Turning Uni Dropouts into Future-Ready Graduates: From ‘Some Study, No Credential’ to ‘Some Study, Some Credential’
In Australia, the six-year completion rate for bachelor’s students is 62%. That means 38 out of every 100 students who started their degree in 2016—nearly 90,000 people from that year alone—leave with little more than debt and an incomplete transcript. Yet, these students have undoubtedly learned valuable skills during their time at university. Why should that go unrecognized?
In the U.S., they call this group Some College, No Credential (SCNC)—and they represent a staggering 36.8 million Americans. The conversation there focuses on how to bring these students back into the education fold, but what if we flipped the script? What if, instead of focusing solely on re-engagement, we started by giving these learners Comprehensive Learning Records in the form of microcredentials?
Rather than a vague, unfinished transcript, how about giving these disconnected students verified, portable evidence of what they actually achieved. Microcredentials could also be designed to offer interoperable credit, so if they choose to return to study, they're already ahead. In an era of lifelong learning, it’s time to transform SCNC into SCSC—Some College, Some Credential.
By doing this, we acknowledge the real learning these students have done and empower them with proof of their skills—ready to use in the workforce or in further study. It’s not just about re-engaging; it’s about valuing their contribution to their own learning journeys.
Which Australian university will lead the way?
There is a golden opportunity for an Australian university to pioneer a new approach to credentialing, one that not only re-engages former students but also provides them with real, tangible value. I’m eager to work with a forward-thinking institution willing to explore how we can implement Comprehensive Learning Records as microcredentials. Let’s be the first to make Some Study, Some Credential a reality.?
领英推荐
If you are already doing this, please let me know as we would love to share it as a case study in the Australian Microcredential Network and showcase your achievements.
?
National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. (2024). Some College, No Credential. Student outcomes. 2024 Report for the Nation and the States. https://nscresearchcenter.org/significance/some-college-no-credential/
Ross, J. (2024, January 16). Admission and completion rates sink in Australia. Times Higher Education. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/admission-and-completion-rates-sink-australia
Australian Government Department of Education. (2024, September 26). Key findings from the 2023 Higher Education Student Statistics. https://www.dese.gov.au/higher-education-statistics/resources/key-findings-2023-higher-education-student-statistics
Head of Marketing Strategy | Passionate about the future of our next generation | Supported 200+ Startups | 75k International Student followers since 2007 | Birth random ideas everyday ??
2 周This is so exciting! HEX and Sydney University is already tapping into this space with the school of record partnership (first in Australia). We truly believe in outside-of-classroom learning and more microcredentials should be recognised! https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2024/01/30/sydney-and-hex-announce-school-of-record-partnership.html
Director, Board Vice-President AITD | Educational Technologies Adoption Manager @ QUT | Learning & Career Development Practitioner | Online Education Specialist | AFAITD | PCDAA | RPCDP
1 个月I am just imagining all the mini credentials I would have while trying to figure out "what I want to be when I grow up" It would be so varied!
Recruitment, Human Resource Management, Project Management, Industry Liaison Management and Operations.
1 个月Skills and knowledge is… still skills and knowledge
Disaster & Emergency Management Specialist - Educator - CLO - Speaker - CEM(R) - iAEM Certification Commissioner
1 个月Wendy, you make the assumption that the learning undertaken which is aligned to a accredited course can be readily mapped to a Micro-credential, irrespective of whether the student completed the course, an if not which components of the micro-credential did the student actually completed. "what if we flipped the script? What if, instead of focusing solely on re-engagement, we started by giving these learners Comprehensive Learning Records in the form of micro credential" makes the assumption that all course material is mapped in the first instance. The question arises a s to why would you destroy a HE course curriculum for a 150 hour course into an undefinable micro-credential? In Australia within the vocational space it is a little easier in using the required Performance and Knowledge Evidence requirements. The complexity arises in that quite often within a qualification aligned evidence occurs across multiple Units of Competency within the same and multiple / differing qualifications, resulting in an extremely complex mapping tool needing to be developed. Could be done using AI and structured data based, however still complex and expensive for a limited ROI. > Part 2
Founder/Director of the CLOCK Learning and Recognition Programme TULIP PEER2PEER LEARNING LTD
1 个月Hi Wendy please check out the CLOCK programme at www.clockyourskills.com this works for everyone not just students who drop out! Lets have a chat. Are you based in Melbourne?