Let’s take a look at what micro-credentialing is, its benefits, and steps to start your own program.
What Is Micro-Credentialing?
Micro-credentialing programs support and improve professional development. Team members complete competency-based activities related to their roles. Upon successful completion, learners may receive digital badges, certificates, or even continuing education credits. This allows your team to demonstrate skills and set key milestones for their growth. Further, a little healthy competition can be viewed as a great motivator!
Now that you know what micro-credentialing is, let’s look at some ways that it can benefit your organization.
What Are the Benefits?
A robust micro-credentialing program can help you attract the best talent. Here are just a few of the ways that micro-credentialing can benefit your team and organization
1. It’s Self-Paced
Busy professionals often find little time to devote to continuing education. The self-paced approach of micro-credentialing solves this challenge for you and your team. If you have teachers on your team, what if they could use chunks of downtime to complete continuing education instead of an entire professional day? By offering flexibility with how and when they complete their coursework, your team can plan learning around their own schedules.
Check out our fact sheet on using micro-credentialing to improve professional development.
2. It’s Fun
If you’ve ever heard groans of exasperation from your team at the mention of more training, then consider micro-credentialing. Micro-credentialing makes professional development fun! Incorporate things like gamification into your program and you’ll have team members eager to learn.
Games can even parallel exciting times of the year. For example, consider creating a professional development game in March that mirrors March Madness brackets. Additionally, team members can complete various trainings and move up the brackets as they compete for the “championship.
3. It’s Enriching
Chances are, your team consists of people with a variety of professional experiences. What if that past experience counted for something more? Micro-credentialing acknowledges and validates the experience of your team members. Moreover, you may uncover competencies within your team that can help you with things like leadership planning and filling skill gaps.
Don’t forget that a micro-credentialing program can add significant value to your organization’s total compensation package. Prospective employees will find the opportunity to attain certifications appealing, and it can boost employee engagement for the existing team.
With a micro-credentialing program, you create a valuable opportunity for current and prospective team members. More importantly, you will define your organization’s strong commitment to professional development.
