Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Adobe aims to teach AI, online content skills to 30 million - Steven Melendez, Fast Company

Courses will include material on using AI to create content from video thumbnails to visual effects around text—and doing so ethically, including paying attention to issues around intellectual property. They’ll also cover skills around creating content for social media, digital marketing, and image creation and editing. The course material, which will include video instruction and follow-up work, will generally emphasize Adobe Express, a creativity app that offers some features for free, and will be accessible through a phone, tablet, or computer with a web browser. 

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

To Woo Law Firms, Legal Training Platforms Are Combining Hands-On and Online Learning - Ella Sherman, Law.com

However, the apprenticeship approach in which law firm partners mentor and train new associates isn't always feasible. While associates can gain valuable hands-on experience, firm partners may be unsuitable or unable to teach due to the demands of keeping up their billable hours. Still, firms place a premium on such experiential training. That's why emerging online platforms such as HotShot and AltaClaro are looking to move beyond recorded lectures by trying to find a balance between hands-on learning and the convenience of online training. "You have these video programs, and you gotta click through, and after a while, it's just watered down, you're not really paying attention," AltaClaro founder and CEO Abdi Shayesteh said. "Doctors get to practice through cadavers. … Why not get lawyers to practice through fake clients and receive feedback on it?"

https://www.law.com/legaltechnews/2024/10/10/to-attract-law-firms-legal-training-platforms-are-combining-hands-on-and-online-learning/?slreturn=20241014172309

Monday, October 21, 2024

Enhancing career opportunities with online training - BigRigs Australia

TAFE Queensland offers a range of online micro-credentials that can be studied at your own pace at any time, which provide the perfect opportunity to expand your career opportunities during any time off this summer. As clean energy solutions continue to gain traction in the automotive and transport industries, a TAFE Queensland micro-credential can deliver basic knowledge to support your transition alongside the industry. With no pre-requisites and low cost, micro-credentials offer a perfect opportunity to build knowledge in emerging industry areas to assist your career transition or lead into further, accredited study.

Sunday, October 20, 2024

To Woo Law Firms, Legal Training Platforms Are Combining Hands-On and Online Learning - Ella Sherman, Law.com

However, the apprenticeship approach in which law firm partners mentor and train new associates isn't always feasible. While associates can gain valuable hands-on experience, firm partners may be unsuitable or unable to teach due to the demands of keeping up their billable hours. Still, firms place a premium on such experiential training. That's why emerging online platforms such as HotShot and AltaClaro are looking to move beyond recorded lectures by trying to find a balance between hands-on learning and the convenience of online training. "You have these video programs, and you gotta click through, and after a while, it's just watered down, you're not really paying attention," AltaClaro founder and CEO Abdi Shayesteh said. "Doctors get to practice through cadavers. … Why not get lawyers to practice through fake clients and receive feedback on it?"

Saturday, October 19, 2024

How micro-credentials are steering engineers towards a greener future Caroline Riches - Caroline Riches, Create

Micro-credentials are a modern solution to age-old problems. They allow busy professionals to enhance their skills without pausing their careers, and enable industries to quickly fill knowledge gaps and tackle future challenges. Michelle Marsden, Senior Manager of Micro-Credentials at Engineering Education Australia (EEA), said small opportunities to upskill are “lacking”. “We have formal qualifications, but we need more micro-courses that enable organisations and individuals to access targeted topics based on their needs,” she told create. “Micro-credentials are flexible and adaptable, allowing an organisation to reskill or upskill for a particular project, for example.”

Friday, October 18, 2024

The rise of micro-credentials in career outcomes - Nikolaz Foucaud, The HR Director

According to new data, three out of four (75%) students are more likely to enrol at universities offering skills-based certifications – ‘microcredentials’ – alongside traditional degrees. 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*, 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. 

Thursday, October 17, 2024

The Microcredential Generation - Sara Weissman, Inside Higher Ed

A fast-growing number of traditionally college-age students are bypassing degrees to pursue cheaper and faster alternative credentials. Why are so many choosing this path, and will the journey pay off? Like a growing number of students coming out of high school, McDonough knew early on that he didn’t want to get a degree. Going to college felt like squandering time and money to him, and his parents agreed. “Oh, they love it,” McDonough said of the logging program. His dad told him “he would rather me actually do this than go to school, that I’d just waste time. I don’t want to go there anyways, so no point in spending a couple years at it.” He reached out to the logging program a few years ago while still in high school, and if the college had let him, he would’ve enrolled then and there. “I didn’t like school much,” he said. “I didn’t want to go through that again.”

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Exploring the potential of micro-credentials: A systematic literature review - Giedre Tamoliune, et al; Fronteirs In

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. Results of a bibliometric and qualitative content analysis from 32 scientific articles provided insights into the potential of micro-credentials to foster post-pandemic recovery through social, economic, and higher education innovations.   

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Free Online Certificate Courses - Naman Bansal, News Patrolling

When choosing free online certificate courses, it is important to ensure that they provide ample job opportunities and career growth possibilities

As skill requirements in the industry are constantly evolving, it has become important for students and working professionals to continue upgrading. Among the options available, one that seems most appropriate is free online certificate courses. Such courses can be done as part time, without impacting your existing job or other career pursuits. Here are some of the best online learning platforms you can choose for free online certificate courses.

