How micro-credentials can help you stay competitive in a changing workforce
Technology is changing all facets of our lives, but especially the way we learn and work.
And increasingly, people are looking for ways to improve their skills through high quality, online, professional development that’s flexible and can be completed in a short amount of time.
Within this rapidly shifting landscape, employers are also encouraging their employees to seek out opportunities that can enhance their skills quickly.
Enter micro-credentials: a new option and a stepping stone to growth.
In fact, a recent Athabasca University study found that 61 per cent of Canadians aged 18-54 identified micro-credentials—stackable career-advancing power courses—as something they’d want to pursue post-pandemic.
What is a micro-credential?
PowerED™ by Athabasca University’s micro-credentials are specialized, non-credit courses or stackable certificates delivered online in short, powerful bursts. They enable learners to dig into the learning for quick impact and immediate application at work.
Non-credit micro-learning courses provide skill-based learning for people who want to upgrade their skills in areas such as leadership, project management, digital wellness, allyship and inclusion, and digital transformation.
Micro-credentials have the power to fill a gap in the workplace and help employees transfer their current skills into new opportunities by translating these short micro-learning experiences into tangible work-ready skills.
Recognizing the importance of upskilling and re-skilling workers, the Government of Alberta provided more than $1 million in grant funding to PowerED™ and the Faculty of Science and Technology to support the development of three new micro-credentials.
“Micro-credentials are just a piece of that ongoing, lifelong learning process,” said Kristin Mulligan, interim director of PowerED™, during a recent interview with Postmedia.
“You can fit [micro-learning] into those little pockets of time you have within your day, that more traditional learning can’t fit.”
What’s different about PowerED’s micro-credentials?
PowerED’s award-winning, on-demand approach to the online learning experience includes a mix of multi-media, interactive tools, case studies, gamification, competency assessment, downloadable materials, and AI simulations for assessment.
Micro-courses are designed to be flexible and can be accessed from any device that connects to the internet. Courses can be completed in just two weeks with about eight to 12 hours dedicated to learning each week.
With PowerED™ courses, learners receive a digital badge after the completion of each course, and a digital certificate once they complete all course requirements to earn their respective certificate.
Other additional free micro-courses like Elevate Your Personal Brand and Navigating Extraordinary Times can be completed in even less time.
Learn more about PowerED’s industry-leading courses and certificates
