Seventy-nine CEU UCH students have collected Microsoft’s STEP program accreditations, which endorse their qualification in the use of technological tools to create learning environments capable of preparing students for the future
In a recent YouGov survey commissioned by Microsoft, 71 percent of elementary and middle school educators say that technology has helped them improve their methodology and their ability to teach
In an increasingly competitive and demanding market, certifications in digital skills can facilitate future candidate visibility and their viralization on employment platforms
16-12-2021.- Education has to evolve in accordance with the requirements of society and, in this sense, its transformation is essential to adapt to increasingly digitized environments. This is something that the health crisis has highlighted but that was already being addressed at European and national levels previously, as shown by the European Digital Competence Framework for Educators (DigiCompEdu) and its adaptation by the National Institute of Educational Technologies and Training of the Teaching Staff (INTEF) in the Common Framework of Teaching Digital Competence.
The CEU Cardenal Herrera University (CEU UCH) and Microsoft are not only committed to this educational transformation, but also consider that accrediting the acquisition of the necessary digital skills is essential in order to promote the employability of teachers. Thus, the technology company has designed the STEP (Student Teacher Education Program) certification, which has just been obtained by seventy-nine university students from CEU UCH and endorses their qualification in the use of technological tools to create learning environments that prepare students for the future, empower them to be independent and creative, encourage reading, and enhance both language and STEM skills.
‘The incorporation of micro-credentials such as those of Microsoft into our education system responds to one of the great challenges facing trainers: ending the skills gap in the labour market. That is to say, the difference between those demanded by employers in their workers and the real skills of the candidates,’ affirms María José González Solaz, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs at CEU UCH.
Technology improves teaching methodology
The young students have collected their STEP qualifications in an event that featured the participation of academic leaders and Manuel Abellán, Industry Executive Higher Education at Microsoft. ‘These potential teachers have not only developed the necessary skills to apply innovation in teaching but the STEP program has also showed them how to take advantage of technology to optimize time management and be able to focus with greater dedication on the needs of their students,’ says Abellán.
This is not a minor point. In fact, already in 2018, a Microsoft study carried out in collaboration with Mckinsey & Company revealed that teachers were saving up to 30% more time using the appropriate technological solutions in the classroom. In a recent YouGov survey commissioned by Microsoft, 71 percent of elementary and middle school educators say that technology has helped them improve their methodology and their ability to teach.
After obtaining the Microsoft badge, Teaching students will be able to complete, throughout their undergraduate training, the Teaching Digital Competence path established by the CEU UCH, which includes, among others, those established in the two aforementioned reference frameworks. It is a learning path based on the CEU Microcredentials Ecosystem and aimed at facilitating the incorporation of future teachers into the labour market through the acquisition and certification of international, research and technological competences through courses, seminars, internships and other activities carried out during the degree.
The relationship between certifications and employment
This model, which responds to a complex structure built around six axes (ethical commitment, international experience, soft skills, research, instrumental competencies and labour socialization), facilitates the candidate’s visibility and viralization on employment platforms. And, by containing metadata, it also provides great security for the employer, who can consult with a single click the experiences that support the knowledge certified by the CEU UCH.
Although, according to the preliminary data for the 2020-2021 academic year drafted by the Ministry of Education, the teaching staff of non-university General education centres has increased by 30,157 (+ 4.2%) compared to the previous year, reaching a total amount of 755,242 teachers, this is an increasingly competitive and demanding market in which being able to provide accreditation of digital skills can make the difference between an eligible profile or not.
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About the CEU Cardenal Herrera University
A pioneering, international university committed to values, with almost 50 years of experience in the Valencian Community, that is part of the San Pablo CEU Foundation, the largest private educational institution in Spain.
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