Federal government to deliver 28 microcredential courses to meet skills demand

The federal government has announced it will deliver 28 microcredential courses across 18 Australian universities to help meet the skills shortage.

As organisations across the country continue to struggle with the skills shortage, this initiative by the federal government will try and alleviate some of the stress businesses face. 

A total of $18.5 million will be provided to support the development of the courses in priority areas including IT, engineering, science, health, and education.

Microcredentials are short, focused courses in a specific area of study, designed to teach and upskill learners with targeted, job-relevant skills.

The 28 courses were selected from more than 90 applications to the first round of the Government’s Microcredentials Pilot in Higher Education program.

Jason Clare, minister for education said, “Microcredentials can help Australians upskill and reskill to prepare for the jobs of the future. This pilot means more Australians can get the skills in areas we need, such as teaching, nursing, and engineering.”

The pilot program is part of the federal government’s broader efforts to promote microcredentials, including the MicroCred Seeker platform launched in December 2022.

This online platform, MicroCred Seeker, features 425 microcredential courses from 56 registered providers, enabling Australians to search and compare courses that align with their career goals.

The list includes more than 80 technology, engineering and IT courses offered by 16 higher education providers.

The government said it will now engage with the 18 successful universities to finalise the conditions of grant arrangements.

A second round of funding is planned within the next 12 months, which will allow for more higher education providers to apply to participate in the Pilot.

Some of the universities that have received these microcredential courses include RMIT, Australian Catholic University, the University of Tasmania and Murdoch University.

A recent report by the HR institute highlighted that nearly half of Australian employers are experiencing recruiting difficulties as the talent and skills crisis continues to impact leaders in Australia.