SEEK: Microcredentials in Tech
Engineering the way forward
SEEK is a global leading technology company with a strong reputation within the online employment marketplace. Founded in Melbourne, SEEK is one of the most prominent Australian websites for job searching, connecting the right work with the right people.
Their vision is to help people live more fulfilling and productive working lives and helping organisations succeed. To fulfil their vision, SEEK is continuously investing in scalable, reliable, and safe platforms to expand their strong presence across the APAC region.
Microcredentials in Tech
A current topic of interest for SEEK is the progression of microcredential usage in the IT industry, from both candidates and hirers. Driven by a large skills shortage in both Australia and globally, research has indicated that a large proportion of tech workers will stem from retrained workers rather than new graduates. This is on account of microcredentials providing a low barrier way to upskill, granting mini-qualifications to learn skills and knowledge with a recognised certificate.
Large-scale tech companies are progressively creating recognised standards and certifications, elevating the use of microcredentials as a selection tool for their hirers. This shift from broad to granular information solves key needs of both candidates in learning new skills and career progression, and hirers by supporting top of the funnel selection by assessing candidate skills and willingness to learn.
As a key competitor within the online employment marketplace, SEEK aims to track the growth of microcredentials to signal between candidates and hirers - enabling candidates to stand out when applying for jobs, and assisting hirers in selecting suitable candidates.
Graduate Highlight: Julia
The employment marketplace today is driven by 3 major trends; a need for digital trust, an increased demand for lifelong learning, and an increase in candidate interest in changing careers.
The graduate program is designed to grow broad technologists through exposure to specialisations, making tangible impacts to real business problems and becoming future leaders. Divided into two 6-month rotations to learn from experts across all fields, the program is an ideal combination of breadth and depth . Learning within this rotation is not too siloed or niche - all skills and content learnt are applicable to the entire business, tech companies, and the broader economy.
Graduates at SEEK play an important role in shaping how SEEK responds to opportunities and challenges raised by these 3 global trends.
Julia is a 2022 Strategy and Operations graduate currently undergoing a rotation in the Strategy team. Looking at candidate and hirer perceptions of microcredentials, Julia aims to interpret the implications that the rise of microcredentials, driven by the 3 major trends, have for SEEK’s marketplace.
Her current project on microcredentials aims to establish a way for Seek to track the growth in the supply, usage, and value of microcredentials. Leading a primary research piece and supply analysis in both ANZ and Indonesia, Julia aims to investigate the 3 major trends and their emergence within a period of granular credential growth.
As a marketplace it is integral to SEEK to track the growth of microcredentials, particularly accelerated by online learners during COVID-19, to develop and implement a solution that allows for the transfer of microcredential information seamlessly between candidates and hirers.
For those interested, applications for the 2024 SEEK Strategy & Operations Graduate program will open in January 2023, and applications for the 2023 SEEK Women in Strategy Scholarship will open in October 2023.
To learn more about SEEK’s opportunities for students, visit https://www.seek.com.au/work-for-seek/graduate-program/ and https://au.gradconnection.com/employers/seek/jobs/seek-seek-women-in-strategy-scholarship/.