Is Micro-credentialing a Measure of Professional Development?

With new technologies and cutting-edge solutions transforming how we work, it’s important for your employees to stay ahead of the curve. Micro-credentials are now easily available, and the workforce is making an effort to level up by learning while working. But can you accept micro-credentials as a measure of employee development? We spoke with Ashish Rangnekar, CEO at BenchPrep, to determine:

• What are micro-credentials and why they make perfect sense as a learning and development strategy
• The four obvious benefits of micro-credentialing
• Why the measure of micro-credentialing success is a matter of real-world implementation

This is an era defined by several new transformative forces. Digitalization, Industry 4.0, and data democratization are only some of the forces changing how we work and prepare for the future of business.

Our productivity is now the result of a complex intersection between technology and human expertise – bringing cutting-edge solutions to bring out our intrinsic potential. This is why education too must be looked at differently.

In these challenging times, with artificial intelligence (AI) and automation disrupting even basic functions, education must become a continuous, experiential, and regularized process. This makes micro-credential programs or short-term online learning a critical component in an employee’s career progression and individual development.

But the real question is whether you can consider them measures of learning and developmentOpens a new window , considering such credentials are available a dime a dozen – and sometimes for free.

To better understand the nature, impact, and benefits of micro-credentials, we spoke to Ashish Rangnekar, CEO at BenchPrepOpens a new window , a learning success platform for businesses.

Let’s begin by looking at the essentials of a micro-credentials training program.

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One Step at a Time: What Are Micro-credentials?

In its simplest sense, a micro-credential is a digital certification that ratifies a learner’s competency in a specific area of expertise. Importantly, micro-credentials are based on individual interests and are personalized according to one’s own learning preferences.

In other words, learners can pursue their course of choice and gradually create their “individualized educational mind-map.” They could pursue a course in “How to Enhance Creativity in the Workplace” or complete a guide “SEO-driven Content Marketing 101.” Essentially, they can help employees hone their soft skills and their hard skills through a similar learning experience.

Further, any micro-credential program is available on-demand, can be clearly grafted into employees’ role (even mandated by the organization), and gradually helps the learner progress in measurable bits. All of this happens at a pace the learner is comfortable with.

Finally, any micro-credential program is meant to maximize competencies and is therefore defined by the success of the “certification in action,” not just be the credibility of the institution.

Rangnekar shared with us why micro-credentialing is so relevant to the global workforce at this time.

Why Micro-credentials Are All About What’s Happening Right Here, Right Now

These are interesting times for the modern worker. The millennial/Gen Z employee is hungry for growth, jostling for space among older colleagues equally keen on maintaining their relevance. Add to that, a whole new world powered by multiple technologies at the cusp of taking over any/all iterative tasks – and you have a clear need for self-development.

Rangnekar broke this down into two critical elements:

1. Micro-credentialing resolves the challenge of continuous learning

“Things are moving very fast and technology is changing, which adds to the complexity of the workplace,” said Rangnekar.

“Employees can’t go get another degree every time there is a change in their industry or occupation. So they need to have continuous education and training. Micro-credentials work very well in today’s world because they are bite-sized, focused, and align well with how today’s workplaces are organized.”

2. Micro-credentialing helps in cross-skilling, offering people a more multifaceted career trajectory

Rangnekar opined, “The second is the interdependency of things – if you are a nurse, you need to learn about finance and other things. You can’t be myopic and just work on things related to nursing. When you look at education and training today, it’s very siloed. Look at a four-year degree program; after four years, what you have learned has already become obsolete.”

He went on to say, “There is a need to act fast, and to help professionals to reskill and upskill. The natural progression is smaller, faster certifications that are more relevant than 4-year degrees. This is where the power of micro-credentials come in – they work really well given the complexity of the workplace, society, and economy. I am very bullish on the impact of micro-credentials, given the fact that our society is getting more complex and changing at the pace that we have never seen before.”

So, what are the benefits of micro-credentials? Let’s consider four primary impact areas.

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Stay Relevant, Stay Sharp: 4 Benefits of Micro-credentialing

Here’s why as an organization, you should consider the value of micro-credentialing:

1. It makes learning a habit

Regardless of age, designation, or area of interest, employees can look at learning as a continuous and everyday process. It offers your workforce a competitive edge and allows them to stay abreast of the newest advancements in the industry.

2. It helps in career planning

Young entrants, eager to make waves and move forward, or mid-level employees ready for the next push, benefit most from a micro-credentials program. It prepares them for more meaningful roles and demonstrates their desire to contribute effectively to larger organizational goals.

3. It can be included in a company’s leadership development program

On a macro level, enterprises can look at micro-credentials as a way of separating “the better from the best-in-class” using these programs to hone tomorrow’s leaders. As a result, any leadership and succession plan for an organization is based on competency and skill development.

4. It lets employees pivot if they want to

For employees experiencing a sense of “career fatigue,” micro-credentials help to energize their professional abilities, offering them a chance to up-skill/cross-skill and expand their horizons.

Is micro-credentialing, then, the final word when it comes to measuring employee capability? Let’s find out.

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How to Link On-Ground Implementation with Micro-credentials

The challenge with micro-credentials is that the emphasis is higher on competency and lesser on the credibility of the institution offering the certification. This makes measuring the actual impact difficult. Rangnekar said that at the end of the day if an employee can bring any and all their learning to where it matters the most – the boardroom, the factory floor, or any other theater of play where real performance makes a difference – a micro-credential will prove to be an asset.

“Employers deeply care about competencies. They don’t care as much about your knowledge – they care about what you can do with your knowledge. They want to know, how does this credential align to competencies, and will it help you do your job? They want industry-alignment data and they want to see actual competency measures, not just a ‘check the box, they completed this credential’ measure, but a true sense of, did they grasp the subject and can they apply this knowledge to their job?” said Rangnekar.

“This is very hard to measure, so we need to build partnerships between industries/employers and assessment companies that know the science behind figuring out what employees can truly do and how to accurately measure competency,” he added.

For instance, in 2017, Facebook partnered with Digital PromiseOpens a new window , offering micro-credentials that address a well-demarcated digital skills gap. What this means is that before you offer a micro-credentials program, it is important to assess the needs of your organization, current gaps in learning and skill, and evaluate employee expectation/demand.

These two questions are a good place to start:

• Where do you see your learnings after the completed of the program?
• Can you assess that they can now actualize the learning once the program has been completed?

This is a great place to begin your micro-credentials initiative. In a highly competitive global job market, micro-credentials can help you prepare your employees for the next wave of challenge and change, while also establishing your organization as a driver of modern, open-minded, and insightful business values.

What is your opinion on the value of micro-credentials? Share your insights with us on FacebookOpens a new window , LinkedInOpens a new window , or TwitterOpens a new window . We are always listening!