The UMS Micro-Credential Initiative is Growing!

The UMS Micro-Credential Initiative started out as a small pilot with a few digital badges offered. Today, we have over 80 badges created by UMS faculty and staff teams with more on the way! Our micro-credentials serve youth, UMS students, faculty, and staff, as well as adult learners in our communities. About 2,000 badges have been issued, with many more expected to be issued over the coming months. All of our micro-credentials follow the same three-leveled framework, taking a learner from foundational knowledge to application of their skills in a real-world setting.

Topic areas include: Outdoor Leadership (youth), Innovation, Career Preparation, Global Competency, Leadership, Adult Teaching and Learning, and Aquaculture.

Collaboration is at the forefront of our work. The UMS micro-credentials themselves are based on collaboration and alignment across the system as well as the state. For example, we collaborated with the Maine Department of Education-Adult Education to create the Computer Support Specialist micro-credential for adult learners.

UMS also partnered with the Education Design Lab (External Link), an internationally recognized non-profit based in Washington, D. C. Through this partnership, UMS offers eight competency-based 21st Century Skill badges to help learners stand out to employers. Keep a look out for their ninth skills badge on the topic of self-directed learning, in the months to come.  In a recent white paper (External Link) published by the World Economic Forum, skills are identified as the “new currency of the labor market.” Reports (External Link) continue to indicate that employers look for learners with 21st Century, transferable skills (External Link)! To learn more about the work of the Lab, please visit the Education Design Lab website (External Link).

For a complete list of currently offered UMS Micro-Credentials and to learn more about this please visit the listing of micro-credentials available on our website, or visit our Badging Platform (External Link).

UMS mini-grants are available for teams interested in developing a micro-credential. Please read on for further information. We also offer online micro-credential development training.  Anyone in the state can complete the Level 1 training and earn their Level 1 digital badge. Collaborative teams continue on to Level 2 and 3. To learn more about the training please visit our Micro-Credential Development Training website.

In this issue we highlight UMS innovation and professional development opportunities.  Read about our collaboration with Summer Academy for Adult Learning and Teaching (SAALT) with Rucha Modak and Foster Center for Innovation with Renee Kelly.

UMS Micro-Credential Initiative – September 2022 Newsletter