Employers, seeking evidence of skills to support hiring in a tight labor market, are partnering with higher education institutions to implement workforce-relevant digital badge initiatives, and helping connect talent to opportunity at scale. Learn how digital badges can improve the education-to-workforce pipeline among participating institutions and businesses.
Six in 10 manufacturing jobs are currently going unfilled due to lack of qualified applicants. Seven in 10 employers note that a lack of workers with the necessary technology, computer, and technical skills is limiting their ability to meet consumer demand. And 8 in 10 college and university chief academic officers and provosts say they are focused on how their degree programs can help students obtain meaningful employment.
With a tight labor market and increased attention from higher education administrators on helping students find good jobs, both the institutions teaching skills and the employers eager to hire individuals with those skills are identifying new ways to increase transparency in the skills market.
Micro-credentials in the form of digital badges help education institutions, employers, governments, associations, and learning societies recognize lifelong achievement through portable, verified, and digital credentials. Digital badges help connect talent to opportunity at scale, using digital evidence of achievement to build an education-to-workforce pipeline among participating institutions and businesses.
As leaders in the digital badge space, we will discuss the value of digital credentialing, help workshop participants develop their own best practices, and showcase how institutions and companies are empowering individuals through recognition of achievements demonstrated both inside and outside of traditional education.
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
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Articulate the value of of digital credentialing for both employers and job-seekers;
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Identify potential opportunities and challenges in partnering with local and regional industry partners to implement relevant digital credentialing programs;
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Design a digital credential program that aligns industry standards with program curriculum to showcase students’ and professionals’ employable skills;
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Issue, design, and manage badges using an online digital credentialing platform; and
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Earn a digital badge that shows participants are now equipped to start digital credentialing initiatives at their home institution.
This workshop will include the following activities:
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A brief presentation on digital credentials and their value in the education-to-employment landscape, followed by a Q&A
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An interactive case study session that follows the Colorado Community College System experience and allows participants to engage by identifying the challenges and developing best practices during the session
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A demonstration of how to issue, manage, and track digital credentials using an online digital credentialing platform
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A small-group activity that involves participants designing a strategy to engage industry partners in conversation and rolling out a digital badging program at an institution or organization, using tools and best practices learned from the Colorado Community College System example
Primary Audience
Higher education and industry representatives with all levels of experience in digital credentials (beginner to advanced) are welcome to participate in this workshop, which will focus on building partnerships between educational institutions and employers. Beginners will have the opportunity to explore the use of digital credentials, while advanced participants will have the opportunity to ask targeted questions about specific challenges and solutions for partnering with industry to create workforce-relevant badges.