Weber State University to develop degrees, certificates taught in Spanish - Rob Nielse, Standard
Weber State University is launching a sweeping program in the hope of building a stronger bilingual workforce. The university announced last month it is aiming to develop a program that will offer certificates and degrees through classes taught entirely in Spanish. Known as the Building Puentes program, the effort was made possible in large part thanks to a $2.5 million grant from the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, according to a press release. “The Building Puentes program will offer ‘stackable credentials’ — courses designed to build on each other so that a certificate could count toward an associate’s degree, which could then count toward a bachelor’s degree in the same area of study,” the release said.
Friday, July 19, 2024
CU Boulder, Google launch free career certificate program for students and staff - University of Colorado Boulder
CU Boulder is the first four-year institution in Colorado to partner with Google to offer the Google Career Certificates program.“This innovative partnership—the first of its kind in the state—allows students to add a quality, industry-recognized credential to their collegiate experience potentially enhancing a student’s marketability in the workforce,” said Angie Paccione, executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education. “It also aligns with our stackable credentials work, which allows employers to inform postsecondary program curriculum to ensure graduates are developing the skills and competencies most valued by employers—a clear win-win for students and employers.”
Thursday, July 18, 2024
Stackable certificates kickstart career opportunities - Seattle Times
Across Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges, stackable certificate programs are growing to align with the needs of both students and employers. Through these programs, students learn specific, job-related skills and knowledge in a relatively short period of time, often ranging from a few months to a year. Students can immediately improve their economic status with certificates, and later return to college and apply those certificates to associate and bachelor’s degrees. Stackable certificates benefit students of all ages and stages in their careers. People use them to kick-start their careers, to change jobs, or to move up in their current professions.
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
ASU introduces trailblazing 'stackable microcredentials' pilot -Braveman Mpafa, ASU
Arizona State University's Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering is at the forefront of transforming engineering and technology education through "stackable microcredentials." These microcredentials address the urgent demand for adaptable upskilling and reskilling across engineering and technology fields, reflecting the dynamic nature of today's workforce requirements. According to the World Economic Forum, in an era where job skills expire in less than five years, and technical expertise deteriorates even faster, stackable microcredentials offer a timely remedy. The World Economic Forum’s 2020 Future of Jobs Report highlights that, by 2025, half of the global workforce will require reskilling, emphasizing the urgent necessity for ongoing learning and skill augmentation.
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Stackable certificates could be a lifeline for governments facing an IT talent crisis - Nelson Lim, Route Fifty.com
Local and state governments are grappling with a severe shortage of skilled IT workers, particularly in critical areas such as cybersecurity, data analysis, and artificial intelligence. With their higher salaries and more attractive work environments, the private sector and the federal government are poaching talent from local and state governments. Compounding this workforce shortage is a retention crisis. The “Great Resignation” significantly impacted the public sector, with many employees leaving their jobs for retirement, better pay, benefits, or due to burnout. A 2022 survey revealed that more than half of state and local government workers were considering leaving their jobs. So, how can the public sector bridge this widening talent gap and improve retention? The answer may lie in upskilling current employees through stackable certificate programs.
Monday, July 15, 2024
VCU Global Education Office offering two new microcredential digital badges - VCU News
Virginia Commonwealth University’s Global Education Office has debuted two microcredential digital badges – Global Zone Training and Peace Corps Prep – that offer educators and students specialized instruction to meet the evolving landscape of college and beyond. “The digital badging that is now being offered through the Global Education Office is yet another example of ‘at-home internationalization’ and is an innovative global initiative that benefits the entire VCU community,” said Jill Blondin, Ph.D., associate vice provost for global initiatives. “The knowledge that is gained through Global Zone training not only enhances professional development, but it also equips faculty and staff members to serve our international student community optimally.”
Sunday, July 14, 2024
Assoc Profs Guan Chong and May Lim on harmonising micro-credentials to help adult learners - CNA
The Singapore government has urged Institutes of Higher Learning to mutually recognise each other's certificates from bite-sized courses. These 'micro-credentials' are typically for job-specific skills, which can be stacked to a diploma or degree. Associate Prof Guan Chong from the Singapore University of Social Sciences Academy, and Assoc Prof May Lim, Assistant Provost in Applied Learning at the Singapore Institute of Technology, shared how standardising the naming of micro-credentials can help adult learners.
