Micro-Credentials

Micro-Credentials:

• stand out by acquiring targeted career skills alongside your broader education.
• are high quality and competency-based and standalone or are embedded in existing courses.
• focus on in-demand skills to help you be competitive with employment goals and aspirations.
• offer transparency and portability. Upon completing a micro-credential, learners will be issued a digital badge to showcase their achievements to coworkers, supervisors, or potential employers. They can be posted on social media, embedded in personal websites or e-portfolios, and downloaded as PDFs.
• are professional development offering working professionals a flexible and affordable way to grow in their current roles or pivot to new careers.

Employers today value the addition of micro-credentials to your educational and career journey. Earning credentials that complement your degree can help you stand out to potential employers, give employers confidence that you have the skills they’re looking for, verified by Iowa State University, and further demonstrate your commitment and interest in a particular career path or industry.

In addition to posting your digital badges on your social media accounts, be sure to remember to update your resume. Here are some additional tips:

• List micro-credential awarded under the Education section along with your anticipated degree.
• Be sure to include the name of the micro-credential, issuing organization, date awarded, listed in reverse chronological order.
• Provide the verified link for viewers to click into the digital badge metadata.

Examples

Developing a micro-credential at ISU involves a review process to ensure quality, rigor, and alignment across campus. CELT  provides comprehensive support to ensure that faculty and staff have the necessary resources and guidance to develop high-quality, market-relevant micro-credentials that students and learners will want to pursue.

How can my department issue digital credentials?

Departments seeking to submit a micro-credential for review and approval will submit the M-C Interest Form to coordinate an initial consultation with CELT’s Professional Learning & Micro-Credential Program Specialist, Tanya Austin, tjaustin@iastate.edu.

What kinds of micro-credentials does ISU support?

Faculty and Staff Resources

• NACE Competencies
• Process and Procedures
• Badge Design Series
• Micro-Credential Interest Form

ISU micro-credentials are designed to:

• provide immediate work-force value.
• close the changing skills gaps.
• meet emerging industry needs.
• help build a pipeline of qualified employees.
• help expand benefits, training, and professional development programs for retention and engagement.
• support employees in planning for professional growth, advancement, and succession planning.

Why should I partner with you?

• We’ll work together to develop a micro-credential that provides your current workforce with the skills they need to advance or shift to emerging needs.
• ISU micro-credentials are comprised of our leading-edge courses from our degree programs working with faculty experts.

If you are interested in partnering, please contact CELT’s Professional Learning & Micro-Credential Program Specialist, Tanya Austin, tjaustin@iastate.edu to schedule a consultation.