What's All the Fuss About Microcredentials?

These short courses offer much-needed skills in a growing job market

- ROSEMARY COUNTER

Going “back to school” used to mean starting over in a new field that required all-new training and lots of time—often four years, or more—and plenty of tuition. Today, the old all-or-nothing model’s been replaced by a spectrum of more realistic and accessible options. Among them are microcredentials: rapid learning courses, usually available online and focused on specific skills, offered by post-secondary institutions to train workers at record speed.

Though beta versions of microcredentials (also known as micro-courses) have existed for years, like many things, their sudden rise coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many jobs changed overnight and people lacking necessary skills—say, running Zoom meetings—needed to learn fast. Meanwhile, endless lockdowns and ample free time meant anyone curious about changing careers could dabble in new fields online. The Ontario government saw microcredentials trending and hopped aboard in 2020, launching the Ontario Micro-Credentials Strategy with $60 million in funding. British Columbia, Alberta and other provinces have since dedicated similar funds for development.

What is a microcredential