One notable external force causing internal change is the growing influence of “microcredentials.”[1] These shorter-term credentials are integrating into traditional degree pathways, and trustees of public colleges and universities should examine the role of these credentials in the baccalaureate programs of their institutions. Shorter-term credentials can provide substantial benefits for public four-year institutions, including improved return on investment on baccalaureate degrees, better alignment of skills with market demands, increased transparency, and greater responsiveness to labor-market changes. These benefits are most likely to be realized when a validated market analysis is conducted, clearly identifying the competencies needed from today’s students.
Monday, June 30, 2025
Sunday, June 29, 2025
A regional framework for microcredentials is on its way - UNESCO
A recent study by the UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNESCO IESALC) underscores that microcredentials are not merely a complement to traditional education but a strategic necessity for the region’s future. The study, Mapping Microcredentials in Latin America and the Caribbean: Towards a common framework, offers targeted recommendations for policy-makers and providers, laying the groundwork for a regional framework of minimum standards on microcredentials.
Saturday, June 28, 2025
Why upskilling in AI and cybersecurity is crucial for today’s digital-first workforce - Bhavna Dubey, Times of India
From banking and healthcare to retail and logistics, digital transformation has reshaped nearly every sector in the last decade. But with this surge in automation, data storage, and cloud-based services comes an urgent parallel concern: cybersecurity. Organisations today are not just looking to innovate; they’re also trying to defend. And that’s where professionals with hybrid expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity are increasingly stepping in.The modern professional, whether from a technical, managerial, or operations background, is no longer expected to oversee workflows. They're now required to understand algorithmic decisions, evaluate risks, and ensure system integrity, all while driving digital value for their organisations.
Friday, June 27, 2025
Building a Quality Microcredential Program: SUNY’s Microcredential Story - SUNY
SUNY’s policy-driven approach to microcredentials centers on faculty innovation, academic quality, partnerships with industry, stackable pathways to degrees, and portability to ensure value beyond the issuing institution. In a competitive environment where so many companies, universities and organizations are offering short-term credentials, SUNY has encouraged a niche for higher education that is responsive to regional and state needs and that leverages the power of student/faculty interaction, student supports, career and academic guidance. SUNY microcredentials: 1) provide the skills, knowledge, and experience to allow the learner to obtain a job or advance in a job; and 2) wherever possible, provide a pathway to additional credentials, including an initial or advanced degree..
Thursday, June 26, 2025
How are States Leveraging Micro-Credentials to Improve the Teacher Workforce? - elissa Tooley and Lisette Partelow, New America
Today states continue to attempt to address teacher shortages through a variety of different initiatives, so we set out to investigate what has—and hasn’t—changed about the educator micro-credential landscape and how states are using this tool to address shortages and other educator workforce policy goals. New America’s recent report, “When Micro Goes Macro: A Nationwide Review of States’ Educator Micro-Credential Policies,” explores if and how state educator policies are explicitly allowing or encouraging the use of micro-credentials. We found that over 60 percent of states (32, including the District of Columbia) now do so, a 23 percent increase from 2020.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
How will micro-credentials make your campus smarter? - Matt Zalaznick, University Business
Appetite for industry-aligned micro-credentials—among learners entering the workforce and employers seeking skilled candidates—is nearly universal, according to a new report from Coursera. The online academic program provider surveyed over 1,000 employers and learners, capturing perspectives across six regions and 10 countries. Globally, more than 90% of employers say that their employees with micro-credentials demonstrate higher proficiency in industry-relevant skills than those without and that the credentials are immediately applicable to job roles.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Advice for Employers and Recruiters Is it too late in the year for students to find gig / freelance internships? - College Recruiter
When most people hear the word “intern,” they think of someone showing up to the same office every day, working 9 to 5, and maybe even grabbing coffee for their manager. But today’s students are finding new ways to gain real-world experience—without the commute or the cubicle. More and more employers are open to hiring interns in a freelance or gig capacity, especially for project-based work like social media management, content creation, coding, design, or research. These roles don’t always come with a formal internship title, but they offer the same kinds of skills and resume-building opportunities. And for students, especially those juggling classes or needing flexibility, it’s a win-win.
Monday, June 23, 2025
Are Micro-Credentials Democratizing K-12 Credentialing? - Bruno V. Manno, Forbes
Increasingly, K-12 is using micro-credentials to verify and document what students and educators know and can do when assessed on particular learning outcomes. The effect is potentially profound. Journalist Sara Weissman says that young people’s use of micro-credentials is creating “The micro-credential generation, a fast-growing number of traditionally college-age students [who] are bypassing degrees to pursue cheaper and faster alternative credentials.” What follows examines the emerging use of micro-credentials in K-12 student learning and teacher professional development, the challenges involved in implementing this approach, and the lessons learned along the way.
