Ep#143: Stacking skills: Microcredentials and the future of public sector learning
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.
Guests:
Kristen Risby
Kristen Risby is a strategic leader in learning and development with over 30 years of experience across public private and non-for-profit sectors.
As a director in the Australian Public Service Commission, Kristen leads the Capability Strategy and Insights team within the APS Academy, shaping system-wide approaches to workforce development. She has been instrumental in designing the new action plan for the APS Learning and Development Strategy and establishing partnerships with universities to co-design post graduate microcredentials that are practical, scalable and aligned to public sector needs.
Kristen brings deep expertise in adult education, capability strategy and evaluation, and a passion for transforming how we learn and grow in complex systems.
Professor Deborah Blackman
Professor Deborah Blackman is the Associate Dean Lifelong Learning at UNSW, Canberra. She is responsible for the development of the UNSW Canberra microcredentialling portfolio, both in terms of content and researching how well such programs work.
As an active member of the Public Service Research Group, in the School of Business she researches knowledge transfer in a range of applied, real world contexts and how they affect: Public Sector Policy Implementation, Systems Level Change, Employee Performance Management, Organisational Learning and Organisational Effectiveness.