Micro-credentials are short modules that focus on specific practical skills, meeting employer demands and moving people into the workforce quickly. There was an astonishing 95% increase in the availability of micro-credentials between 2021 and 2022. US students say they are 74% more likely to enroll in a degree program that offers industry micro-credentials. 

Many people see this development as essential for upskilling the workforce, driving the economy forward and widening access in education. Others see it simply as a new phase in the privatization and marketization of higher ed, destroying the integrity of the sector. Let’s analyze the causes behind the recent success of micro-credentials, the challenges they present and how to leverage them for the benefit of students, employers and institutions.

How colleges should be approaching micro-credentials

Developing your micro-credentials offering doesn’t mean compromising on quality or eliminating four-year programs. The key to success in this space is integrating micro-credentials with your existing programs, departments and the overarching strategic outlook.

• Focus on building industry partnerships – In 2023, UPCEA found that LinkedIn Learning holds the top spot when it comes to employer partnerships. If supplying the workforce is a primary function of higher ed, then colleges and universities need to ensure they are top of the list for employers looking to upskill their employees. Building programs in collaboration with employers will guarantee the relevance and quality of your micro-credentials and will transform your employability rates.

• Incorporate micro-credentials into every element of your offering – Micro-credentials are not just for non-traditional students who want to avoid four-year study. Many colleges are starting to see the value in adding micro-credentials to standard undergraduate programs. The University of Texas, for example, started as a task force in 2023 with a Strada Education Foundation grant to embed micro-credentials in their undergraduate degrees. Position micro-credentials as an exciting part of the traditional degree framework, not an alternative to it.

• Target growing audience groups – Micro-credentials give you the power to expand and diversify your cohort, accessing untapped audiences. The ‘Some College, No Degree’ (SCND) population, for example, is the biggest it has ever been. As a result of the pandemic, this stop-out audience has grown to 40.4 million. However, they are increasingly difficult to convert – the SCND re-enrollment rate declined by 11.8% in 2023. Micro-credentials enable you to mobilize this audience, helping them to return to education in an affordable, efficient way.

• Position yourself as ‘lifelong upskillers’ – The role of higher ed needs to go beyond educating people just once in their lives, in a four-year stint at 18-22 years old. To stay relevant, the sector needs to lead the continuous upskilling of the population. Market yourself as a provider of lifelong learning – as the experts that people and businesses turn to to help them stay on top of industry demands. No matter their level of education, people should be able to use micro-credentials to improve themselves at regular intervals throughout their working lives.

Rather than being an affront to traditional higher ed, micro-credentials have the power to build a more accessible, vibrant, skills-driven sector. If institutions and employers continue to develop and market them effectively, these programs will bring the industry closer to what it should be – a force for progress and a place for everyone.

Get in touch to learn how Hybrid can help you to market your micro-credentials offering.