In an effort to examine how microcredentials and collaboration can foster the transformation of higher education, Workcred's associate executive director, Karen Elzey, will join a panel representing policy makers, academia, and business at the HEInnovate webinar series on May 20. Elzey will discuss the opportunities and challenges of embedding certifications into bachelor’s degree programs and Workcred's recent efforts to clarify industry and occupational certifications.
An initiative of the European Commission, DG Education and Culture, and the OECD LEED Forum, and supported by a panel of six independent experts, HEInnovate is a free self-assessment tool for higher education Institutions that wish to explore their innovative potential.
HEInnovate's 2021 Spring series panel discussion will also include speakers Klara Engels-Perenyi, policy officer at the European Commission; Alisson Avila, co-founder, communication and knowledge principal at Beta-i, an international collaborative innovation consultancy firm based in Lisbon; and Christian Frield, "edupreneur," senior lecturer, researcher, and project leader of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Austria, and designer of innovation Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and microcredentials.
The hour-long session will cover:
- different approaches to microcredentials, including the definition developed by the European Commission;
- the benefits and obstacles of providing microcredentials through collaboration between academia and industry; and
- the opportunities and challenges in embedding certifications into degree programs.
Microcredentials: The New Education Tools to Leverage Success
"Microcredentials," also recognized as stackable credentials, can boost candidate qualifications. In recent years, educational programs that incorporate multiple types of credentials, including microcredentials, have been on the rise, providing students with an
opportunity to obtain both a broad-based education and technical or industry-specific skills.
To further examine this, and as part of its recent work, Workcred partnered with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, and the University Professional Continuing Education Association, with funding
from Lumina Foundation, and the partners convened representatives from universities and certification bodies.
The collaborative explored embedding industry and professional certifications into bachelor degree programs that encompass disciplines in healthcare, cybersecurity, and manufacturing sectors.
And as part of its collaborative two-year study of industry and occupational certifications—a type of credential—Workcred and partners, the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce and the George Washington Institute of Public Policy, released "Understanding Certifications."
The publication serves as a primer to help policymakers and practitioners alike navigate the complex and little understood “wild west” of certifications.
To find out more about Workcred's efforts, visit the newly redesigned Workcred.org. Register for the virtual HEInnovate event, and access more information via HeInnovate's news item.
