Moving from a Degree-Centric Postsecondary System to an Incremental Credentialing System: What Happens to Learners’ Financing Options?

Participant Profile

CREDENTIAL AS YOU GO PARTICIPANT

Minneapolis College

WEBSITE

LOCATION

Minneapolis, Minnesota

COHORT

2023

Implementation stage & efforts to date Design stage

  • Worked with Education Design Lab to build 21st Century Skills Badges which consist of eight modules (Oral/Written Communication; Critical Thinking; Initiative/Leadership; Collaboration/Teamwork; Intercultural Fluency; Empathy; Resilience; and Creative Problem Solving)
  • Since the spring of 2020, the Career Services department facilitated the Career Ready Digital Badging program by providing workshops to guide students in learning the content material, reflection exercises, and assessment activities. 
  • The Career Readiness Digital Badging program has been integrated into a few courses where instructors made it a required students to complete one module to earn a badge. 
  • The program was offered to student employees by working collaboratively with on-campus departmental supervisors in offering professional development opportunities during their work time.
  • The Academic Affairs division is beginning to create curriculum and identify curriculum that could align with industry-based incremental credentials including working toward launching a 16-credit Professional Skills Certificate that builds momentum toward the Business Transfer Pathway. This will include classes that are aligned with Microsoft Office badges/certifications. 
Goals for 

participation 

  • Provide advantage to the diverse student body by recognizing incremental achievements on the way to such credentials as certificates, diplomas and degrees, by employing a stackable credentials approach.
  • Certify skills such as Excel, which could give our students a leg-up in the job market when competing with students from more selective but traditional colleges and universities

Associated Case Studies

Improving Education and Employment Outcomes