This bold micro-credential leader is expanding into new territory

Arkansas community colleges will soon offer an armada of micro-credential pathways thanks to a new partnership with Education Design Lab, the nonprofit focused on building education-to-workforce pipelines. The lab’s Community College Growth Engine will spearhead the initiative by helping eight institutions develop seven to 15 stackable micro pathways within less than a year.

Despite boasting one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, Arkansas also suffers one of the most severe workforce shortages, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The rare dichotomy is primarily driven by the hotbed of job growth in emerging industries in the state, such as aerospace and defense, software development and manufacturing.

College leaders believe embedding micro-credentials in academic programming can bolster the state’s career pipeline while ensuring sustained growth and participation at its institutions.

“Using the Lab’s human-centered design process, we’re crafting micro-pathways tailored to the needs of businesses throughout the state, and helping Arkansans access stable, family-sustaining jobs and continued career growth,” said Stephanie Tully-Dartez, president of South Arkansas College.

The Lab ensures its micro-credential pathways prepare students for the workforce by collaborating with regional employers who are hiring roles for which the credentials are intended. To guarantee certain skills and competencies are met, the organization recruits employers as subject matter experts to create or modify curriculum.

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Additionally, micro-credentials can also be stacked toward a degree through a pre-mapped framework, helping students move through college at their own pace and earn a quick return on each of their studies. Charles Walker, director of the workforce development program at Arkansas State University, Newport, described this flexibility as a “game changer.”

“This approach allows students and workers to efficiently gain targeted expertise and enter high-demand, high-wage jobs—without the potentially prohibitive expense and time commitment of a four-year degree,” Walker said. 

The Education Design Lab has become an engine for bolstering regional workforces in the face of rapidly evolving skillsets, helping over 75 community colleges across 20 states develop micro-credentials over three and a half years. Most recently, it worked with a school in Kansas to reskill its aging adult workforce in IT and cybersecurity. The Lab has also partnered with community college systems across Colorado and Montana.

But with the need for a high-skill workforce becoming a nationwide requirement, systemic statewide investment in credential upskilling will need to grow, said Rachel Kahn, senior director of the Lab’s Community College Growth Engine.

“This work is not unique to Arkansas. There are aging populations across the country, and as we move into a skills-based economy, leveraging this micro-pathway model will allow for quick reskilling to ensure they’re prepared for these growing industries and sectors.”