EP#143: Stacking skills: Microcredentials and the future of public sector learning
Work with Purpose: A podcast about the Australian Public SectorShow Notes
How can public sector professionals keep their skills sharp without committing to years of study? Microcredentials may be the answer. In this episode of Work with Purpose, host David Pembroke speaks with Professor Deborah Blackman from UNSW Canberra and Kristen Risby from the Australian Public Service Commission about how microcredentials are transforming learning in the public sector. Explore the co-design process behind new postgraduate offerings as our speakers share lessons from recent pilot programs and highlight how these short, credit-bearing courses are helping public sector professionals build relevant skills without committing to long-form study.
Key tips Choose microcredentials that offer credit – look for courses that meet university standards and contribute to formal qualifications. These are stackable and recognised across institutions. Embed learning into your workplace – apply course content directly to your current role through reflective assessments and practical tasks that reinforce learning outcomes. For those wanting to create a course, co-design with practitioners for relevance – when developing or selecting a course, involve subject matter experts and end users to ensure the content is job-ready and aligned with sector.
Show notes Express your interest or find out more about the APS Academy microcredentials | APSC website Explore other learning opportunities with the APS Academy learning | APS Academy Subscribe to hear the latest news, events and offerings from the APS Academy | APS Academy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Work with Purpose: A podcast about the Australian Public Sector
After 164 episodes, we bid farewell to Work with Purpose. Marking this special occasion, IPAA ACT CEO Kate Driver turns the microphone around on host David Pembroke, CEO of contentgroup, and one of the podcast’s first guests, IPAA National President Andrew Metcalfe AO.
On the penultimate episode of Work with Purpose, Jaala Hinchcliffe, Secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services, shines a light on the important, yet often unseen work of DPS, and discusses why integrity is not simply something people have or lack, but rather a skill that must be practised.
Governments generate endless information, but so much of it goes unseen. So, how do we turn it into content people actually care about?
What happens when senior leaders step out of meeting rooms and into frontline service environments?
In this episode of Work with Purpose, we discuss how a widening gap between external change and internal capability in the public sector is becoming a major threat to both public trust and effective government. As governments navigate social media distortion, geopolitical instability, cognitive warfare and rapid advances in AI, many public institutions are still operating in rigid, slow-moving ways better suited to an earlier era.