Building on the success and learning from TeeUpTheSkills, 2018-19, the Lab is conducting a two-year study, in three U.S. regions, to evaluate the value of mobility skills micro-credentials as a hiring signal for career readiness, particularly for underserved learners.
With support from Lumina Foundation, the Lab is working with three primary educational partners—Central New Mexico Community College, San Jose State University and the University of Maine—to develop and scale their micro-credentialing programs to reach approximately 5,000 learners over a two-year period.
To match learners who earn the Lab’s in-demand micro-credentials with jobs in growing sectors, the Lab is building a coalition of partners including economic development offices, industry associations, and workforce boards to target growing sectors and sophisticated employment data to identify local and national employers willing to participate in the study.
By working in tandem with college and industry partners, the Lab is identifying the specific 21st century skills needed for entry-level positions and helping create a process to equip college students with the right combination of skills to meet the regions’ economic needs. And, through direct work with hiring managers from over 25 companies, the Lab hopes to demonstrate the degree to which 21st century skills digital micro-credentials are valuable in the hiring process.
The Lab is using a key tool, the T-profile, to identify combinations of 21st century skills and technical skills that employers want for entry-level roles. A library of T-profiles will be built out through on the ground work in these three hiring markets, as well as through a national “What’s Your T?” social media campaign. If you’d like to be involved in any way, email us at teeup@eddesignlab.org.
In the Fall of 2018, the Lab launched Tee Up the Skills with seven two- and four-year colleges and universities across the U.S. The year-long pilot paired each school with at least one employer partner to understand how the Lab’s 21st Century Skills Digital Micro-credentials could improve students’ career readiness and serve as valuable signals for entry-level hiring.
To get in touch, please email our team at microcreds@eddesignlab.org.