i4Health News: September 2024

Developing Skills for the Changing Workplace Dear friends,I began my career in the pharmaceutical industry and worked in positions ranging from managing labs, project management, and human resources to leading strategic planning as part of the CEO’s executive team. When I came to the University of Texas at Austin in 2008, I was immediately in awe of the remarkable research and caliber of students; however, over time I observed an issue vexing university campuses across the country: The lack of equipping students with an innovation mindset to be prepared to work in digitally transformed industries.   Universities must equip students for our brave new world of Industry 4.0. Companies are struggling to continually innovate new technological breakthroughs including AI, nanotechnologies, and quantum computing. They need to find the right talent. Graduating students are smart and well educated, however, curricula are designed to focus in specific subject areas such as engineering, chemistry, medicine, or business. There is a gap between the skills employers need and what graduates demonstrate with their degrees. Enter microcredentials. These non-degree credentials are concise, focused learning experiences that allow participants to demonstrate subject matter skills and competency. These can cover a wide range of topics that convey a person’s willingness to acquire skills to demonstrate proficiency in specific areas. Microcredentials come in many formats and include badges, short courses, and certificate programs. Today, I am proud to share that the Innovating for Health (i4Health) Institute announces the most recent cohort of digital badge recipients, bringing the total number of i4Health microcredentials administered to interdisciplinary students to more than 1,600. Learners from across the University of Texas campus hail from the sciences (pharmacy, natural sciences, engineering), medicine, nursing, health communication, and business. This milestone marks an achievement for i4Health and the UT Austin Digital Badging Initiative as higher education institutions nationwide seek to satisfy student demand for short-term credentials that demonstrate competencies. A leader in microcredentials, i4Health has developed sixteen approved competency badges, ranging from human centered design and customer discovery to competitive benchmarking and regulatory strategies. Badges establish someone’s drive to master a variety of health innovation skills being taught in the Fundamentals of Health Innovations and the Health Innovation Practicum classes and workshops. Participants can attach badges to their resume and post online to convey specific skills with verifiable accreditation. Filling the gap: The i4Health badges are filling the need in developing dynamic thinkers who will bring innovative solutions and entrepreneurial-minded leadership to the healthcare ecosystem. These badges are designed to transform the way participants approach learning and ultimately, the way they solve problems, equipping participants to innovate in every area of healthcare ranging from startups, private practices to global companies. Preparing students and workers will be key to meeting technology advances, especially those that require novel approaches to training and education.  Congratulations to all of our 2024 badge recipients, and thank you all for your ongoing support! – Janet C. Walkow, Ph.D.

Explore the i4Health Digital Badges

Why Are Microcredentials Important? Dr. Natalie Murray, Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, explains both the importance and impact of the UT Austin Digital Badging Initiative.

The Innovating for Health (i4Health) Institute brings together teams with educational, geographic, experiential, and demographic diversity – a critical element for developing dynamic thinking skills that fuel creative solutions to health issues and promote health equity. Learn more at i4health.info and join the conversation below.