Researchers secure funding for pioneering climate and disaster projects - Massey University

Three projects led by Massey researchers have been awarded funding from the 2024 Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Endeavour Fund. Two Smart Ideas projects have received funding – one looking at mitigating mudflow disasters from flooding and the other developing sustainable manufactured and consumer hybrid foods. A Research Programme has also been awarded funding to develop a national volcano hazard model. The research impact from these projects will contribute to Aotearoa New Zealand’s ongoing climate change, food enhancement and disaster and risk management efforts.

https://www.massey.ac.nz/about/news/researchers-secure-funding-for-pioneering-climate-and-disaster-projects/

Next generation of workers prioritizing skill building certifications: Coursera - Unleash

Students around the world are more focused on building a skills portfolio over traditional education qualifications, a new report from Coursera has found. UNLEASH takes a closer look with Nikolaz Foucaud, Managing Director EMEA at Coursera.

https://www.unleash.ai/learning-and-development/next-generation-of-workers-prioritizing-skill-building-certifications-coursera/

97% of education leaders believe micro-credentials strengthen career outcomes, but only 46% of European institutions offer them for-credit - HR News

Just over half of universities now offer microcredentials as part of their curricula, with 75% saying that their provision attracts more students. They can also contribute to improved retention: for students who have previously paused their traditional degree, 75% expressed increased interest in returning to education if micro-credentials were offered. This is according to research from Coursera, one of the world’s largest online learning platforms, based on a study of 1,058 higher education leaders from 852 institutions across 89 countries. Coursera currently offers job-relevant courses, including 125 Professional Certificates, to over 148 million learners worldwide. 

https://hrnews.co.uk/97-of-education-leaders-believe-micro-credentials-strengthen-career-outcomes-but-only-46-of-european-institutions-offer-them-for-credit/

Hungry for more learning? Bite sized PD can whet the appetite - Freya Lucas, the Sector

While the desire to learn more is strong, time can be poor, particularly in sectors such as early childhood education and care, where the need for hands-on and hyper focused attention is high. Enter microcredentials. Employees want to learn more, employers want highly skilled people, however there is no way to manufacture more time. More than half of the overall workforce in the UK, for example, recently said their jobs have gotten more intense and demanding with the passing of time, and feedback in the US is similar, with 40 per cent of Americans saying their roles leave them with little time for training and education. 

https://thesector.com.au/2024/09/13/hungry-for-more-learning-bite-sized-pd-can-whet-the-appetite/

UH adds micro-credential opportunities to bolster workforce development - University of Hawaii

Students at University of Hawaiʻi campuses will soon have a new opportunity for academic and professional certification through micro-credentials offered through the university. Through a new UH policy, faculty members can now design micro-credentials linked to existing credit courses to target specific areas in their fields of study. “This new micro-credentials policy will enable interested faculty members to partner with local employers—whether they be businesses, non-profit organizations, or other state agencies—to design and deliver a short-term curriculum that addresses immediate industry needs,” said UH Associate Vice President for Academic Programs and Policy Alan Rosenfeld.

https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2024/09/10/micro-credential-opportunities/

CENTRAL VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE students can earn micro credentials with new membership - Rodney Robinson, News Advance

Current and future students at Central Virginia Community College will now have the opportunity to earn micro, embedded industry-recognized credentials to go along with their program studies. This opportunity comes after the college’s recent membership with the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) making CVCC a “Leadership School.” NC3 is a network of education providers and corporations with a mission to help build a workforce prepared to meet the needs of industries. The network connects employers and educational institutions to foster training and employment opportunities, according to its website.

https://newsadvance.com/news/local/cvcc-students-can-earn-micro-credentials-with-new-membership/article_9cd1e5d6-6fb5-11ef-8d77-238e76be0f70.html

Youth must develop unique skills amid AI - Kathryn Jose, Daily Tribune

An educational technology firm expects more schools in the country to enhance communication and other soft skills of Filipinos following a huge shift to artificial intelligence-backed jobs in the US. “More Filipino students are pursuing skills-based education to remain competitive and align with the evolving demands of the current job market. Leveraging the power of micro-credentials, institutions can offer short courses and certifications on soft skills like leadership, communication, negotiation, stress management, or emotional intelligence that can be valuable to any career,” Global Academic Strategy Instructure vice president Ryan Lufkin said in an email to DAILY TRIBUNE on Sunday.

https://tribune.net.ph/2024/09/08/youth-must-develop-unique-skills-amid-ai

Nicole Ezeh found her ‘why’ during NCAA postgraduate internship - Olivia Brown, NCAA

