EPISODE · Dec 17, 2025 · 31 MIN
Lisa Larson, CEO of Education Design Lab: How Micro-Pathways Can Boost Workforce Development Success
from WorkforceRx · host Futuro Health
According to recent studies, micro-credentials are experiencing a surge in interest and acceptance by learners and employers, which is creating both a challenge and an opportunity for educators trying to meet the demand for them. One of the major players helping educators in this task is the Education Design Lab, which is working with more than 100 community colleges and state community college systems to implement “micro-pathways” that map to 100 different job roles. “What colleges need to be concerned about is the relevancy of these programs to high demand jobs and careers, and that people need short-term options to move towards their larger goals,” says CEO Lisa Larson. Key criteria for the pathways include being affordable, stackable, less than one year in duration and validated by employers. As Larson explains, animating this work is EDL’s interest in meeting the needs of what it calls the “new majority learner” – mainly working adults who require additional access points and flexible options for earning credentials. Join Futuro Health CEO Van Ton-Quinlivan as she explores how community colleges are developing deeper employer partnerships and shared curricula to help learners leverage the power of micro-pathways in building their economic futures.
What this episode covers
According to recent studies, micro-credentials are experiencing a surge in interest and acceptance by learners and employers, which is creating both a challenge and an opportunity for educators trying to meet the demand for them. One of the major players helping educators in this task is the Education Design Lab, which is working with more than 100 community colleges and state community college systems to implement “micro-pathways” that map to 100 different job roles. “What colleges need to be concerned about is the relevancy of these programs to high demand jobs and careers, and that people need short-term options to move towards their larger goals,” says CEO Lisa Larson. Key criteria for the pathways include being affordable, stackable, less than one year in duration and validated by employers. As Larson explains, animating this work is EDL’s interest in meeting the needs of what it calls the “new majority learner” – mainly working adults who require additional access points and flexible options for earning credentials. Join Futuro Health CEO Van Ton-Quinlivan as she explores how community colleges are developing deeper employer partnerships and shared curricula to help learners leverage the power of micro-pathways in building their economic futures.
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Lisa Larson, CEO of Education Design Lab: How Micro-Pathways Can Boost Workforce Development Success
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