Higher education has a big problem. For decades, it grew like mad, fueled by easy federal money and the growing perception that a college degree was essential to success. During that those fat years, the higher-ed establishment vastly increased its prices and allowed quality to slide to keep academically disengaged kids happy. Whereas about 20 years ago, everyone was clamoring for a degree, today many Americans look skeptically at college. They know that lots of students piled up huge debts only to end up working in jobs that high schoolers can do.
Therefore, the search is on for something different.
That something might be “microcredentials,” and in today’s Martin Center article, Rick Hess peers into his crystal ball to see if they might be the next big thing.
Hess writes, “The idea is simple: Formal learning has to be somehow measured. Microcredentialing offers a way to more precisely assess and document that learning. Microcredentials signal completion of short courses in specific marketable skills. Some of the more popular and useful ones cover discrete expertise in high-demand fields like IT support, data analytics, and cybersecurity.”
Good. There’s a market for this kind of learning, so colleges and universities should be able to capitalize on it. Maybe not as lucrative as a four-year degree, but better than nothing.
The trouble is that colleges don’t seem to be able to break their bad habits of making everything about politics. “For instance,” Hess continues, “the State University of New York (SUNY) has positioned itself as a leader in the space. But the results are not inspiring. SUNY’s vast list of microcredentials includes ‘Fundamentals of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Sense of Belonging (DEIS) for Leaders’; ‘Global Alumni Relations’; “Understanding the Impact of Environmental Social Governance (ESG)”; ‘Crime and Justice in a Diverse Society’; and ‘Feminism and Visual Literacy.’”
Still, microcredentials might turn out to be valuable. Hess concludes, “There is, though, cause to think things will progress. Increased computing power makes it easier to design, assess, and track microcredentials. In a graying workforce, the need for customized skill acquisition will continue to grow. Enhanced worker mobility and accelerated retraining will resonate with policymakers concerned about labor-market shifts (such as those fueled by clean energy or geopolitics). And the appeal of just-in-time, stackable, cost-effective credentials suits a nation increasingly used to tailored offerings.”