Saturday, July 13, 2024
Is Data Analyst a Good Career with AI? - S Akash, Analytics Insight
The role of data analysts has become very critical in today's digital age when most organizations want to leverage the power of data for informed decision-making. Artificial Intelligence integrated into Data Analytics makes changes on a large scale, opening up many challenges and opportunities. It therefore looks at whether a career in the field of data analysis is relevant vis-à-vis AI advancements, featuring the skills required, areas of opportunities, and future prospects.
Friday, July 12, 2024
Levelling the skilling playing field: Democratising skills for a green future - HR World SE Asia
Southeast Asia's green economy is booming, but a skills gap threatens to leave many behind. Democratising skilling through online platforms, micro-credentials, and targeted programs can unlock the region's green potential and ensure a skilled, inclusive workforce for a sustainable future. The World Bank paints a compelling picture, one billion jobs are expected by 2030.
Thursday, July 11, 2024
Unmasking the Truth: Mathrubhumi Media School’s Online Certificate Course in Fact-Checking - Mathrubhumi Media School
In today's digital age, the battle against misinformation, disinformation and malinformation is more crucial than ever. Recognising this pressing need, the Mathrubhumi Media School has launched a one-month online certificate course in Fact-Checking and Verification. The course delves into the critical distinctions between various forms of misleading information. Participants will explore the nuances of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation.
Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Level up career potential with SCC's fast track certificates - Scottsdale Community College
Micro-credentials offer a practical solution for those looking to switch careers or climb the professional ladder faster. In today's fast-paced job market, quickly gaining new skills can be the key to career advancement. More than ever, career-driven individuals seek micro-credentials to expand their expertise and stay competitive. Micro-credentials offer a practical solution for those looking to switch careers or climb the professional ladder without committing to years of full-time education. Scottsdale Community College (SCC) stands out in the educational landscape with its Fast Track Certificates. These 31 unique programs are designed to equip students with the skills they need for new job opportunities in just six months.
Tuesday, July 9, 2024
Internships, online courses define summer session - Anne Krapfl, Iowa State University
Iowa State enrolled 7,375 students in summer session opportunities this year, about 60% of them at the undergraduate level. Just under half (48%) of all summer students are enrolled in online classes only. According to enrollment data collected by the university registrar's office, the summer student body features 4,666 undergraduates, 2,555 graduate students and the 154 members of the fourth-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine class in their 12-month finaleStudents in many degree programs completing not-for-credit internships that are encouraged, though not required. While some students record these high-impact summer experiences through the university's 390 internship course series, hundreds did not.
Monday, July 8, 2024
Advice: Having a summer or an internship or both? -Mari Santos, the Eagle
One of American University’s most attractive qualities is the variety of internship and fellowship opportunities in D.C. Naturally, this means AU is full of eager students seeking such opportunities to adequately prepare them for their career aspirations. In my college application process, I found that more than 86% of AU undergraduates complete internships prior to graduation, well above the 60% national average. These opportunities and statistics inspired me to choose American, for I wanted access to unmatched opportunities. Internships these days, especially during the summer, are extremely competitive with mountains of applications, making the desire to finally score one amidst the chaos even more cut throat and stressful.
Universities Investing in Microcredential Leadership - Lauren Coffey, Inside Higher Ed
As microcredential programs slowly gain traction, more universities are looking for leaders to coordinate the efforts. More universities are seeking dedicated leaders for microcredential programs. Amy Heitzman noticed a new trend when UPCEA, an online and professional education association, put out calls last year to institutions looking to bulk up microcredential programs. “Five of the 40 [applicants] said, ‘We’re going to hire someone to head this up,’” said Heitzman, UPCEA’s deputy CEO and chief learning officer. “And it was like, ‘Oh?’ But it was not surprising, because it’s essential.” Microcredentials—also known as digital badges, credentials, certificate, or alternative credentials—grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now they are attracting renewed interest as institutions look to widen their nets for nontraditional students as an enrollment cliff looms.
