UT-Austin, other University of Texas System schools plan to offer more microcredentials

The University of Texas System plans to increase its focus on short-term microcredentials to provide people with more pathways to careers. The UT System schools, including UT-Austin, will be offering more certifications, known as microcredentials, that show a specific skill was learned through short training or courses. The goal is to help fill workforce gaps and respond to changing labor market demands, particularly in such fields as cybersecurity, business and technology. Across the UT System, hundreds of microcredential programs already exist, from short courses to certificate programs, but the UT System has been training faculty and staff members; securing funding; and increasing its capacity for the past two years as it plans to expand such offerings.

“Texas may double in size. We're going to have a great need to educate a much larger workforce,” UT System Chancellor J.B. Milliken said. “If we can provide — with the strength of our academic programs, and our faculty — the ability for people to get a credential that's recognized by employers and hired, that's a great thing.” UT-Austin, one of the eight UT System academic institutions, offers about 25 microcredential programs for people to obtain various skills, such as the UTeachCS computer science program for K-12 teachers in coding and programming. UT also announced the UT Oscar Mike program last month, which aims to provide veterans transitioning to the civilian workforce with certification in fields such as project management, human resources and personal training. UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell said these programs help provide people with trustworthy and affordable skill development that apply to their jobs. “Not everybody can afford to take full time to come pursue an entire degree, but the idea of unbundling that and making it more accessible in terms of either time or money provides people who have fewer means to have a chance to come get those skills ... and they can move their careers forward,” Hartzell said.