Companies struggling to recruit qualified candidates must instead reskill and upskill existing talent within their organization. By partnering with universities, employers can provide immediate opportunities for employees to continue their education knowing that the microcredential they’re earning is backed by a reputable institution.
What are microcredentials and who needs them?
Unlike academic degree programs, microcredentials are bite-sized educational courses more narrow in focus and take weeks –– or even days –– to complete. They can range in topics from technical skills, like data analytics, to more soft skills, including leadership topics like cultural awareness.
Because of their convenience, microcredentials appeal to employees looking for a highly personalized, flexible, and cost-effective way to further their education. And unlike traditional academic programs, microcredentials don’t contribute to a larger degree sequence, so students can obtain as many or as few credentials as they’d like.
Beyond the benefits they can bring to the current workforce, microcredentials also have the potential to attract new, highly-qualified employees. A company culture that values continued learning, career development and advancement, and helps employees achieve greatness can be an appealing selling point in today’s fierce competition for talent.
Facilitating microcredential programs at your university
Because microcredential programs can be held fully online and executed on a shorter timeline, they are more accessible than traditional higher education initiatives. By creating attainable, accessible, and affordable education opportunities in conjunction with business organizations, universities can tap into a pool of potential students that are already interested and engaged in microcredentials.
When thinking about offering microcredential programs, consider the following:
- Identify gaps: There’s no need to start from scratch when implementing a microcredential program. Begin by taking a proactive look at the skills offered in your existing courses and analyzing the abilities that employers are searching for in their current job postings. From there, identify the gaps microcredentials could fill for companies. You can then align the skills in your current course offerings with organizations’ needs.
- Create stackable degree programs: The beauty of microcredentials is that they can stack together to build into a larger qualification. By offering microcredentials as a part of a larger degree program, some employees may feel compelled to further their education at your university. This end goal is highly valuable to learners who may want a full degree down the line.
Accessible education is the key to rectifying the skills canyon
Microcredentials pave the way for your university to play a significant role in closing the current skills gap. By redesigning existing courses into microcredential and certificate programs, you can market these new offerings to employers and bring new learners to your university. All told, students can broaden the skills in their tool belt, organizations can gain a competitive edge and your institution can encourage accessibility for all learners.
Cecil Banhan is the Vice President of Partnership Development at AllCampus.
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