Texas Wesleyan Launches microcredential Program To Reverse State-Wide Decline In Technology Skills

FORT WORTH — The Texas Wesleyan School of Business Administration has launched a microcredential program offering over 30 business and technology certifications to students, faculty, and the public. Wesleyan’s entrance into microcredentials is part of a wider effort to provide students with workforce-ready skills.

“Major firms require these credentials from the outset,” says Dr. Sameer Vaidya, Dean of the School of Business. “We’re on the frontline here. Texans need a new generation of business owners and employees with skills that provide value.”

In a recent study, 20 percent of students said their college failed to provide them with needed job skills and nearly 40 percent occasionally or rarely use the skills they learned. In contrast to a college degree, microcredentials take only one or two semesters to complete and provide proof of mastery over a specific skill set. Employers get a clear and verifiable picture of an applicant’s value, and that’s proven attractive to organizations across industries.

Students will receive a discount of at least 70 percent for microcredential programs, and alumni are encouraged to pursue the credentials vigorously. “An alumni discount is part of an effort to bring business leaders back to the school and facilitate collaboration between students and experienced business professionals.”

The situation in Texas is dire. Over half of Texas workers are not proficient in skills companies need to enrich local economies and attract new businesses to the area. That’s showing at institutions like Wesleyan, but Dr. Vaidya remains confident. “We’re local and global. We make leaders. This is us stepping up our services to meet the challenges of the real world.”

In 2022, more than twenty leading business and education organizations urged state policymakers to strengthen funding for colleges in Texas. The Texas Wesleyan School of Business Administration is responding with a pledge to provide Texas businesses with a skilled workforce.

“This is about the future of our state and our people,” says Dr. Vaidya. “Microcredentials are the first step toward an agile framework where small-scale mastery of key skills is the objective. That’s how the 21st-century economy works, and we’re going to solve Texas’ worker shortage starting today.”

As part of Wesleyan’s dedication to public service, members of the public can access discounted subscriptions through the university’s license. Follow this link to earn microcredentials in business and technology from Google, Meta, IBM, Intuit, SalesForce, and more: https://txwes.edu/continuing-education/coursera-career-academy/