The push for micro-credentials in Singapore: What are they and are they for you?

SINGAPORE: Adult learners looking for specific skills will find it easier to access them, as Singapore finetunes the landscape for bite-sized courses.

These courses, called micro-credentials, are already being offered by Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), but will be improved, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said on Tuesday (Jul 9) at the SkillsFuture Forum 2024.

He cited numbers showing that they are popular: The number of completed micro-credential courses increased from 34,000 in 2019 to 42,000 in 2022. 

The providers, which include polytechnics, universities and Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs), will standardise the naming of such courses. They are also working on how to make micro-credentials recognisable across institutions. 

More micro-credentials are set to be developed, especially on skills in emerging areas, including in collaboration with industry. 

WHAT ARE MICRO-CREDENTIALS?

Micro-credentials are mini qualifications that can help individuals learn new skills, progress in their careers or change careers entirely.

They are a discrete packet of learning that can be taken separately, said Mr Chan at the forum held at the Lifelong Learning Institute in Paya Lebar.

They cater to adult learners who may worry that they cannot commit to a full programme as many of them have family and work commitments, he added.

Typically, the learning is done through short-term courses, workshops, or online modules. 

Mr Chan gave the example of an ITE graduate who would like to take a part-time polytechnic diploma while working. He would be able to choose to take up a diploma that is delivered through five modular certificates. 

Each certificate is delivered over a six-month semester. He can choose to, however, space out his learning and complete the programme in three years or more, said Mr Chan.

WHAT ARE MICRO-CREDENTIALS FOR?

Micro-credentials cut across all sectors, said Mr Alvin Aloysius Goh, executive director of the Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI).

These courses help workers’ skill sets stay “fresh”, he told CNA’s Singapore Tonight.

“There is going to be a shelf life on our skill sets and knowledge given (technological) advancement,” he said.

Micro-credentialing is somewhat different from a degree or diploma certification because it focuses on a particular competency or skill set, he added.

Picking up skills this way allows employees to immediately apply them at the workplace, he said. 

“Gone are the days we'll be sending people for a six-month or one-year programme, just to pick up a competency or skill set,” he added.

HOW THEY WORK IN SOME INSTANCES

Associate Professor May Lim, assistant provost in applied learning at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) which offers micro-credentials for the tech and sustainability sectors, said these courses can go in depth.

For example, a two-day artificial intelligence course that teaches broad strokes will not be good enough for those looking to be machine learning or data engineers, she said.

“If I want to deep dive and have real competency … I need a substantial amount of learning, which is what a micro-credential is about,” she told CNA’s Singapore Tonight.

SIT also takes note of students’ prior learning so it can cater the right micro-credentials, said Assoc Prof Lim.

The institutes also create curriculums that involve more than just one provider. For instance, the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) has collaborated with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) for a joint professional certification in generative AI.

Associate Professor Guan Chon from the SUSS Academy, who was also on the show, said that her institute focuses on the introduction and content generation and storytelling modules, while SUTD focuses on design and innovation. 

“We tap each other's strengths and we build a better product together,” she said.  

THE INDUSTRY'S ROLE

Under a new initiative, skills development partners will curate IHL micro-credentials offered in emerging or in-demand areas and recognise learners who have acquired the necessary skills through industry-recognised certifications.

For instance, the Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES) has worked with enterprises to set out the key skills required for engineers in sustainability, and has identified institutes’ micro-credentials that cover these skills.

Learners who have completed the micro-credentials covering the core skills identified by IES and who pass IES' professional assessment will be conferred a chartership certification.

One company that will support employees to take up this new IES's chartership certification pathway is Southeast Asia's largest telecom firm Singtel.

To achieve its target of reaching net zero by 2045, Singtel will use this new certification pathway to grow a core group of experts with expertise in areas such as sustainability reporting and sustainable design.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Micro-credentials are “absolutely the way to go”, Singapore Computer Society president Sam Liew told CNA’s Singapore Tonight. 

New entrants or learners can be confident in picking up and adapting their training, since it is so specific, he said.

His society has also created a skills pathway in collaboration with 13 employers, including ST Engineering and Temasek. These firms will offer internship and job interview opportunities for individuals who have attained selected industry certifications like micro-credentials.

SHRI’s Mr Goh said that micro-credentials can make employees more valuable at the workplace because employers are looking at pinpointed skill sets that are based on industry and organisational needs.

Prof Lim added that micro-credentials will give learners a lot more freedom in choosing what would work for them personally.

These bite-sized courses also allow for more transparency, as information like volume, content depth, and level will be clearer. This will give learners a better idea of their skills and knowledge gaps, she said. 

“The different IHLs can work closely together to realise there is beauty in working together rather than duplicating  efforts,” she added.

“That is going to be a much more efficient way of moving our education system forward.”