Although 20 percent of survey respondents had little or no concern that non-degree or alternative credentials will have an adverse effect on the workforce, 17 percent were concerned about wrong/not relevant credentials/lack critical skills/training, 12 percent cited quality of education/validating credentials, and 11 percent specified a lack of educational/professional experience.
When choosing a college or university to collaborate with to develop a microcredential program, organizational leaders said they are incentivized by proof of program effectiveness (65 percent) and more than 50 percent want to play a role in the program’s development.
While the report reveals a significant microcredential market opportunity for higher ed, only 44 percent of organizations reported having been approached by a college or university about a potential program.
“At Collegis, we have helped many colleges and universities develop successful microcredential programs for the last decade. Most recently with Saint Louis University’s Cannabis Science and Operations microcredential program where our partner identified an emerging industry and the opportunity to develop a program to support an expanding field’s workforce,” said Tracy A. Chapman, Ph.D., Chief Academic Officer at Collegis.
“We worked with UPCEA on this study because we wanted broader insights into how the business world perceived microcredentials and if there are untapped opportunities for higher ed to leverage these types of programs to create a steady stream of enrollments and new revenue streams. The answer is, unequivocally, yes.”
Related:
College leaders look to flexible learning, microcredentials to boost enrollments
This press release originally appeared online.
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