Credentialing pathways provide opportunities for colleges and universities to align their academic curricula with industry skill needs by embedding or aligning non-degree credentials (e.g., certificates, certifications, microcredentials) with degree programs.
These pathways provide opportunities for learners to master occupationally relevant-skills that lead to living wage jobs while continuing to earn a degree.
For example, by aligning their curricula with competencies in certification exam blueprints, colleges and universities can ensure that the curricula are up-to-date and meet the skill needs defined by employers. And these pathways offer students the analytical skills they need to be lifelong learners (degree) as well as the technical skills they need to contribute as professionals (certification).
These pathways have the potential to benefit all learners because it is a broadly applicable, scalable approach that can be used to align degrees in any academic discipline with industry-relevant competencies.
Identifying the Opportunities and Challenges of Integrating Certifications into Bachelor’s Degrees
Workcred began its work in this area with a grant from Lumina Foundation in partnership with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and its permanent partner, the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU), and UPCEA,
the online and professional education association. The focus was to identify opportunities, challenges, and practical examples associated with integrating high-quality, industry certifications into bachelor’s degree programs to create more opportunities for students to earn multiple credentials with labor-market value.
The project culminated with the development of the framework below to develop and scale certification-degree pathways. Learn more about the elements of the framework here.
That work has expanded into other projects:
Creating Certification + Degree Pathways at Community Colleges
With support from ECMC Foundation, Workcred, the League for Innovation in the Community College, and the Higher Learning Commission partnered with four community colleges to develop and implement certification + degree pathways in information technology (IT) and health science programs and establish a process for low-cost replication.
This summer, we will be hosting our final partners’ meetings where the four participating community colleges will share their experiences creating eight new pathways in IT and health sciences—initiatives designed to create lasting impact for students and employers alike.
We will also be finalizing a set of publications to be released this summer, including case studies that provide specific examples of new certification + degree pathways, a playbook for community colleges that want to implement these pathways, and accreditation
guidelines to consider when building these pathways. Read more about how credentials support multiple functions in our society and economy.
Aligning Credential Pathways, Institutional Policies, and Labor Market Needs
In addition, Workcred received funding from the Greater Texas Foundation to work with Houston Community College and Texas Southmost College to better align their industry credential pathways with regional labor market needs and better support low-income
and first-generation learners to complete industry certification + certificate/degree pathways, earn postsecondary credentials of value, and enter the workforce.
Under another grant from Powell Foundation, Workcred and Houston Community College are examining state and institutional policies to support learners to enter and complete credentialing pathways aligned with regional workforce needs.
The goal is to improve alignment of pathways and policies to support low income and first-generation learners and develop recommendations for how stakeholders can alter their policies or guidelines.
Incorporating Microcredentials into Bachelor’s Degree Programs
Workcred has conducted several workshops for faculty and administrators at The University of Texas System (UT System) institutions focused on how microcredentials could be incorporated with bachelor’s degrees to ensure that graduates are broadly educated (degree) and specifically skilled (microcredential), potentially increasing graduates’ employment opportunities and earnings outcomes.
This work resulted in a framework report that provides an overview of microcredentials; factors to consider when building or selecting a microcredential; promising microcredential practices in digital skills and data analytics; approaches to align data analytics microcredentials with undergraduate experiences; a guide for the development and implementation of microcredentials; and assets to support microcredentialing efforts in the UT System.
This framework can be used to align microcredentials in any subject area with bachelor’s degrees.
The UT System continues to create opportunities for students to earn short-term credentials (i.e., professional certificates and microcredentials) through the Texas Credentials for the Future Initiative. Some faculty adopted existing professional certificates, while others developed their own microcredential.
To highlight these efforts, Workcred created four case studies to provide examples of the multiple approaches for integrating microcredentials with an undergraduate program. Three of the case studies showcase how faculty in the humanities, behavioral and brain sciences, and cybersecurity utilized microcredentials in their undergraduate courses.
The other case study explores an asynchronous, co-curricular experience that allows students to gain technical skills and strengthen 21st-century power skills (e.g., communication, critical thinking, teamwork).
Connect with Us
Each of these projects continues to expand the knowledge about the value of credential pathways for leaners, faculty, administrators, and employers. Contact Workcred if you are interested in developing or expanding credentialing pathways.
