Micro-credentials in a Minute Episode 21: How do Micro-credentials fit into the needs of Workforce Stakeholders?

May 8

Greetings friends ✨

In service to making the digital badge and micro-credential space more accessible to the broader community, the Micro-credential Multiverse team has launched a series of conversations with industry leaders in the space we’re calling “Micro-credentials in a Minute”.

Each episode of the podcast will be about a minute long and address critical questions on micro-credentials, digital badges, learning pathways, digital wallets, and more!

Introducing Micro-credentials in a Minute

Episode 21: How do Micro-credentials fit into the needs of Workforce Stakeholders?

The stage is set for a new episode of "Micro-credentials in a Minute", brought to you by the visionary minds at Micro-credential Multiverse.

Join our intrepid hosts, Rob Bajor and Katie Sievers (Credly by Pearson⁠), as they embark on a journey through the ever-shifting landscape of workforce development.

As the curtains rise, we witness a world where automation reigns supreme, but human skills are in high demand. In this brave new world, careers are longer and more agile, and the gig economy rules the day.

Our heroes, armed with their knowledge of micro-credentials and digital badges, navigate the treacherous waters of this new world, seeking to understand how credentials can serve the needs of all stakeholders in the workforce.

Will they be able to find the right tools to take action and harness the power of micro-credentials to cultivate a future-proof, high-performing workforce? Can they convince managers and hiring managers to better understand what individual's credentials are signaling?

Find out in this thrilling episode as our heroes dive deep into the world of credentials, exploring how they can reduce friction in the workforce and support the trend of recognition.

So grab your popcorn, settle into your seats, and get ready for an action-packed ride with Micro-credentials in a Minute.

Guests

Learn more about our guests

Featured

Katie Sievers

Katie Sievers joined Credly as a Customer Success Manager in 2019 after earning her M.Ed. from Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she focused on education technology and alternative post-secondary pathways and credentials.

Robert Bajor

Robert Bajor is the founder of Micro-credential Multiverse.

Transcript

Micro-credentials in a Minute: How do Micro-credentials fit into the needs of Workforce Stakeholders?

Robert Bajor: Hi, my name is Rob,

Katie Sievers: and my name's Katie. And we're micro-credential and digital badge experts.

Robert Bajor: Great, so I've asked Katie to come in today and talk about, uh, how do micro-credentials fit into the needs of workforce stakeholders.

Robert Bajor: Uh, so what do you think, Katie?

Katie Sievers: Well, there's some big shifts happening in the workforce around the world right now. So tasks are being automated. There's a, you know, increasing demand for human skills and upskilling around how to best use new technologies.

Katie Sievers: Careers are also longer as our lifespans get longer.

Katie Sievers: Uh, and careers are also more agile. And so we're switching careers more often. And usually, um, there's some other stuff going on on the side, participating more fluidly in the gig economy. Some might call that the projectification of work. Understanding what people know and can do and are interested in doing, all of which can be accomplished through credentials is really, really important.

Katie Sievers: If companies want to cultivate a future proof and engaged, high performing workforce, which, I think most companies do.

Katie Sievers: The big challenge then is for the right people to have access to the right information around people's abilities and interests and the right tools to take action with that information.

Katie Sievers: So often the data captured in credentials are used in aggregate at the level of strategic workforce planning to project future talent acquisition or development needs. Or, credentials are used by learning and development teams to motivate engagement in learning activities. And those are both great approaches and we need managers and hiring managers, those who really are most often in the direct position to impact someone's career to better understand what individual's credentials are signaling.

Katie Sievers: So, I think as a credentialing industry, we could do more to help the learners contextualize their achievements and really tell their stories more effectively.

Robert Bajor: Yeah, I think that's right on. Often in these conversations there's a lot of emphasis put on the learner for good reason, and there's a lot of emphasis put on the issuer or the institution or organization awarding the credential to the learner.

Robert Bajor: But then there's that recognizer. So we talked about this in a previous episode, but really getting those folks to understand the value of different credentials is gonna support something that you alluded to before, which is that, the workforce has just become more fluid.

Robert Bajor: So research shows that an individual might pivot their career two or three times, maybe, maybe not ever, you know, like I have family who've been in the same job for 30 years and then they retire and that's it.

Robert Bajor: But I mean, I can speak for myself. I've pivoted like seven times and I'm in my mid thirties. It puts friction not only on the worker and the learner, but it also puts friction on the workforce.

Robert Bajor: So, when an individual from the workforce is better able to advocate for the employee or the potential candidate, by recognizing the value of those credentials, it reduces that friction like locally for the employer, but also broadly across the workforce when that becomes a trend in and of itself, the recognition piece.