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A degree is important ; but the people side is equally important .
A foot in the door
How could micro-credentials affect traditional tertiary study ?
By Wade Zaglas
I recently came across an interesting piece of content on LinkedIn : a post by an individual who had completed a micro-credential course in digital journalism .
The short course was free , online and awarded by Reuters , one of the largest ( and most respected ) news organisations in the world .
This piqued my interest : What other jobs in the future will really require formal qualifications such as an undergraduate degree for entry-level positions ? Sure , formal qualifications will probably always be needed in professions such as medicine , law and even education , but for what else ?
And what about upskilling – will microcredentials be the norm in the future when graduates have already gained formal qualifications ? And , finally , if Reuters is creating such short and accessible courses , do higher education institutions in Australia need to become more cognisant or responsive to the fact that a new competitor is already on the block – industry ?
For instance , in addition to Reuters , micro-credential courses are being offered by the Australian Federation of Travel Agents ( AFTA ) and the Australian National Institute of Management and Commerce .
An example of how micro-credentials have begun to gain momentum in the university sector can be seen at Torrens University , as well as a host of others including UTS , Deakin , Edith Cowan University and the University of Melbourne , to name but a few . Torrens ’ suite of free and online “ on demand ” courses are targeted at telehealth , a service that has been used extensively by health professions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ In a country like Australia , dotted with remote and rural communities , telehealth is , quite literally , a lifesaver ,” former general practitioner and deputy vice-chancellor of research at Torrens University Professor Justin Beilby said .
“ It has been an essential tool throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and it would be preferred that telehealth become part of the normal suite of tools we will use as health practitioners .”
The university ’ s one-hour course , Connecting with Telehealth , has been developed to strengthen current telehealth services , as well as providing students with tips on how it can be incorporated in existing and future frameworks . More than 250 health practitioners have completed the course so far , ranging from nurses , doctors , mental health practitioners and other medical specialists .
A recent article by Professor Denise Jackson from Edith Cowan University , titled The Changing Nature of Graduate Roles and the value of the degree , interrogates employers ’ perceptions of the changing nature of graduate roles , investigates the expectations and loyalties graduates hold towards their employers , and explores employers ’ opinions of the value of an undergraduate degree and whether alternative pathways , including micro-credentials , could be a suitable form of preparation for “ entry-level , professional roles ”.
A highly relevant part of Jackson ’ s study , which relied on data from 21 participants in mainly managerial and / or HR roles , was that , although undergraduate degrees are still highly valued in some contexts , they aren ’ t in others and therefore potentially limit graduate opportunities .
One of the respondents in the study said : “ We see some roles and you go ‘ why do you need a degree ?’”
“ I ’ ve seen some roles advertised for executive assistants , and it ’ s like you must have a degree ? Why ? In what ?”
The potential for micro credentialing was also underscored by the participants stating that “ professional capabilities , attitude and experience were considered important ” for entry-level positions .
“ A degree is important ; but the people side is equally important ,” a respondent said .
Another said : “ A university degree is only as good as how you want to use it . But , that attitude or that desire or that hunger to do well , that ’ s what sets anyone apart in the industry .” ■
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