Montana 'Year to Career' Initiative to Create Microcredential Job Pathways

  • By Kate Lucariello
  • 09/29/23

The Montana University System (MUS), in collaboration with Education Design Lab (EDL) and other stakeholders, has launched a new initiative to create 12 to 20 microcredential programs that can be completed within a year and allow learners to gain either an associate's degree or immediate employment in high-demand careers such as IT and other technology.

Twelve Montana colleges are currently being transformed over the next two years to become "engines of sustainable economic growth and regional talent suppliers," according to EDL.

EDL will provide the framework to design, implement, support, and leverage pathways to jobs with livable wages. The partners include Montana's Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE), MUS's Two Year Council, and others, such as Accelerate Montana, Rapid Retraining Program; Montana Economic Development Administration; Montana Department of Labor and Industry; Montana Department of Commerce; Montana Business Assistance Connection; and a host of higher education institutions across the state, as well as local organizations and tribal colleges and organizations.

The initiative builds on the Montana Future at Work initiative, funded by several sources, including the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, Walmart, the Charles Koch Foundation, and the Carnegie Foundation.

"As employers in a tight labor market, we need to change our thinking about finding 'an' employee to one of building a pipeline of future employees in Montana," said Brian Obert, Executive Director of the Montana Business Assistance Connection.

"Being able to work not just with the colleges, but also alongside innovative state leaders in Montana, marks a major milestone in our ability to create greater economic opportunity for learners in an increasingly skills-based ecosystem," said Bill Hughes, president and CEO of EDL. "We look forward to seeing how this work can scale and inspire other states to rethink how they are creating pathways from college to career."

Visit this EDL News page to learn more about this initiative.

About the Author

Kate Lucariello is a former newspaper editor, EAST Lab high school teacher and college English teacher.

Featured

  • two large brackets facing each other with various arrows, circles, and rectangles flowing between them

    1EdTech Partners with DXtera to Support Ed Tech Interoperability

    1EdTech Consortium and DXtera Institute have announced a partnership aimed at improving access to learning data in postsecondary and higher education.

  • Abstract geometric shapes including hexagons, circles, and triangles in blue, silver, and white

    Google Launches Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet

    Google has introduced Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental, a new artificial intelligence model designed to reason through problems before delivering answers, a shift that marks a major leap in AI capability, according to the company.

  • laptop on a clean desk with digital padlock icon on the screen

    Study: Data Privacy a Top Concern as Orgs Scale Up AI Agents

    As organizations race to integrate AI agents into their cloud operations and business workflows, they face a crucial reality: while enthusiasm is high, major adoption barriers remain, according to a new Cloudera report. Chief among them is the challenge of safeguarding sensitive data.

  • stylized AI code and a neural network symbol, paired with glitching code and a red warning triangle

    New Anthropic AI Models Demonstrate Coding Prowess, Behavior Risks

    Anthropic has released Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4, its most advanced artificial intelligence models to date, boasting a significant leap in autonomous coding capabilities while simultaneously revealing troubling tendencies toward self-preservation that include attempted blackmail.