Sunday, June 22, 2025
Arcadia University Launches Workforce Development Solutions for Employers, Employees, Schools, and Organizations
Arcadia University, in collaboration with Core Education, a public benefit corporation specializing in transformative business model solutions, has launched its Workforce Development program, an initiative to help employers in Pennsylvania and beyond recruit, retain, and upskill their talent. Through this dynamic online certificate program, organizations can access customizable, scalable training programs tailored to meet specific industry demands and organizational goals.Workforce shortages continue to challenge employers across the state. According to the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, workforce development remains a top strategic priority, with skills gaps and talent shortages consistently cited as major barriers to growth. As of 2024, Pennsylvania had 304,000 job openings but only 233,000 unemployed individuals actively seeking work, revealing a shortfall of over 70,000 workers across the state.
Saturday, June 21, 2025
How will micro-credentials make your campus smarter? - Matt Zalaznick, University Business
Who is benefiting most from micro-credentials at your college or university? Are these increasingly popular programs bringing new students to your campus and sparking interest in emerging career fields? The questions abound but one thing is clear in higher ed today: A growing emphasis on upskilling and career preparation is igniting a renewed focus on micro-credentials and attracting a new wave of students to campus.
Friday, June 20, 2025
6 Coursera Classes to Take This Summer - the College Today
Since the fall of 2023, the College of Charleston has been offering industry-branded micro-credential courses to students, faculty, staff and alumni at no cost through Coursera’s Career Academy. The platform offers professional certificates from companies like Google, IBM, Microsoft and Salesforce. College of Charleston is the first university in South Carolina to offer the full suite of Coursera’s Career Academy.
According to the 2025 Micro-Credentials Impact Report by Coursera:
96% of employers agree that micro-credentials strengthen a candidate’s job application.
94% of students say micro-credentials fast-track skill development.
87% of employers have hired at least one candidate with a micro-credential in the past year.
Thursday, June 19, 2025
MBA Without Business School—The New Wave Of Alternative MBAs - Nick Harland, Business Because
As the traditional MBA has morphed into flex, hybrid and online versions, there are also totally new versions of the MBA appearing online. The difference? They’re not always offered by business schools, and come at a fraction of the cost of an MBA at a leading institution. So what are the best alternatives to a traditional MBA? How do alternative MBAs compare to traditional programs in value—and are alternative MBAs worth it for career advancement? Let’s take a look at the Mini-MBA, Quantic MBA and others to work out what is the value of an alternative MBA.
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
More teens lean toward alternative postsecondary options - Briana Mendez-Padilla, Higher Ed Dive
Teens’ postsecondary plans are shifting, with just 45% of students in grades 7-12 seeing a two- or four-year college as their most likely next step in 2024, according to a new survey from national nonprofit American Student Assistance. That’s down from 73% in 2018. Over the same period, interest in nondegree education pathways like vocational schools, apprenticeships and technical boot camp programs more than tripled, from 12% in 2018 to 38% in 2024, the ASA survey found. Regardless of their goals after high school, the results show that students mainly view postsecondary education as the path to a good job, the report’s authors wrote.
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Is It Time to Ditch the Four-Year Degree? - Frederick M. Hess, American Enterprise Institute
The winds of educational change are blowing. Tim Knowles is the 10th president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the 120-year-old organization that birthed the Carnegie Unit and the Educational Testing Service. Knowles is intent on steering into the teeth of that gale, working to retool the Carnegie Unit and intent on assessing the promise of innovations like the three-year college degree or micro-credentials. These reforms, especially micro-credentials, could open the door to dramatic changes in K–12 education. I caught up with him to discuss what’s on his mind and what it means for America’s high schools and colleges. Here’s what he had to say.
Monday, June 16, 2025
Jordan Joins EU Symposium in Rabat to Shape National Micro-credential Policy - Jordan News Agency
A high-level Jordanian delegation has participated in the "Micro-credentials – Skills and Employability" symposium, an event organized by the European Union and hosted in Rabat, Morocco. The two-day forum, which concludes Tuesday, brings together over 60 experts from 28 countries as part of an EU initiative to develop higher education in neighboring nations. Jordan are Dr. Mamoun Al-Debi'e, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Higher Education; Dr. Thafer Al-Sarayreh, President of the Higher Education Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission (HEAC); Dr. Ahmad Abu-El-Haija, Director of the Erasmus+ Office in Jordan; and Dr. Mahmoud Al-Shiyab, Head of the Higher Education Development Team.
