Micro-Credentials: A Catalyst for Strategic Reset and Change in U.S. Higher Education

ABSTRACT Micro-credentials vis a vis competency-based certifications of skill domains have existed for decades across vocational-technical education and the professions. What appears to be changing is the priority ascribed to different micro-credentials along a credentials continuum that has focused on formal degrees and certificates. This paper will provide a descriptive analysis of the emerging trend toward micro-credentials by colleges, universities, and other public-private providers in the United States. A major question that emerges for institutional leaders is: Can micro-credentials help position the institution’s academic, public service, and economic and workforce development market positions for the future? Driven by student graduates unable to find good jobs, by employers who cannot find the skill-based workforce they need, by increasing competition, by insurmountable student debt, and by a need for faster pathways from school to work, this aggregate ‘credentials rethink” is forcing colleges and universities to consider reframing their traditional credentials arsenal. The paper will conclude with some observations and key considerations for leaders to navigate their institutions during this period of “strategic reset” for potentially shifting institutional directions to adapt and compete in this new higher education landscape.