Employer Support for Employee Participation in Alternative Credentials
This research brief provides a deeper dive into data from the study Benefits and Costs of Participation in MOOC-based Alternative Credentials exploring the extent to which employers encouraged or supported employees in participating in Specializations or MicroMasters.
A summary of results was first reported on Silver Lining for Learning Episode 153: Micro-credentials and Specializations for the Masses: Alternatives for a Nontraditional Age (June 3, 2023).
See Slides 31-38 in the slide-deck available below.
Highlights
Between 2018 and 2022 we surveyed almost 2,300 learners who had completed one of 8 MicroMasters or Specialization programs on topics related to business, data science, or marketing analytics.
316 (14%) of the program completers reported that their employer asked them to take the program and 104 of these 316 respondents named the employer. Over half of these employers were in Asia. We searched online to identify the sector in which each company primarily operates and found that almost a quarter were in finance. Airlines and education were the next most common sectors.
277 completers (12%) indicated that their employer covered part or all of the course fees and 211 completers (9%) were paid for part or all of their study time spent on the courses.
Among the 316 respondents who were asked to take the courses by employers, only 14% received support from the employer in the form of both course fees and paid study time. Almost half of the respondents were neither compensated for their study time nor the course fees despite the fact that their employers had asked them to take the courses!
The written brief includes a list of employers named by study participants and indicates what support they provided to learners.
Additional Reports on This Topic
Benefits and Costs of Participation in MOOC-Based Alternative Credentials: MicroMasters and Specializations (2023)
This report summarizes findings about the benefits and costs of participating in MicroMasters or Specializations programs from almost 26,000 learners who started a program and almost 2,300 who completed one. We also present findings for a small number of participants who completed surveys at both the beginning and end of the programs.
Benefits of Earning Alternative Credentials: One-Year Follow-up (2023)
This brief summarizes findings from the third and final survey in a longitudinal study of the benefits and costs to learners of participating in MOOC-based alternative credentials.