Sunday, July 7, 2024
6 Free Courses With Certificates To Learn High-Income Skills In 2024 - Rachel Wells, Forbes
In a booming labor market where the job vacancies and demand outpace the supply of skilled professionals, your well-rounded skill set is what matters the most—even more than your degree. But out of all the skills needed in the workplace right now, AI skills seem to be the prevailing theme amongst employers. In fact, "73% of employers consider hiring talent with AI skills and experience a priority," says recent findings from an AWS survey that sought to understand the workplace sentiment towards AI skills. "But, nearly three in four (75%) of them say that they can’t find the talent they need," evidencing a significant AI skills gap.
Saturday, July 6, 2024
The New Innovator's Dilemma: Fostering Young Talent in the Age of AI - Julia Freeland Fisher, Harvard Advanced Leadership Review
Disruptive innovation theory is a theory of competition between firms. But when it comes to mentoring early talent within firms, the same dynamics shape managers’ tradeoffs. Mentoring is a high-cost endeavor with poor incentives. It’s hard to justify investing in early talent whose added value starts off low and yields unpredictable returns. “This problem is analogous to The Innovator’s Dilemma, in which [companies] fail in spite of seemingly doing everything right,” said Martin Permin, founder of the mentoring platform Pelion. “The return on mentorship typically follows an S-curve, which means gratification is delayed. This means mentoring is often deprioritized by well-meaning, busy people.”
Friday, July 5, 2024
New online short course offers free evidence-based classroom management assistance - Education HQ (AU)
A free micro-credential course on classroom management has been released this week for any teacher keen to upskill in ‘preventive and proactive’ strategies to improve student behaviour and engagement. Taking an estimated 48 hours to complete, the short course will see participants “investigate strategies for creating safe, predictable, productive and orderly learning environments...”. Offered by the University of Adelaide, and designed for both primary and secondary educators, the self-paced course is aligned to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the highly accomplished level. Funded by the Federal Government, the targeted course is part of the broader National Teacher Workforce Action Plan and builds on the Engaged Classrooms initiative, which is developing free classroom management resources for teachers.
Cornell transforms generative AI education and clones a faculty member - Molly Israel, Cornell Chronicle
Cornell University, a top-ranked leader in the growing field of AI research and development, launched a groundbreaking online certificate program, Designing and Building AI Solutions, with one-of-a-kind features designed to enhance the learning experience in our AI world. Lutz Finger, program faculty author and senior visiting lecturer at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, generated an AI clone of himself who continuously updates the courses with new content, keeping the curriculum relevant as real-world developments happen. “We are democratizing AI,” says Finger. “No coding experience is necessary. What sets this program apart is its design for non-technical professionals. By the last class, participants will have identified a potential business application and built their own AI product to meet that business need.”
Thursday, July 4, 2024
Retraining your best people, upskilling new hires through free virtual education - Kyle Harrison, Smart Industry
Effective knowledge transfer requires systematic planning and execution. Mentorship programs, job shadowing, and cross-training are some methods used to facilitate this transfer. However, these approaches can be time-consuming and may not always be prioritized in fast-paced manufacturing environments. Moreover, the success of these programs depends heavily on the willingness and ability of the retiring experts to communicate their knowledge effectively as well as the capacity of the recipients to absorb and apply this information. Online tutorials often offer a range of modules that can be tailored to the industry's specific needs. This customization allows for more relevant and targeted learning experiences, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the training. This approach improves the efficiency and effectiveness of employee training programs.
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Lakehead gets $190K to offer micro-credentials for in-demand jobs - Orillia Matters
Lakehead University has been awarded $190,580 as part of the Ontario government’s second round of the Ontario Micro-credentials Challenge Fund. This year, Ontario is providing funding for 88 micro-credential projects as part of its investment of $5 million for eligible post-secondary institutions to work with industry to co-create or expand rapid training programs that respond to Ontario’s evolving labour market. “The Micro-credentials Challenge Fund brings industry and institutions together to create programs that strengthen Ontario’s workforce and economy,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities in the Ontario Government’s media release. “Micro-credentials reflect current and local labour market needs and immediately prepare students for industry-relevant opportunities in their region.”
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