EDALEX WHITEPAPERS

This Research Whitepaper details the findings of a research study conducted in 2022 over a six-month period, in collaboration with a group of international cross-sector partners, as part of a Global Victoria EdTech Innovation Alliance initiative. The research results show that learners readily embraced the more detailed information included in the credential - such as a detailed description of the credential components, how learners were assessed, and the links out to Rich Skill Descriptors (RSDs) that provided job market context. Credentialate’s Personal Evidence Record gave learners next-level understanding of what they had learnt and how they could apply it in their careers. The research project provided the opportunity to share knowledge and practice across providers and EdTech (Education Technology) organisations and generate new ways of working in the emerging areas of micro-credential and skills ecosystems.

The Skills Meet-Ups were designed to create an avenue for conversation at the grassroots to policy making level. Stakeholders identified the need to share their practical experiences, seek answers from like-minded colleagues and explore the wicked problems around the skills gap and the future of work with those invested in forging change. The information presented in the Skills Meet-Up Discussion Paper is a distillation of those events with some additional elements to provide context and background information.

What are the steps that lead to an organisation’s ability to produce personal evidence? How can organisations capture, aggregate and manage their skills data in an automated way? How can they bring to light underutilised dark data’ hiding in their existing systems? And how can they align learner performance data to industry recognised definitions and frameworks? 

This whitepaper details the what, how and why education providers of all types can participate fully in the burgeoning Skills Economy and prepare their learners for the future world of work.

At Edalex, our passion is to surface learning outcomes, digital assets, and the power of individual achievement. We commissioned this market research in July 2021 to explore a range of critical topics on education, employment, skills and, most critically, the learner’s voice.

A key focus of ours is to help give learners a voice for their unique skills and competencies through evidence. Our findings reveal progress in key areas but also the imperative for redoubled efforts in others.

As the shift towards shorter, skills based and employment-focused micro-credentials builds momentum, education providers must strategically evolve their credentials and curriculum to meet demand.

This Whitepaper, by Emeritus Professor Beverley Oliver, explores the drivers behind the the new meaning of employability and makes ten recommendations to help universities rethink how they can increase employability beyond 2020.