In the rush to launch new micro-credentials, we must pause and ask: Do our offerings solve the right problem? The speed to market in accessible, affordable credential innovation is commendable, but without careful reflection, we risk repeating the very patterns that led learners and employers to question the value of traditional higher education in the first place.
The 'If We Build It (or Acquire It), They Will Come' Fallacy
A common misstep in micro-credential development is the assumption that merely designing programs based on job posting data will automatically attract learners and satisfy employer needs. This "if we build it, they will come" mentality overlooks the complexities of learner needs and industry application. Without continuous user engagement, micro-credentials may fail to meet the evolving demands of both learners and employers, leading to skepticism about their value.
The Importance of Active Listening
Faculty and industry partners co-designing with data is a significant step toward creating relevant micro-credentials. However, data alone cannot capture the nuanced needs and aspirations of learners and employers. Continuous listening—through ongoing feedback loops and active collaboration—is essential to ensure that these credentials remain relevant and valuable. Without this iterative engagement, we risk developing offerings that may be questioned or disregarded by the very audiences we aim to serve.
Empathy Before Execution
At N.C. A&T’s Extended Campus, we are in the second phase of the UPCEA-Walmart grant, focused on Expanding Institutional Capacity for Employer Engagement in Credential Innovation. Our approach has been influenced by my experience in Stanford professors Perry Klebahn and Jeremy Utley’s class, where I learned to apply design thinking principles to micro-credential co-design partnerships. This has transformed how we develop skills-based credentials—not by jumping straight to solutions, but by engaging with users first.
With partners including Carter Bank’s CHRO, Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics faculty, Symbiosis Education Consultants, Credential Engine, and Lightcast, we are developing a blockchain-backed micro-credential for banking professionals. But before we built anything, we did something different: we listened.
We conducted interviews and built an empathy map, surfacing the real needs, pain points, and aspirations of professionals in banking. This shift—from designing solely to align with job postings to designing based on insights from crucial conversations—allowed us to uncover a clearer problem based on industry need: how to embed competency proof into hiring and professional development in ways that are both meaningful to employers and empowering for employees.
We’re not stopping at insights. Rapid prototyping is next.
Building to Think, Not Thinking to Build
Traditional program design often follows a linear approach: Plan → Develop → Launch → Adjust (if necessary). But what if we flipped the model? Prototyping is not just a step before implementation—it is an active thinking tool. It forces us to reframe problems, challenge assumptions, and iterate based on real-world feedback. Carter Bank has employees lined up to provide feedback throughout the design process to crystalize ideas and activities.
This build-to-think mindset is not just about refining credentials—it applies to the business models that sustain them. If micro-credential programs are to truly meet industry needs and learner expectations, they must be tested, refined, and validated just like the credentials themselves.
A Call to My PCO Colleagues
My call to action for those working on the future of learning and work is this: Don’t let history repeat itself. Let’s ensure that our push for micro-credential adoption isn’t driven by speed to market or bandwagon sentiments but by a deep commitment to solving the right problems for real people.
The most innovative solutions won’t come from job posting data alone—they will emerge from engaging real users, understanding their behaviors, motivations, and frustrations, and iterating continuously.
By stepping back before we step forward, we ensure that micro-credentials don’t just become another trend, but a transformational force in skills-based hiring and lifelong learning.
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