RCC Clicks With New College Trend: Microcredentials

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — If you want a promotion or a career change, but don't have the time or the money for a college degree, the new trend in education is for you.

The microcredential.

Microcredentials are flexible: maybe three courses on a subject, or courses plus preparation for a required certification, or both plus an applied-learning experience. They often combine courses from registered degree programs — and they're "stackable."

Building blocks particularly for underserved and often overlooked communities, "they create an ever-flowing pool of skilled candidates for employers and build confidence and competency for students," Fabiola Riobé, Associate Provost for Academic Innovation, Online Education, & Global Opportunities at Rockland Community College, told Patch.

The priority is providing knowledge, and experiences that have immediate value in the job market and relevance in a professional field or discipline. They're taught by college faculty, and the academic credits and the customization add value.

They're aimed directly at the business sector. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 74 percent of hiring managers agree that the market is seeing a skills gap, with 48 percent of candidates lacking the skills needed to fill open positions. In addition, 74 percent of human resource managers say they now require the submission of a credential when hiring.

Plus if you want to earn a degree, the stackable part takes a lot of the pressure off, especially if you're working and also taking care of a family. Take a couple of courses, pass the required certification exam for that promotion at work, and have those credits in the bag when you can carve out more time for more.

But by no means is it just a segmented version of the traditional degree pipeline. Microcredentials are smaller, more focused and customized. You can take courses online, in-person, hybrid, full semester or "flex start" 8-week sessions.

"Adapting the traditional learning module to fit workforce needs is an innovative way to fill the talent pipeline in New York," said Business Council of New York State President and CEO Heather Briccetti. "Microcredentials allow jobseekers to show they have the skills to meet the job demands while also setting them on a pathway with more opportunities. Likewise, they are the 'just-in-time skills' employers are seeking to get people onboarded and into the workforce."

The State University of New York has just expanded to offer 400 microcredentials across 31 SUNY campuses in high-demand fields including healthcare, business, education, clean energy, information technology, criminal justice, and advanced manufacturing.

Rockland Community College kicked off its microcredential program in December, Doreen Zarcone, who is RCC's Coordinator, Academic and Career Strategies, Micro-credential Initiative and English Skills Academy, told Patch.

They based their first offerings on student interest and the needs reported by local businesses.

"There's demand for employees with those skills, which has been pent-up because of the pandemic," Zarcone said.

They're offering credit-bearing microcredentials in the Hospitality and Culinary Arts program, Front Office Management program, IT Support Professional program, and the Fitness Trainer and Sports Nutritional Specialist programs.

Take the Hospitality and Culinary Arts Program, based in Nyack. Students can take a set of three to four college courses to earn a microcredential and digital badge for Baking Fundamentals, Baking Specialization or Food Preparation. A ServSafe certification, accredited by the National Restaurant Association, is required for the culinary microcredentials, and is offered at the college as well.

With the office management microcredential, you can pick up the skills to get a job, then by stacking you could build to a business degree in two years or less.

Learn more about RCC's program here and the full SUNY initiative here.