Micro-credentials: Opportunities through Stackable Achievements Project

Each partnership worked closely with local employers to develop micro-credentials programs, using a career pathways model.  All micro-credential programs embedded instruction on technical and soft skills into the curriculum and provided students with support services. Overall, a total of 700 individuals were enrolled in 19 micro-credential pathways offered across the seven partnerships.

Program implementation was based on the following hypotheses:

• Credentials connect people to jobs and educational programs, and define career pathways;
• Individuals with barriers to employment typically need a steady income in a short period of time and cannot reasonably wait two years or more to obtain a degree before entering the workforce or are employed while in college and are looking to advance in their career quickly; and
• Traditional credentialing systems have not adequately latticed technical and job-readiness competencies in a way that rewards student progress and encourages retention, as well as meets employer demand.

Based on these hypotheses, the project sought to enhance target population student outcomes (e.g., retention and credential obtainment), ensure students are employable by providing access to training for industry-relevant skills and competencies, and encourage pathways from credentials to degrees through implementation of bite-sized educational opportunities.

The evaluation of the Industry Micro-credentials project consisted of an implementation study, outcomes study, and cost study. Project data were captured through in-person interviews and focus groups, surveys, a curriculum study and review, program documents, and administrative and wage data provided by the Pennsylvania Center for Workforce Information and Analytics.

The authors highlighted several findings from the study including the following:

• The partnerships made modifications and adjustments to the original project model throughout the grant period in order to meet the needs of students and employers.
• Collaboration within the partnerships as well as between partnerships and employers facilitated the development of curricula and micro-credentials that met local needs.
• Most participants (80.1%) enrolled in one micro-credential pathway. A small portion of participants enrolled in two or three pathways (14.5% and 4.7%, respectively). Most participants (92.1% of participants) completed at least one micro-credential.
• Participants who completed at least one micro-credential and were employed 12 months before and 3- or 6-months after the program experienced an increase in wages.

The evaluator offered several recommendations for implementing similar projects in the future. These included:

1. hire or identify specialized staff early in the grant period - this will help the project to meet grant timelines;
2. create opportunities for collaboration and sharing across the partnerships;
3. explore innovative methods for engaging employer partners;
4. document institutional knowledge throughout the grant to counteract possible delays due to staff turnover;
5. leverage existing resources and structures within partner organizations;
6. prioritize the needs of the target population; and
7. develop marketing strategies early in the grant period to highlight the program to the target audience.

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2019
• Author(s): Schoeph, K., Wilkinson, A., Kelly-Smith, A., Jones, C., Tolliver, A., Bolte, H.
• Funding Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
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• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies