Applied Microcredentials for Opportune Upskilling in Aquaculture

Shy Chyi Wuang, Deputy Director, School of Applied Science, Temasek Polytechnic

Microcredentials – The future-ready mode of lifelong learning

Microcredentials are typically short courses to help individuals learn new skills and competencies flexibly to support their personal or professional development. They can support individuals to pivot into different careers or make inroads into other career options before making a career transition. By empowering flexible, self-paced learning and catering to on-demand upskilling, microcredentials address the needs of today’s learners.

Upskilling in Aquaculture

With food resilience as a key focus, Singapore Food Agency announced the nation’s 30 by 30 goal (i.e., to produce 30 % of our nutritional needs by 2030 locally) in 2019. This was followed by several government initiatives to support the growth of the aquaculture and agriculture industries in Singapore. The aquaculture industry faces supply chain management issues, of which a major challenge is attracting and retaining skilled workers.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, businesses were adversely affected. There were threats of retrenchment and difficulty in finding employment. In support of the national goal and considering imposed social distancing measures, Temasek Polytechnic curated an e-learning programme on aquaculture. This programme aimed at providing foundational training for job seekers and newly employed workers to acquire relevant knowledge and quickly transit into the agro-food sector. It introduced the basics of aquaculture, general concepts of fish diseases, disease management and vaccination, broodstock management, water management as well as the practical operational aspects of an aquaculture farm. Organised in three clusters, namely aquaculture fundamentals, essentials and practitioners, the programme consists of multiple micro-learning courses (MLC) accessible on the go. Learning is conducted through bite-sized lectures, concise reading, demonstration, videos, reflections and quizzes. The programme was well-subscribed and a network of aquaculture enthusiasts working in other trades was discovered.

A Microcredentialing Pathway to Formal Qualification

To uplift the aquaculture sector, a pipeline of trained personnel is necessary. For this industry, there is more interest from the mature workforce compared to the young graduates. Post pandemic, the e-learning programme was expanded to include facilitated training as well as a pathway toward formal qualification. These enhancements are built-in skills training and immersive learning to augment learner experiences, while retaining its flexibility via bite-sized MLCs to provide on-demand learning at one’s convenience.

“By empowering flexible, self-paced learning and catering for on-demand upskilling, microcredentials address the needs of today’s learners”

The revised course, Urban Aquaculture, now equips learners with essential knowledge and skills through a combination of modalities incorporating different learning technologies and theories. These include self-directed e-learning (exploration; chaining), facilitated sessions (experiencing and experimentation; discovery learning), project (collaboration; cooperative learning) and a learning journey (reflective observation). During facilitated sessions, case studies are used to draw on the acquired knowledge and learner experiences to discover new insights. Learners also develop practical skills in live feed quantification, collection of fish samples, disease identification, vaccination, feed formulation and water quality analysis during hands-on laboratory sessions. Through discussions and a group project, the sharing of pertinent issues and latest trends in the aquaculture industry enhances cooperative learning. During farm visits, learners can engage with practitioners in authentic environments for experiential and reflective learning.

Learners who complete the Urban Aquaculture course enjoy recognition of prior learning when they pursue the specialist diploma in Aquaculture Management and Technology, allowing them to obtain this qualification in half the usual duration.

Innovating with Microcredentials

Microcredentials can cut across different disciplines and sectors. There are many innovative ways to combine teaching and learning modalities, which can be deployed with microcredentials to serve the varied learning needs of the workforce. Contextualization of skills and competencies, customization of learning modes and clear articulation pathways are crucial for the widespread adoption and industry recognition of microcredentials.

Supply Chain