2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

As engineering education evolves, preparing students for the workforce requires more than disciplinary knowledge—it demands professional competencies that foster employability, adaptability, and leadership. At XXXX, mentoring initiatives have revealed the need to provide student teaching assistants (TAs) and research assistants (RAs) with structured opportunities to develop transferable skills valued by industry. Guided by insights from team members with industry experience and feedback from the center’s Industry Advisory Board, a system is being developed to offer students microcredentials and certificates tied to professional development workshops.

To ensure sustainability, the administrative leadership team is leveraging existing external certifications to design, deliver, and verify microcredentials in-house. In addition, the center is developing a series of microcredentials focused on engineering and leadership skill development. Collectively, these offerings complement students’ academic experiences and strengthen their career readiness.

One example of the certifications offered includes Six Sigma, beginning with White and Yellow Belts and extending to advanced Green and Black Belts. Six Sigma is a process improvement methodology widely recognized across engineering and industry sectors for its emphasis on efficiency, quality management, and problem-solving. These certifications provide students with a competitive advantage in securing internships, co-ops, and full-time positions, while also preparing them for leadership roles in cross-disciplinary teams.

Students are also encouraged to select a Coursera course that aligns with their academic or research interests, allowing them to personalize their professional development pathway.

The microcredentialing pilot phase will include workshops designed to reinforce skills introduced through Six Sigma and other professional development modules. Planned topics include:
• Professional communication and teamwork
• Leadership and mentoring skills
• Resume and interview preparation
• Data analysis and visualization
• Project and time management
• Entrepreneurship and innovation fundamentals
• Technical tools and emerging technologies (e.g., 3D printing, VR, AI integration)

This Work-in-Progress paper presents the framework being created for microcredentialing, the role of industry-informed guidance, and the lessons learned from piloting certification pathways for student TAs and RAs. The overarching goal is to empower students with verifiable skills and credentials that complement their degree programs and align with workforce expectations—bridging the gap between engineering education and professional practice.