Entering her NCAA postgraduate internship, Nicole Ezeh knew the program would lay a foundation of industry knowledge and contacts for her future career. She did not anticipate leaving the internship with a greater understanding of herself and her purpose. During one of the talent sessions led by the NCAA's leadership development team, the director said: Ask "why" three times and you will find the root of the situation. This advice stuck with Ezeh and made her reflect on her lifelong goal of becoming a sports agent. 

https://www.ncaa.org/news/2024/9/6/media-center-nicole-ezeh-found-her-why-during-ncaa-postgraduate-internship.aspx

18 Blue Devils Complete Internships through Future Initiative - Duke

Eighteen football student-athletes gained valuable career development and insight through participation in a summer immersion program with 11 organizations as part of the Duke Future Initiative. Aaron Hall, a redshirt junior defensive tackle from Durham, who joined teammates Terry Simmons Jr. and Semaj Turner for an internship with Wake County Government, shared high praise about his experience. "The Future Initiative internship was the best event I could have participated in for my Duke journey," said Hall. "This gave me a chance to broaden my horizon on what I would love to complete outside of my football career. 

https://goduke.com/news/2024/9/6/athletics-18-blue-devils-complete-internships-through-future-initiative.aspx

Got a worker shortage? Offer an internship - Thomas Chavez, Times-Standard

Got a worker shortage? Offer an internship - Thomas Chavez, Times-Standard

The No. 1 complaint I hear from employers is, “How can I find quality staff to hire? Especially when my fellow business owners are competing for the same labor pool!” I tell them that employers can jump to the front of the recruiting line by offering an internship! Internships are based on an inexperienced worker learning and training under the direction of a more experienced employee for a pre-determined length of time. Traditionally, college and high school students have filled internship roles, but lately, the concept of an internship has expanded to include more established workers trying out a new career. There are real monetary advantages to implementing an internship program. 

https://www.times-standard.com/2024/09/08/business-sense-got-a-worker-shortage-offer-an-internship/

Micro-credentials move one step closer to gaining widespread trust thanks to this framework - Alcino Donadel, University Business

Micro-credentials are one step closer to gaining a trustworthy and dependable reputation. The 1EdTech TrustEd Microcredential Coalition, formed last year to standardize rapidly growing interest from educators and organizations to issue digital badges, has unveiled a new framework that identifies the core components every micro-credential should possess to sow trust and recognition across the school-to-career pipeline. “The framework identifies the information needed for the receiver to fully understand what knowledge and skills the credential represents,” Kelly Hoyland, director of higher education programs for 1EdTech, said in a statement. “Credentials that follow the framework will be more meaningful to receivers, and therefore, more valuable for the learners who earn them.”

https://universitybusiness.com/micro-credentials-move-one-step-closer-to-gaining-widespread-trust-thanks-to-this-framework/

Exploring the potential of micro-credentials: A systematic literature review - Giedre Tamoliune, Frontiers in Education

Micro-credentials have recently become a huge research interest, as they play an important role in the social, economic, and higher education sectors. Mindful of growing critique in some circles and recent publications, this paper offers an informed analysis of the potential of micro-credentials to foster post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery across a spectrum of dimensions, including supporting innovation in higher education institutions (HEIs). It reports a systematic literature review analysis of scientific articles published between 2015 and January 2022 on micro-credential research in the field of higher education.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.1006811/full

ASU introduces trailblazing 'stackable microcredentials' pilot - ASU

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. Stackable microcredentials enable individuals to stay competitive in today's job market by responding swiftly to industry demands and offering relevant skill development opportunities. By breaking learning into modular units, ASU makes professional development financially feasible, aligning with the evolving needs of employers who value employees with up-to-date skills.

https://news.asu.edu/20240402-science-and-technology-asu-introduces-trailblazing-stackable-microcredentials-pilot

Purdue’s online programs become available through international corporate upskilling company SkillsWave - Ryan M. Olson, Purdue

Purdue University is partnering with SkillsWave, a Canada-based upskilling company that provides a network of high-quality education options to propel businesses and their employees forward. Purdue will make its industry-leading online degree programs available through the SkillsWave catalog, including a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (AI), an AI microcredentials program, highly ranked engineering programs including industrial and nuclear, and business programs featuring economics, human resource management and global supply chain management. Online programs available from Purdue to working professionals through the partnership with SkillsWave feature Purdue’s world-renowned faculty and academic reputation, all within a convenient and flexible format. Online students benefit from the same rigorous curriculum as on Purdue’s flagship campus, with the added advantage of a more flexible class schedule, including anytime, anywhere self-paced learning options.

https://www.purdue.edu/online/purdues-online-programs-become-available-through-international-corporate-upskilling-company-skillswave/

Report Highlights Shortages of Credentials Aligned with Middle-Skills Occupations - Lois Elfman, Diverse Education

The Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy has issued “Missed Opportunities: Credential Shortages in Programs Aligned with High-Paying Middle-Skills Jobs in 55 U.S. Metro Areas.” The report examines the production of middle-skills credentials that prepare workers for potentially high-paying occupations in metropolitan areas with populations exceeding one million people.

https://www.diverseeducation.com/opinion/article/15683067/report-highlights-shortages-of-credentials-aligned-with-middleskills-occupations

New Programs Greet Returning College Students - Denise Dick, Business Journal Daily

Students at Mahoning and Shenango Valley colleges and universities are seeing additional programs and some campus improvements this fall. Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pa., added two microcredentials to the two it started last year. The college’s new nursing simulation lab is debuting this semester too. Youngstown State University added about 50 new associate and certificate degree programs this fall. They range from online options including an associate in applied business in accounting and a certificate in advertising to in-person options that include an associate degree in applied science in nursing and a certificate in medical assistant.

https://businessjournaldaily.com/new-programs-greet-returning-college-students/

The Many Lives of Saint Joseph’s - Sara Weissman, Inside Higher Ed

Saint Joseph’s College, a Catholic institution in Indiana, suspended operations seven years ago and lost its accreditation, beset by financial troubles. Deferred maintenance issues piled up; the institution was $27 million in debt. As the region’s traditional college-age population dwindled, enrollment declined to about 900 students in 2017 from a peak of about 1,500 in the 1960s. Now the campus is bustling again, having gone through a bold but somewhat controversial transformation. The college has reinvented itself as a hub for short-term workforce training programs in Rensselaer, the small city in rural northwestern Indiana where it’s located. Using adjunct instructors, it offers a range of certificate programs, including in various health-care fields, veterinary sciences and a newly launched commercial driver’s license program. Tuition ranges from $500 to $2,100 per program this fall, and the longest certificate program, for veterinary assistants, spans just 16 weeks.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/alternative-credentials/2024/09/03/saint-josephs-indiana-shifts-workforce

Packers, UW-Green Bay offering online certificate detailing team’s ‘Return to Glory’ - Rich Kremer, WPR

In collaboration with the Green Bay Packers, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is offering an online course detailing the team’s “return to glory” over the past 50 years. The class will be led by Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Curator Brent Hensel and will feature eight sessions covering the team’s struggles in the 1970s and 1980s, the optimism surrounding the return of Packer greats like Bart Starr and Forest Gregg and the team’s rise to Super Bowl champions in 1997 and 2011. 

https://www.wpr.org/news/packers-uw-green-bay-offering-online-certificate-detailing-teams-return-to-glory

How MIT’s online resources provide a “highly motivating, even transformative experience” - Lauren Rebecca Thacker, MIT Open Learning

MITx and MIT Bootcamps are both hands-on and interactive experiences offered by MIT Open Learning, which is exactly what appealed to Sampalis. One of the best parts, he says, is that community and collaborations with those he met through MIT continued even after the boot camp concluded. Participants remain in touch not only with their cohort, but with a broader community of over 1,800 other participants from around the world, and have access to continued coaching and mentorship. Overall, the community of learners has been a highlight of Sampalis’ MIT Open Learning experience.

https://news.mit.edu/2024/how-mit-online-resources-provide-highly-motivating-transformative-experience-0829

Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation rangers apply academic lens to monitoring rock art - Rhiannon Clarke, National Indigenous Times

Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation (MAC) Rangers are pioneering the development of a series of university-level micro-credentials for rock art monitoring in Murujuga. Two of their MAC Rock Art Monitoring Rangers and one of their Senior Heritage Advisors have recently achieved a significant milestone in their academic journey. Glen Aubrey and Kasziem Bin Sali completed a university-level micro-credential in Introduction to Ambient Air Quality and Monitoring in July, excelling in both online and practical assessments.

https://nit.com.au/30-08-2024/13421/murujuga-aboriginal-corporation-rangers-apply-academic-lens-to-monitoring-rock-art

New Alternative Pathways to Career Success - Larraine Segil, Fast Company

The value of a college degree is evolving rather than diminishing. While there’s scrutiny, degrees still offer significant economic benefits, career opportunities, and skill development in the right areas. Alternative credentials like certificates and bootcamps are gaining traction, especially in fields like tech. Employers now value skills and experience over formal degrees, although certain professions still require them. Micro-credentials are short, focused certifications that demonstrate proficiency in specific skills or subjects. They are flexible, often offered online, and can be combined to build broader expertise. Platforms like Coursera, edX, and Udacity offer these credentials, as do many universities and professional organizations. They’re particularly valuable in fields like data science, digital marketing, and IT.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91180332/new-alternative-pathways-to-career-success