What are some of the challenges or barriers your institution faces whendeveloping new credentials?
Change is hard. Some barriers are more controllable than others. "Limited understanding" and "lack of standardization in credential 'currency'" are two challenges with huge influence and that could be quickly and inexpensively addressed.
31% strongly agree or agree that their institutionregularly lists alumni as a target market for microcredential programs,
If we are passionate about lifelong learning, 3 of 10 saying that we market to alumni for MCs is a big sign of disconnect in institutional strategy.
how well do microcredential initiatives align with the strategicplan of your institution?
Only 16% said that MCs have "total alignment with strategic plan." If leaders believe this is the future, and UPCEA research is that this stuff needs to be in the strategic plan, this is a key finding.
Respondents more involved in the credentialing process were generally lesslikely to say institutionally offered microcredentials are extremely or very effec-tive in competing with those offered by emerging entities, while respondentsnot at all involved were most likely to say they are extremely or very effective.
Again, the people who seem to be most proficient, are also most likely to see the reality of legacy HE thinking that, according to data here and in other reports, is not just disconnected from external audiences, but often seemingly unconcerned with asking external constituents "How do I look?" I think a prevailing vibe is that many research universities have a sort of High School Hot Girl Syndrome, assuming that they are desired based on surface-level perceptions and always will be.
How involved are you in the process of developing and implementingcredentialing initiatives, such as stackable credentials, non-credit to credit pathways,and microcredentials, among others, at your institution?
Possible indication that the people who know the most about credential innovation, who bring POV that's closer to balcony views than lane views, and who are likely of disproportional value to support institutional strategy, are under-utilized human resources. When it comes to campus strategy, leadership, implementation, and general decision-making related to credential innovation, about 50% of the people at 4-year institutions who should be at the table say they are "not very or not at all involved." Worth noting that at 2-year institutions, where credential innovation is trending in more inspiring directions, 73% are "extremely or very involved." **This could be a key metric. **
Figure 3: Decrease in Perceived Fiscal Benefits of Microcredentials by Year
Perception vs Reality disconnect. Why? My guess is huge gaps in understanding of the Fundamentals.
When credential innovation is em-bedded within an institution’s strategic plan, programs are not only betteraligned with mission and goals but also more likely to deliver fiscal benefitsand effectively compete with other providers. The growing emphasis on work-force development and professional advancement signals a shift towardoutcome-driven design, positioning microcredentials as an important bridgebetween education and employment. Institutions that intentionally embedthese initiatives into their strategic priorities and collaborate closely with in-dustry partners will be best positioned to deliver programs that are bothmission-aligned and market-relevant.Executive Summary
Key finding: have a strategy, have a plan.
Digital badges play a growing role in workforce development by enabling employers and higher education institutions to collaborate on defining badge criteria for skill verification and competency-based hiring.
Missed opportunities: collaborate to define criteria for skill and competency verification.
Current Programming Partnerships Across Academic
Pages 19-20: Brilliant analysis to identify existing partnerships across campus and categorized in smart ways (youth, CE, etc)
The platform allows students to complete assessments of their skills—including hard-to-measure soft skills, like communication, resilience and ability to collaborate—and present them in a “skills-based transcript” they can present to employers,
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students are matched with employers after a screening interview based on their major and goals, and they have final say in where they intern. The process is meant to be personalized
LERs could power doing this well and at scale. Also, this is good for everyone, not just people with disabilities.
institutions need clarity to create coherent credentialing ecosystems that are aligned with their mission and the market.
Mission alignment.
companies with external partnerships that provide employee training or professional development increased from 54% in 2022 to 68% in 2023, and among those without existing relationships, 61% of companies would be interested in developing these partnerships.
Most companies have external partnerships for employee training and the majority of those that do not would be interested in having them.
Detailed Tables of ContentsCourses that garner high enrollment often present detailed tablesof contents. These structures provide a transparent overview of thecourse content, allowing learners (or corporate purchasers) to assessthe relevance and alignment with their learning objectives. The termsfound in the tables of contents can also play a significant role inimproving search engine optimization (SEO
Table of contents for transparency and helping consumers make informed purchasing decisions. Plus, could impact SEO.
First, microcredentialsshould be part of thestrategic programportfolio for all institutionsof higher education.Additionally, institutionsshould resource theirmicrocredential activitiesappropriately forsustainability and growth
This requires executive sponsorship and cabinet-level involvement.
(20%) did not include microcredentials as astrategic priority
Implying that 80% DO include microcredentials as a strategic priority