Co-Designing Micro-Creds for a Green Transition

The Project

This 3-5 year action research project aims to co-design a series of micro-credentials for the green energy and construction industries with young people (16-24), schools, VET providers, community organisations, businesses unions, government, and infrastructure and construction industry stakeholders. By engaging with these stakeholders in the development and implementation of these micro-credentials, we aim to foster new aspirations for developing skills and knowledge across different contexts around the globe (with a pilot project in Australia).

This research project is framed by the following urgent questions:

• How do we foster new aspirations and capabilities among young people in different contexts around the world to enable them to adapt and thrive amidst the transition to green skills and knowledge?
• How do we create broader access to learning opportunities for young people and communities worldwide to make the transition to green skills and knowledge?

We have been working with our colleague Dr Kylie Taffard of the University of Canterbury (New Zealand) to develop this project.

At the bottom of the page is a video of our presentation.

We encourage you to view this and circulate the page link in your networks.

The Challenge

This project is in response to several existential risks. One of the largest long-term risks to energy security is escalating extreme weather driven by climate change. Australia, along with the rest of the world, is increasingly experiencing the impact of extreme weather on power systems. The need for a green transition to solar, wind and hydroelectric energy and to more sustainable methods of construction has never been greater. This transition can only happen if there are the right people to deliver it. And in return, it can offer immense opportunities for Australia and the world in terms of education, training, and career. But for the energy transition to succeed, it must be fair and just. This means making sure that no one is left behind. In an era of increasing environmental consciousness, sustainability will be at the forefront of the construction industry’s future.

The rapid development of these sectors pose the following challenges:

• Risks of skills shortages. Managers, engineers and technicians are currently in highest demand and vacant job positions are already difficult to fill.
• New skills needed from people working in or entering the industry, especially in digitalisation, ICT, robotics, and Health and Safety.
• Harmonising training requirements and skills globally.

Outcomes

• Produce a suite of micro-creds to create and capture new forms of social, cultural and economic value for young people, communities and stakeholders.
• Add different ‘forms of value’ to existing competency-based VET certificates, courses, units, traineeships and apprenticeships.
• Provide training opportunities for 100+ VET and vocational major (VM) students and trainees and apprentices to develop new capabilities, attitudes, values and ways of acting to promote sustainable, regenerative and just futures in infrastructure and construction.
• Provide stakeholders/funders with the opportunity to further enhance its profile and practices for sustainable, regenerative and just futures in infrastructure and construction.
• Deakin and RMIT team bring background IP and micro-cred model, retain research related IP generated in project, and ‘ownership’ of micro-creds.
• The micro-creds produced in the project can be used under license by stakeholders/funders in other infrastructure and construction contexts (with continued free access keys to future trainees and apprentices).

The Key Project Impact and Outcomes include:

• A series of multi-level gamified and digitally badged micro-credentials for young people
• A web-based platform/smartphone app to deliver courses
• The digital architecture to support a global program of micro-credentials for the green transition of skills and knowledge.

The Project Outcomes Can Contribute to Stakeholder Priorities such as

• Increased green skills and knowledge for young people equipping them for future employment and livelihood opportunities
• Enhanced aspirations for young people
• The cultivation of ethical innovation and co-design practices
• Ongoing action research evaluations and impact reports to inform existing and future programs
• Broader access to learning opportunities for young people and communities worldwide.

Project Videos