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Microcredentials are fast becoming a key trend in the fields of teaching, learning and career development. As a Director of Adult Learning and Teaching Initiatives, I have seen the use and issuance of these digital credentials explode over the past year. Through my own educational journey (PhD in Adult Education) and years of experience working in the field of education, I see the value of giving students the ability to name their skills and competencies using employer-specific language.

At the Faculty of Open Learning & Career Development, we are embarking on a robust microcredentialing initiative which involves both our own learning experiences and external partnerships. Through research and application, we have found many benefits to this contemporary credentialing process. Here are three:

Ìý1. Identifying Skills
Microcredentials provide a way for both learners to display and employers to review information around earned skills and competencies. Microcredentials can provide added value to content-based achievements (i.e. a certificate, diploma, or even a degree) by showcasing evidence of skill application. Each competency is assessed and each microcredential contains evidence from that assessment.

2. Workplace Validation
Designing microcredentials with relevant industry partners means that the microcredentials themselves reflect the most up-to-date requirements for success in that field. Employers identify the skills they are looking for in future and/or current employees, microcredentials are attached to learning experiences that offer those skills and learners can showcase their credentials on various digital platforms.

3. Equity and Access
Microcredentials can even the playing field of higher education access. Not everyone has the time, access, or resources to embark on a four-year credit program. For those who have the opportunity to engage in those smaller, more discrete learning experiences, microcredentials offer a way to showcase the transferrable skills that have been learned and therefore to provide a competitive advantage in the workplace.

If the future is digital and the future of work is about being nimble, creative, and responsive, microcredentials may be the technical recognition of skills and knowledge best suited for learners, earners, employers, and institutions.

For more information on our Microcredentialing initiative and partnerships, please contact us at microcredentials@dal.ca.

For more information on our course in microcredential design and management, ÌýÌý

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