Innovating Education Initiatives: The University of Texas System’s Strategic Response to a Changing Economy
- Industry:
Education
- Location:
Texas, United States
- Size:
14 institutions - 256,000 students - 122,000 faculty
Overview
With 14 institutions that enroll over 256,000 students overall, the University of Texas (UT) System is the largest university system in Texas and one of the largest public university systems in the United States. UT institutions produced over 63,000 graduates last year and awarded more than one-third of the undergraduate degrees in Texas. They also educate more than half of the state’s health care professionals and award about 60 percent of the state's medical degrees annually. The UT System’s $4.3 billion research enterprise is one of the nation’s most innovative, ranking No. 1 in Texas and No. 2 in the US for both total and federal research expenditures.
This case study details the UT System’s partnership with Coursera, offering micro-credentials to students across fourteen institutions, enhancing graduate employability.
Challenge
Navigating educational gaps in a changing Texas economy
Texas’ evolving economy necessitates a workforce with diverse, high-level skills. By 2030, 60 percent of jobs will require postsecondary credentials. Meanwhile, recent surveys show public trust in higher education’s value is declining. A 2023 College Pulse survey by LendEDU reports that two in five recent graduates said their colleges did not adequately prepare them for workforce transitions. The UT System, led by Chancellor James B. Milliken, aims to proactively prepare students for workforce demands, enhancing the value of its degrees.
“With the Texas population expected to double by 2050 and Texas projected to have the highest net job growth of any state by 2030", Chancellor Milliken says, “UT institutions are proud to be leading efforts to meet our state’s workforce and industry demands while positioning our graduates for success and professional growth in the modern job market. UT institutions are finding innovative ways to ensure that educational offerings fit the needs of employers to equip our graduates for competitive job opportunities immediately upon graduation, while also reskilling and upskilling non-traditional students.”
Archie Holmes, PhD
Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UTS
"Through our partnership with Coursera, we are able to provide students and alumni from UT institutions with access to industry-recognized credentials. This empowers them to upskill and reskill, ensuring they stay competitive and relevant in the evolving job market."
Solution
Micro-credentials and skills training to boost enrollment and employment outcomes
The UT System's solution includes a significant partnership with Coursera as part of an initiative called “Texas Credentials for the Future" that aims to enroll 30,000 students from UT institutions in Professional Certificate courses by 2025. The UT System's partnership with Coursera represents the most extensive industry-recognized micro-credential program from a US university system. It aligns educational programs with industry needs in order to enhance the employability of graduates in a rapidly changing professional landscape, while keeping UT degree programs relevant and marketable.
“Micro-credentials are a powerful and effective tool in producing graduates who are both broadly educated and specifically skilled, giving them a competitive edge in the labor market while also enhancing their overall undergraduate experience,” comments Chancellor Milliken. “The UT System’s continued investment in micro-credential courses is critical to meeting our state’s growing workforce demands while always preparing our students for success.”
Approach
Integration uniquely tailored to each campus
Coursera’s Career Academy, a cornerstone of the UT System’s partnership with Coursera, was integrated in August 2023 to prepare students, faculty, staff, and alumni for Texas’ workforce demands at no additional cost. All 14 UT institutions, including nine academic and five health institutions, have embraced Career Academy, with many integrating it into their credit-bearing curriculum. This initiative represents a significant expansion in industry-recognized micro-credential offerings within a US university system.
“Through our partnership with Coursera, we are able to provide students and alumni from UT institutions with access to industry-recognized credentials,” says Archie Holmes, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. “This empowers them to upskill and reskill, ensuring they stay competitive and relevant in the evolving job market.”
Each UT institution tailors the integration of Coursera’s catalog to meet its unique needs. For instance, UT Arlington’s “Power Up+Tech Up” program merges online coursework with practical, in-field applications in data analytics, project management, and UX design through a hybrid training model.
Additionally, the UT Faculty Institute empowers educators across the UT System to incorporate “Texas Credentials for the Future” into their curriculum, enhancing learning with industry-relevant skills. This effort aligns closely with workforce demands and enriches the educational ecosystem while giving UT graduates an edge in today’s evolving job market.
Amber Smallwood, Vice Provost of Academic Innovation, acknowledges the importance of this initiative. “We have a responsibility to recognize opportunities to incorporate micro-credentials where they align with and complement the curriculum,” she explains. “Our approach supports faculty keeping the curriculum nimble and responsive, students earning micro-credentials as they complete their degree program, and employers confidently hiring strong talent that’s prepared for high-quality employment.” In addition to specialized training, the UT System community benefits from access to Coursera’s extensive library of over 7,000 courses, spanning business, technology, data science, and emergent technologies such as generative AI. Using this resource is instrumental in supporting the UT System’s mission to equip its community with the latest industry skills and knowledge, fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptability to the evolving job market.
Impact
Broadening student opportunities and career-ready skills
Since the partnership’s inception, the UT System has seen a 203 percent increase in unique learners and a significant rise in course enrollments and completions, according to its dashboard data. “In just 10 months, unique learners on Coursera increased from 9,000 enrollments to over 36,950, and course completions more than doubled to 16,389,” reports Kelvin Bentley, Program Manager. Bentley adds: “The feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive. They appreciate the courses’ flexibility and the relevance of the skills they’re acquiring, which has boosted their engagement and workforce readiness.”
Students are recognizing just how valuable these certificates and specialized skills are in addition to their degree.
“I graduated with my BBA in Marketing, but I took a data analytics certificate program,” Katelyn Winchell, a UT Permian Basin graduate, says. “These are two very different fields of study that allowed me to ultimately diversify my resume and land my dream job.”
Moving Forward
Advancing UT System's educational mission with Coursera
As the UT System looks to the future, it seeks to broaden micro-credential offerings, prioritizing access for learners from historically underrepresented populations. Initiatives will focus on enhancing support services and engaging alumni in lifelong learning. “We're tracking significant improvements in completion rates and job placement rates for participants, which speaks volumes about the effectiveness of this initiative,” affirms Bentley, viewing the partnership as a vital component of modern education.
Impact Snapshot (within ten months)
1,000+
micro-credentials earned from providers including Google, IBM, and Meta
203%
increase in unique learners
235%
increase in enrollments
2.5x
increase in course completions—from 6,000+ to 16,389
102,300+
learning hours delivered
I graduated with my BBA in Marketing, but I took a data analytics certificate program. These are two very different fields of study that allowed me to ultimately diversify my resume and land my dream job.
