New Delhi, April 16 -- Let's say you have a master's degree in management but you're not exactly up to speed with the latest tech like blockchain, cloud computing, or AI. What's the way forward? Well, you can always sign up for a micro-credential programme through an online tech platform. These short, focused courses are designed to complement your traditional degree and help you stay relevant in the job market.
Today's labour market is shifting rapidly towards skill-based hiring. With automation on the rise and AI changing the very nature of work, the kinds of jobs available and the skills they demand are evolving fast. This has created a widening gap between what employers need and what many candidates bring to the table. That's where micro-credentials come in. Micro-credentials tailored to specific sectors are now being added to academic curriculums, making them more job-ready and aligned with what employers are actually looking for.
These programmes don't just focus on one type of learning. They're designed to build a solid mix of domain knowledge, technical skills, and soft skills-all of which are crucial in today's work environment. Plus, they're mapped to the National Credit Framework (NCF) and the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF), in line with the New Education Policy's (NEP 2020) goal of merging skills with mainstream education.
What makes this approach stand out is the collaborative model-students, industry, and academia all play a role in the learning journey. Unlike the old-school, one-size-fits-all model of education, these customised programmes are built to suit the specific needs of different job roles and industries. It's a smarter, more hands-on way to prepare for the workforce of tomorrow.
"Micro-credentials focus on developing skills and hence can get you a job. But micro-credentials work better when structured within the larger context of a full degree. Though one would wish, degrees are not dead yet. Employers still value full degrees as a signal of credibility, quality, and knowledge. The bigger idea here is that full degrees give the breadth of knowledge and micro-credentials give the depth of narrow skills. The combination is better than each in isolation," said Prof Raj Shankar, Associate Professor and Program Director, PGPM, Area of Expertise: Entrepreneurship and Strategy, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai.
According to Coursera's Micro-Credentials Impact Report 2024, higher education leaders are increasingly backing the idea of micro-credentials. In fact, 94% of them believe that these short, skill-focused courses can boost students' long-term career prospects. What's more, 68% of university leaders who haven't yet introduced micro-credentials say they plan to roll them out within the next five years. The report also highlights that 87% of academic leaders feel students who earn micro-credentials are far more likely to be job-ready when they graduate, compared to those who don't.
"Short courses and micro-credentials offer focused, practical learning that helps individual upskill quickly, making them job-ready for specific roles. These credentials demonstrate a candidate's commitment to continuous improvement and adaptability, qualities highly valued by employers. At Masters' Union, we encourage students to pursue relevant certifications that build on their core learning, helping them gain specialised skills, stay current in their field, and position themselves competitively in the job market," said Swati Ganeti, Director of Undergraduate Programme at Masters' Union.
TCS pointed out that micro-credentials are turning out to be a real game-changer, especially for students looking to enter high-value careers through non-traditional routes. Today, many employers are open to hiring candidates who've built their skills through short-term certificate programmes in high-demand areas. A great example of this shift is Google's Career Certificates programme. It offers industry-relevant courses that allow learners-even those without a technical background-to pick up job-ready skills in under six months. So whether you're from a business, arts, or humanities background, you can now break into the tech world or core industries-provided you've got the right technical know-how.
That said, the journey towards widespread adoption of micro-credentials isn't without its hurdles. One of the biggest roadblocks is simply awareness-many people still aren't quite sure what micro-credentials are or how they can actually help. For these programmes to really take off, universities and companies need to do a better job of getting the word out. There's also the matter of infrastructure. For micro-credentials to be truly accessible, institutions need to invest in robust digital platforms that are easy to navigate and open to learners from all walks of life.
At the end of the day, micro-credentials are more than just a new educational trend. They signal a fundamental shift in how we think about learning and career-building. In a world where specific, in-demand skills hold more value than ever, micro-credentials offer a focused, flexible path to success.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.