Microcredentials: the Fast New Way to Upskill
In many industries, continuous learning of new skills is essential for the forward momentum of professional development—both on an individual and organization-wide level. But one of the main barriers to upskilling is the time and resources it takes to complete a degree or certification program. Microcredentials are the trending answer to this problem.
What are microcredentials?
A microcredential refers to the credit a learner receives for completing a short, competency-based course that narrowly targets a specific skill or knowledge area. Unlike a traditional degree, these courses are typically non-credit, and learners earn a certificate or badge upon completion of the course. Microcredentials can include things like digital badges for software engineer training and certificates in project management or workplace safety. They can be earned quickly to satisfy continuing education requirements, to assess competency level for skills-based hiring practices, or be used for employee upskilling and reskilling.
To seamlessly offer microcredential courses in your continuing education or professional development program, it’s important to ensure you’re using a platform that provides the features that can streamline the entire process—from initial registration to course completion. Here are five main features to prioritize:
-
Simple Registration
The primary benefit of a microcredential program is its ease. These courses are meant to be quick and easy to sign up for, attend, and complete. That starts with the signup itself. Make sure you have a registration process in place that makes it easy and seamless for learners to enter their information and get started—without clunky workflows or confusing forms.
-
Reliable Attendance Tracking
Many microcredential courses require proof of participation. A registration platform like Learning Stream can automatically track attendance, giving instructors and administrators a clear view of who showed up and stayed until the end—an important factor for compliance or participation-based certifications.
-
Robust Reporting
Gather all the data you need with robust reporting capabilities. Make sure you can sort by factors like course, participant, date, or other metrics. And no required spreadsheets means lower risk of manual data entry errors.
-
Testing Tools
Earning a credential of any kind means participants have shown they have mastered a particular skill or knowledge area, usually through a test to assess their proficiency. Find a platform that supports quizzes and tests, while allowing administrators or instructors to set pass/fail criteria and track scores.
-
Automated Certificate Generation
Once participants have passed any final assessments and completed the course to earn their microcredential, they should be issued proof of completion in the form of a digital badge or certificate. Platforms like Learning Stream can be configured to issue badges and certificates automatically, without the need to manually distribute anything via email. This feature can save administrators valuable time and make microcredentialing programs more scalable.
Whether you’re running a workforce training program, looking to round out your continuing education offerings, or just starting to explore non-credit learning, Learning Stream gives you the tools to deliver a professional, efficient microcredentialing experience.
Contact us to get started with Learning Stream today.
