Proving skills to potential employers can be a challenge for recent graduates, but a new program could make it a little easier for students at Portland State. PSU has launched its first microcredential in Reflective Leadership Practice, available to students participating in the Leadership Fellows program through Student Activities and Leadership Programs (SALP).
What is a microcredential? Microcredentials are essentially an endorsement of skills.
“Microcredentials provide tailored, short-term learning experiences that complement and enrich current curricular and professional development offerings,” says Michelle Giovannozzi, associate vice provost for Academic Innovation. “They can be readily documented across platforms with digital badges. By earning microcredentials, students can enhance and communicate their career readiness and better meet the evolving needs of the workforce.”
Angela Hamilton, associate director of Student Activities and Leadership Programs, says employers are more frequently looking for badges on applicants’ resumes. Eseniya Zinkina is one of the first students to enroll in the new Reflective Leadership Practice microcredential. She’s studying public health and data science, with a concentration in public health and health services administration. Zinkina says she sees the benefit a microcredential can offer her resume — and future career.
“Right now it may seem like it’s not much but the more you obtain in terms of credentials and experiences, the further it will set you apart in terms of career advancement after college,” Zinkina says. “The microcredential highlights the fact that I’m committed to developing skills that are in that field (leadership in this instance). It’s a digital form representing everything I do on campus.”
The microcredential program at PSU is just getting started. The Office of Academic Innovation is piloting microcredentials for staff and faculty, as well as students, thanks to the creation of A Framework for Future-Ready Credentials through the Reimagine PSU Project. Learn more about the Reflective Leadership Practice microcredential.