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Hollywood Heels: L.A. internships provide invaluable industry experience - UNC Arts and Sciences
Scores of UNC alumni have launched careers in the film and TV industry thanks to a communication studies internship program that sends students to Hollywood for prestigious internships at production companies, agencies, studios and related businesses every summer. The roster of 300-plus graduates of the UNC Hollywood Internship Program puts students in contact with established pros like director Peyton Reed ’86 (Marvel’s upcoming Ant-Man), writer/producers John Altschuler ’85 and Dave Krinsky ’85 (Silicon Valley, King of the Hill) and Oscar-winning editor Hughes Winborne ’74 (Crash).
Saturday, June 14, 2025
Nurturing New Talent: Partnering with Colleges to Recruit Interns - US Chamber of Commerce
Businesses of all sizes that want to increase their productivity while nurturing their talent pipeline often find tremendous value in hiring an intern. Businesses benefit from fresh perspectives and potential cost savings, while students gain valuable work experience in their chosen industries. One way to recruit interns is by working directly with colleges and universities, which are filled with promising new talent eager to learn. Here’s how your business can partner with higher education institutions to fill intern positions. Once you’ve identified your target schools, it’s time to start your outreach. However, taking the time to build a relationship and showcase your value is far more likely to drive success than a “cold call” approach.
Friday, June 13, 2025
Changing scenario of HEIs with micro-credentials for reskilling & upskilling - ET Education - Education. Economic-Times of India
In India, particularly in higher education institutions (HEIs), micro-credentials are emerging as a transformative force in the university education landscape, addressing the critical need for skill development and industry-ready graduates, as the vocational education and training department had earlier considered. Unlike traditional degrees, these "bite-sized" qualifications focus on specific competencies and knowledge, offering flexibility and targeted learning. The Indian university system increasingly concentrates on micro-credentials and short-term certificate courses, a shift driven by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. These concise, skill-focused programs offer flexibility and address the growing demand for industry-relevant competencies, considering the labor force's demand in the context of the 4.0 Industrial Revolution (IR) and 5.0 IR.
Thursday, June 12, 2025
Aspire 2Be Launches Micro-Credentials to Tackle AI and Digital Skills Gap - Business News Wales
These fully accredited Micro-Credentials have been developed to provide professionals with the opportunity to invest in their digital learning needs through affordable, bite-sized learning. With AI as a significant emerging influence in businesses, Aspire 2Be identified skills gaps around its adoption and use within the workplace, particularly around Learning & Development. To address these gaps, the courses Using AI Tools in Learning & Development – for Education facilitators – and Principles of AI in the Workplace – for those working within business functions – have been created. Also addressing the issue of digital security that is so critical to business in today's digital landscape, the Digital Application Support course has been designed to equip learners with practical skills to confidently navigate digital tools, offering the chance to become subject matter expert for IT user skills within the workplace.
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
What HR leaders can learn from Medtronic’s employee education program - InStride
With persistent talent gaps in high-demand roles and tightening budgets, HR leaders are focused on how to do more with the workforce they already have—meaning growing talent from within and giving employees the skills they need to step into critical roles. Leaders are shifting from reactive hiring to long-term workforce planning. The question isn’t just "How do we find more people?" but "How do we make better use of the team we’ve got?" For many, that involves upskilling current employees, opening paths for internal mobility, and simplifying access to skill-building opportunities. In a recent roundtable, leaders from Medtronic, the world’s leading medical technology manufacturer, shared how they’ve put this mindset into action with a workforce development strategy that doesn’t just close gaps, but improves retention and drives cost savings.
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Skills-Based Credentials Drive Higher Salaries and Lower Training Costs - Lin Grensing-Pophal, HR Daily Advisor
As workforce requirements shift dramatically in an era of rapidly developing technology—including generative AI (GenAI), employers are shifting their focus from educational credentials to a focus on specific skills. New data from Coursera’s 2025 Micro-Credentials Impact Report supports this shift and offers insights into how employers can develop a more skills-based focus for their talent acquisition and learning and development (L&D) efforts.
Adoption is dramatic. For example:
97% of employers are already using or exploring skills-based hiring.
90% say they’re willing to offer higher starting salaries to candidates with micro-credentials.
89% of employers who have hired candidates with micro-credentials say they saved on training costs for those hires—with most saving 10–30% annually.
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