Lifelong development is fine, but if possible the pathway should be short and concise and the learning outcomes should match as much as possible what is required in the field. Professionals increasingly need short training pathways so that they can move easily in a rapidly changing labour market and society. Dutch universities and universities of applied sciences, including Fontys, have therefore started a pilot with microcredentials. Short certified educational pathways that enable professionals to quickly and flexibly acquire knowledge about specific developments and themes in a particular field, without having to go through the long duration of a traditional education.
What is a microcredential?
‘We actually cut up the current educational offerings around a particular topic or theme into small modules to fill in the demand together with the field. It is really demand-driven with the knowledge from the content present within Fontys and supplemented by the field, the need. If someone then successfully completes this module, he or she receives an officially recognised certificate, in the form of a microcredential. This states what they have learned and what knowledge they possess after completing the module. This allows participants to acquire skills and competences in a targeted and just-in-time manner and to shape their personal development path at their own pace. Whereby it is possible to use the microcredentials to demonstrate the knowledge you have gained, allowing you, for instance, to be exempted from certain parts of a master's programme. In the future, ideally, a combination of microcredentials could even enable you to obtain a master's degree. But that is still future music,’ Noud Dirkx, consultant education & research within Fontys University of Applied Sciences, notes enthusiastically. ‘We as Fontys are thus giving a new impetus to lifelong learning and it contributes to making education more flexible for professionals.’
Data Driven Business Lab course
Fontys ICT was one of the first universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands to obtain a microcredential for the abridged Data Driven Business lab course. The abridged course, which teaches you how to become a data-driven professional, is part of the Accelerate IT programme within Fontys ICT. This range of 18-week courses is aimed at developing skills that match the current needs of the labour market. Besides Data Driven Business Lab, courses such as AI for Society and Digital Marketing are also available. Dirkx: ‘With this, we are building a bridge between education and practice. The first reactions are enthusiastic and you can see results. The way is now open for more courses to start obtaining microcredentials. Because what is applicable in the field of ICT is of course also interesting for other work fields.’
Connecting to practice
That Fontys is filling a need with the microcredentials is also certainly recognised by Maurice van Veghel, chairman of the board of SPARC & CTO Logicall. Within this cooperative, a number of regional ICT companies have joined forces with the aim of increasing the innovative power of the region in the field of ICT and speeding up processes. One way SPARC does this is by submitting research proposals which, once approved, are carried out within educational institutions such as Fontys in the form of applied research. ‘And in that context, I definitely see added value in terms of microcredentials. Professionals and students work side by side, learning from each other and developing innovative solutions to complex issues. Such a collaboration offers both students and professionals valuable practical experience and makes learning very valuable,’ Van Veghel stresses. ‘ICT is probably the most recognisable example of this. Digitalisation is unstoppable and new developments - for example in the field of AI and robotisation - are moving so fast that we as a society in general and the business community in particular have to pull out all the stops to keep up. But the issues of the day combined with a tight labour market often prevent us from being able or willing to free up time. But taking a module with a microcredential certification does offer you the chance to brush up on your knowledge in a short and efficient way. In doing so, Fontys meets a need that we as an ICT sector have, at least very strongly. And I am convinced that this applies to more sectors.’
Practical experience
Bas Kardaun works as a care coach at an organisation that supports people with disabilities so that they can live their own lives independently as much as possible. Kardaun specifically coaches some of the colleagues in their care towards clients. He is taking the Data Driven Business Lab course. "I am convinced that data can help us do our work better. But how can you unlock data, what options and systems are there and how can you use the conclusions from that data in your operations? You will gain that insight by taking this course. But more importantly, you can also apply it directly in your work. In fact, there is room within the course to apply your own accents from the field. That makes it very useful. Not least because of the input from your fellow students, with whom you work together in a project group, but certainly also because of the students' input. They often have a slightly different, fresh perspective, which forces you to think out of the box. That keeps you on your toes and makes you alert on the shop floor. So for me, taking this course, which I hope to complete in January, is a great way to develop myself and help the organisation move forward. In my own way and at my own pace. Because unlike full training, being able to divide your time, energy and also budget is also something that appeals to me. Getting a microcredential is feasible and affordable. As far as I am concerned, therefore, an initiative worth following."
Source: Brabant in Business