Monday, October 14, 2024

Upskilling credentials for hydrogen - Sandra Ross, Climate Control News

Engineers Australia has launched a suite of hydrogen energy micro-credentials to upskill the engineering workforce and support Australia’s transition to net zero. The upskilling initiative is being made available through Engineering Education Australia (EEA) and Deakin University. The collaborative project addresses a severe talent shortage in the hydrogen and engineering sectors, critical to the nation’s clean energy goals. Supported by funding from the federal government, the project includes four micro-credentials and one webinar.

Sunday, October 13, 2024

Why Are Politicians Talking About Apprenticeships? - Sara Weissman, Inside Higher Ed

Vice President Kamala Harris recently posted on X that she plans to double the number of registered, or federally recognized, apprenticeships, if she is elected president. The Democratic nominee also told a crowd at a September rally in Pennsylvania that “our nation needs to recognize the value of other paths, additional paths, such as apprenticeships and technical programs.” The 2024 Democratic Party platform, meanwhile, boasts “record investments” in registered apprenticeships under the Biden administration, with a million trainees participating in them as a result. “That’s a path to the middle class that families can count on,” the platform reads.

Saturday, October 12, 2024

Regional workshop in Pacific on design of micro-credentials for TVET - Post-Courier, Papua New Guinea

Micro-credentials are increasingly becoming the choice for curriculum delivery, especially at the post-secondary level of education.  The Commonwealth of Learning (COL), in collaboration with the Pacific Centre for Flexible and Open Learning for Development (PACFOLD), recently hosted a regional workshop on the design of micro-credentials aligned to the Pacific TVET Online Toolkit. The workshop was held at the University of South Pacific (USP) in Suva, Fiji.   This activity is part of a project on open, distance and flexible learning in the Pacific, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand.

Friday, October 11, 2024

Hydrogen micro-credentials to power clean energy future - HVAC & R News

Engineers Australia is working with Engineering Education Australia (EEA) and Deakin University to launch a suite of hydrogen energy micro-credentials, which will enable the engineering workforce to upskill and support Australia’s transition to net zero.  The project addresses a severe talent shortage in the hydrogen and engineering sectors, which are critical to the nation’s clean energy goals.

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Dynamic learning through Humber's micro-credentials - Education News Canada

"I was very interested in taking the micro-credential and it was about getting some practical knowledge and hands-on experience with AI," said Legate.  A micro-credential is a competency-centred offering that is standalone, short in duration and focuses on a skill or topic responsive to industry, employer, or community needs. It allows skills and competencies to be learned in a flexible, fast, and affordable way.  Frank Cappadocia, dean of Continuous Professional Learning, said Humber offers nearly 50 micro-credentials. Most take less than 30 hours to complete, and many can be completed in even less time.  

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

The Microcredential Generation - Sara Weissman, Inside Higher Ed

Their classroom is a little unusual. In fact, it’s not a room at all. The students are out on a forested logging site in the Kennebec Valley, a rural area of Maine. Neat piles of logs sit in the distance. A whiteboard hangs off of a truck. Heavy machines, which from afar look like large metal creatures, are waiting to be used. McDonough is enrolled in Northern Maine Community College’s mechanized logging operations and forest trucking program. Free to students and organized in partnership with the Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast, the five-month program offers a pretty sweet-sounding deal: a logging credential along with commercial driver’s license training so the students can also haul the logs they’ve learned to cut. 

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

'Adult money' and no college debt: Harris and Trump back alternative routes to good jobs - Karissa Waddick, USA Today

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump disagree – a lot. But, as the 2024 campaign heats up, the candidates appear to have found consensus on at least one topic: the need to get more young Americans into apprenticeships and trade schools.  Harris announced recently she would cut college degree requirements for some federal jobs and encourage private sector employers to do the same if she is elected in November.  

Monday, October 7, 2024

Building a Future-Ready Workforce - Neph Rivera, UT Arlington

Learning new skills does not end the day one earns their university diploma. Through microcredentials, students and professionals alike can brush up on areas they are familiar with or dive into something new to bolster their resume by completing short training programs. Microcredentialing, skills-based learning, and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace were the themes of a special conference hosted by The University of Texas at Arlington, in coordination with The University of Texas System, Coursera and Lightcast.

Sunday, October 6, 2024

How to Choose a Microcredential - Sarah Wood, US News

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.

Saturday, October 5, 2024

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

Students at University of HawaiĘ»i 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.

Friday, October 4, 2024

USF unveils Office of Microcredentials for lifelong learning and career advancement Tatiana Del Valle, University of South Florida-

As professionals strive to stay competitive in their fields, USF’s new Office of Microcredentials and Registration Services will meet the growing demand for non-credit education opportunities. Microcredentials are essential to ensure lifelong success, and a learning community with the proper support and resources is more valuable than ever.  The solution to closing the skills gap is the result of a partnership between USF Lifelong Learning and Innovative Education. This new office will serve as a resource for high-quality, accessible learning opportunities that enable professionals to gain the qualifications needed to secure high-level jobs and continue skill-building in pursuit of becoming industry experts.  

Thursday, October 3, 2024

How micro-credentials are spurring deeper collaboration between community college and employers - Alcino Donadel, University Business

“One of the keys to our success has just been our ability to pivot very quickly and respond to industry demands.” Here’s another: WSU Tech is leveraging the “untapped market” of short-term certificates and other micro-credential opportunities through deeply intentional employer collaborations. It has integrated each of its academic offerings with non-credit certificate opportunities to meet industry partners’ demands. Its partnership this academic year with SkillStorm, an IT service management company, introduces Wichita’s workforce to stackable, credit-bearing certificates in Amazon Web Services’ cloud computing suite.