Fall means college application season, but more and more students are seeking post-high school opportunities outside of traditional four-year colleges.
Hundreds of thousands of young people are pinning their hopes on so-called microcredentials as a faster path to in-demand careers. Programs range widely, allowing students to earn certifications to become phlebotomists or welders, or earn certifications in specific information technology skills.
Sara Weissman, reporting for Inside Higher Ed, says microcredentials run the gamut and can be issued for specific skill sets, as well as for more general skills such as emotional intelligence or networking. It states that it can be issued even if
“It’s offered by a very wide range of providers,” she said. “We’ll have all kinds of companies participating, from community colleges, nonprofit and for-profit universities, big companies like Google and LinkedIn, to online course providers.”
Wiseman, who looked at credential programs in Texas and several other states for the report, said it’s difficult to know how many microcredentials are being offered, but some indicators suggest the number is growing. He said that
“What we do know is that there are currently at least 1 million secondary and post-secondary credentials, including degrees, offered by approximately 50,000 different providers across the country, most of them in academia. I mean it’s outside,” she said. “This is three times the number of credentials that an organization called Credential Engine counted in 2018. So we know there will be tremendous growth.…
“We also know that more people are earning certificates in higher education institutions. Last year, more people earned certificates than at any time in the last decade. A large proportion were young people between the ages of 18 and 20.
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For those considering pursuing microcredentials, Wiseman said not all options are created equal.
“Our research on certificate programs shows that these programs generally increase students’ overall employment prospects,” she said. “They do provide a boost to earnings, but that boost can wane after a few years. And to get to the next pay rise, the next step in your career, you need another qualification or further education. Sometimes students don’t know that they may need it.
“Some of these programs seem to have no benefit or negative impact. So they’re really different. And that’s partly because of what the students are doing in their area. It depends on how in-demand the jobs are, how well the students are paid, and what relationships the program has with local employers.”
Microcredentials are not mutually exclusive with higher education, including universities.
“Research shows that getting a degree is the surest way to earn a good wage. And while there are currently some doubts about the value of higher education and its cost, it’s true that I think so,” Wiseman said. “However, more traditional institutions of higher education other than community colleges, which have long offered such services, are beginning to consider adding alternative options such as certificates and boot camps as demand increases. I think so.
Some students who complete a microcredential plan to attend college later, while others hope a certificate program is sufficient.
“I’ve talked to students who earned microcredentials and earned their degrees. I’ve also talked to students who don’t plan on going back to college for a variety of reasons. They’re juggling responsibilities, or they just take jobs they don’t feel they need,” Wiseman said. “What I’m saying is that higher education institutions are putting some effort into making micro-credentials stackable, meaning that students can take these short programs while earning credits toward a degree. And I’ve seen some students take advantage of it.”
Wiseman said research shows that if your goal is to get a job, it’s best to look for certificates in specific fields that are in high demand, such as health care.
“(It) tends to have better outcomes in the labor market than kind of more general microcredentials,” she said. “So that’s certainly something students should keep in mind.
“There are also organizations currently working to set quality standards for these types of programs and ensure that students have a platform where they can search for data on the outcomes of these programs. I think it’s starting to become unique in a sense.”
