Make Room for Microcredentials

Christina Cotsakis Cordón cotsakiscordonc@clarke.k12.ga.us

When considering students’ plans immediately after graduation, school counselors think about two “C”s and one “M”: college, career, and military. Let’s add a new “M” to the mix: microcredentials!

Microcredentials are programs offered by for-profit businesses, traditional education providers, or other organizations that allow students to gain competency in a narrow field in a short amount of time (UNESCO, 2022). Microcredentials could include coding boot camps, proprietary training on using a specific technology, massive open online courses (MOOCs), and short industry certifications in fields traditionally associated with career, technical, and agricultural education. Some microcredentials award digital badges upon completion that can be displayed to demonstrate skills. Microcredentials can provide initial training for entry into a new field or help someone to increase their skills or “upskill.”

According to the EDUCAUSE Horizon Report, a leading publication on educational trends, “microcredentials and other forms of skills-based certifications may be positioned to overtake the traditional college degree as the most common and even most preferred form of postsecondary education and training” (Pelletier et al., 2022, p. 29). This shift means school counselors must consider an increasingly diverse postsecondary landscape for students. While school counselors already know that additional education or training after high school leads to higher earnings and a lower unemployment rate (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022), there is an increase in the types and number of options to pursue that education or training. As workers reconsidered their careers during the COVID-19 pandemic, thus desiring to add new skills, and students became increasingly comfortable with online learning, the emerging microcredential market exploded and continues to gain steam (Pelletier et al., 2022).

There are many reasons that microcredentials might appeal to students. Students can focus on an area of interest that directly aligns with career goals without taking core classes that may not be as relevant to their goals. Microcredentials can pivot and adjust to industry needs faster than traditional academic pathways (D’Agostino, 2023), so students can know they are getting the most up-to-date preparation. Since microcredentials are shorter and easier to “stack” than traditional college degrees, microcredentials can be a way for students to gain expertise in areas that might seem unrelated or combine their many interests. For example, a student can complete microcredentials in photography and entrepreneurship to prepare for starting their own photography business. Due to the brevity of the programs, students can get a taste of a specific career field before deciding to dive in deeper. Microcredentials can also be a small, manageable first step towards a more traditional education credential, which can be especially important for students who are interested in, but not ready to commit to, a 2-year or 4-year degree. Some microcredentials are fully online, which helps a wider range of students access training.

Of course, microcredentials are not perfect. Both students and employers can be confused by the variety of microcredentials offered, differences in program quality, and determining the skills represented within the programs (D’Agostino, 2023). Just as not all colleges or majors are equal, not all microcredentials are created equal regarding reputation and quality. It can be challenging for students and school counselors to determine which programs are the most reputable. In addition, funding for microcredentials can be confusing, whether hosted by traditional universities, nonprofit organizations, or businesses.

School counselors can work with their students to consider their postsecondary options, including microcredentials. School counselors can collaborate with students to analyze whether microcredential programs would meet a student’s interests and goals. Whether students want to attend a coding boot camp in preparation for a career in software development or get an industry certification to become a ski instructor, school counselors already know how to help students consider the factors that impact postsecondary choices by asking questions like:

● How does this program align with the student’s objectives?

● What will the cost be?

● What do the job outcomes of the program look like?

● How long is this program?

● Does the program have existing relationships with employers?

These questions and many others can help students discern whether a microcredential will help them reach their goals. While this may involve research on new, more specific types of programs, students will benefit from having an increased set of postsecondary options to explore.

Finally, as professional school counselors, we can also obtain our own microcredentials to upskill. ASCA U Specialist Trainings are a great example of microcredentials specifically targeted towards school counselors. School counselors can gain additional expertise in college admissions, bullying prevention, and data in approximately 50 hours (ASCA). School counselors can also obtain training and certification from the technology platforms we use daily, like Google for Educators, Microsoft Office, Pear Deck, or Canva. Of course, there are also microcredentials available through MOOCs on platforms like Coursera or edX that can help anyone explore their interests in Shakespeare, food, or guitar.

As you consider immediate postgraduation options for students, you can help students consider whether they would like to start with college, go directly into a career, join the military, or pursue a microcredential! Along the way, you can also make room for microcredentials for yourself.

References

American School Counselor Association (ASCA). (n.d.). ASCA U specialist training.

https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Events-Professional-Development/Professio nal-Development/ASCA-U-Specialist-Training https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2023/03/03/microcredentials-confuse-e mployers-colleges-and-learners

D’Agostino, S. (2023, March 3). Microcredentials confuse employers, colleges and learners. Inside Higher Ed.

Pelletier, K., McCormack, M., Reeves, J., Robert, J., Arbino, N., DicksonDeane, C., Guevara, C., Koster, L., Sánchez-Mendiola, M., Skallerup https://library.educause.edu/-/media/files/library/2022/4/2022hrteachinglearnin g.pdf https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381668 https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2022/data-on-display/education-pays

Bessette, L., & Stine, J. (2022). 2022 EDUCAUSE horizon report, teaching and learning edition. EDUCAUSE, Boulder, Colorado.

UNESCO. (2022). Towards a common definition of microcredentials. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Paris.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022, May). Education pays, 2021. Career outlook.