Earning a Micro-credential

Students can earn micro-credentials in and out of school to support their academic and future goals.

Frank, a high school junior, comes from a long line of educators — two of his grandparents were math teachers, his mom was a middle-school biology teacher, and his dad worked in the IT department at the local college.

Frank wants to teach Spanish and has been looking into college programs. He stopped at an afterschool program about preparing for college and learned that his high school offers access to a series of micro-credentials that are accepted as course credit at one of the colleges he is interested in, allowing him to get a headstart in exploring a career and major.

Frank will go on to earn all five of the micro-credentials and be accepted into the college of his choice.

Additional Examples:

• UCF Teaching Majors Prepare for the Profession through Micro-credentials
• Washington High School Seniors Prepare to Teach through Micro-credentials

Educators can earn micro-credentials to demonstrate their skills and advance their careers.

Alex has been a teacher for five years. She is known for her excellent spreadsheet skills; her colleagues often come to her for help, and she is glad that people are noticing what she is capable of doing. She was introduced to a data analysis micro-credential and thought it could be a great proof of her skills. She spent several hours after school to complete the assessment, received an award, and shared it with her supervisor.

Her supervisor asked Alex if she would consider transitioning into a technology coach role at school. Feeling more confident, Alex takes on the challenge as it aligns with her passion closely. She is now working on a project to bring micro-credentials into her school as a more flexible form of professional development.

Additional Examples:

• Learner Variability in the Classroom through Micro-credentials

Working professionals can earn micro-credentials to showcase their growth, prove their competency to a specific position, or transition into a new field.

Debbie has worked in the operations field for 15 years and recently became interested in marketing. She has read a lot about the latest trends, attended meetups, and met a coach at a previous meetup who has been supporting her work.

Debbie wants to make the career switch to social media marketing. Even though she has knowledge and skills, this has not been documented or verified yet. Debbie was referred to a stack of micro-credentials that are aligned with what she wants to learn and demonstrate. Debbie will add these verified micro-credentials to her resume and LinkedIn profile, setting herself up for success when she is ready to make the move.

How Micro-credentials Can Support Social Mobility in Rural Communities

Anyone who is a lifelong learner can earn micro-credentials at anytime to get their skills verified and recognized!

Resources:

• Charting Your Course: Micro-credentials Can Support Personal and Professional Development