UNO’s New Microcredentials Offer Rapid Upskilling to Meet Top Workforce Needs

New short-form course offerings from the University of Nebraska at Omaha will provide learners of all ages and from all industries with opportunities to learn in-demand skills and fill critical workforce gaps in a short amount of time.

Beginning in Fall 2023, UNO will begin to offer microcredential programs. These flexible, affordable, and accessible new course offerings enable learners to increase their knowledge of in-demand skills through short-form non-credit courses.

Nearly 4 in 5 employers globally report difficulty finding the skilled talent they need, having doubled since a decade ago according to a study by ManpowerGroup. Moreover, the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report found that 50% of the workforce will require reskilling by 2025 as technology use increases.

Likewise, UNO’s microcredential programs would be most impactful for professionals keeping up with changes in their industry, relying more on technology, integrating data into their workflows, and adapting to new challenges. For example, a general or operations manager may seek technical project management skills training to manage a growing organization. A postsecondary teacher may need to develop their skills in distance education, which has increased in demand since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. An upper-level manager may need to develop their analytics skills to better analyze and utilize data to make critical decisions.

“By working alongside industry partners to create the most impactful course offerings, UNO’s microcredential program continues to position our university as a leader in workforce development in Nebraska and beyond,” Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA said. “By offering new microcredential programs to quickly and affordably reskill employees in all industries, UNO is answering the call to this workforce development challenge.”

Learners who complete a microcredential program will receive a digital badge that signals mastery of a particular skillset. Badges are stackable, meaning that learners can acquire any number of microcredential badges as part of their professional development.

Most microcredential programs will be offered online and average 30 hours in length, making them ideal for working professionals, including alumni, to enhance their skills. All programs feature the same standard of academic excellence and instruction that learners have come to expect from UNO.

“These offerings are important steps forward in UNO’s commitment toward reskilling the workforce through microcredential programs,” Jaci Lindburg, Ph.D., said. “Our goal is to continually work with industry partners to expand the number of microcredential programs available so that we provide opportunities for learners in all industries to quickly acquire the skills that are in-demand by employers.

Enrollment is now open for the first microcredential program offerings. Prices, length, and enrollment limits vary by program. Courses are non-credit and cannot be used toward completion of a degree program. For more information and to enroll, visit advance.nebraska.edu/browse/uno.