Microcredentials are extremely flexible, as Singh (2021) explains "Learning is a never ending phenomena and MOOCS would enable the learners learn different skills at different stages of their lives. With no major capital investment required online education can successfully reach every individual."
Microcredentials "connect ready-to-graduate learners to work experience and employment" (Dibble, 2018) and narrow the gap between higher education and the labour market (Crow, 2017)
Microcredentials can prepare employers and employees for unstable work environments, as Camilleri (2018) states "employers expect versatility and swift responses to shifting conditions, highlighting the fact that there are no longer any "jobs for life.""
Having learners interested in microcredentials can be difficult, as they are not as renowned, nor are the benefits completely clear for each microcredential; as Oliver (2019) notes "Learners still need to be convinced to ‘buy in’".
Employers are not always sure which microcredential program and offering organization to trust when exploring options for employees, given they are being presented with a ballooning array of micro-credentials marketed by many new brand names (Oliver, 2019).
Using a third party microcredential provider may be less specific for employees than what they can gain through experience in the workplace.
Though the list above focusing on the pros and cons of microcredentials is not exhaustive, we are able to identify general themes surrounding the implementation and use of microcredentials in workplaces and what works, and what doesn't work. Overall, it is notable that microcredentials have been integral to increasing employee development, but there are some pitfalls.
We are able to see that microcredentials are beneficial to today's workforce, where employees are competing for jobs after obtaining a diploma or degree, and are sitting in an unstable, competitive market, and where employees are shifting jobs more rapidly than generations previous to the current. Microcredentials can bridge those gaps, in that they prepare young learners to gain skills that build on their education and propel them to specific, niche areas of the workforce, and prepare those further into their career for the ability to move through jobs through continual learning, and give these individuals the option to learn at any stage of life and in any stage of a career. The fip side of this does bring to light that though microcredentials can prepare those for entering new jobs, some employers may favour on-site work experience over a microcredential; eliminating the value for these in their own organization.
Further, a piece that is inherent within the relatively recent popular development and use of microcredentials that is a con of such is the natural entrance into a market. Entering a new market comes with challenges, such as competition with comparable companies, and finding a way to have your target audience "buy-in". While these challenges are present in the early implementation of microcredentials, it is notable to remember that these early-stage challenges and are naturally removed as the use progresses.
Overall, we are able to see the use of microcredentials in many of our popular organizations and institutions, and offered by providers who employ a large number of courses and degrees relevant to a wide variety of careers and practices, used by a large population globally. Microcredentials are a relatively new piece used by learners and employers, and while early challenges may occur, microcredentials prove to be a piece of education that can help learners further their careers, specialize in areas of interest, and assist in supporting a constantly shifting world. While there are cons to the use of microcredentials, the pros of such heavily outweigh these cons and prove to be a growing facet of education that is worth the buy-in.