Micro-credentials
While promotion applications require comprehensive evidence for multiple skills, micro-credentials are a way to get formal recognition of your progression for individual skills. Micro-credentials are available for each skill level (e.g. iLAN:3) and scored.
Why use micro-credentials
The promotion process is necessarily high-level and limited to specific times, so testing our abilities against skills by using micro-credentials helps us dig in and provides focus. Micro-credentials objectively measure our abilities outside of promotion and can provide a path to progress for engineers not looking to change roles.
Use for promotion
Before applying for promotion, you must have applied for and received at least one micro-credential. This is to ensure applicants are familiar with the process and the quality of evidence required. Applying for micro-credentials helps engineers get practice with the process and – more importantly – get feedback.
Advantages
- Flexible.
You can apply at a time that suits you, for example if your project has some downtime. - Iterative.
Your assessor may contact you if you need to provide more proof or if they want to better understand your competency through discussion. - Low-cost.
You can test your level and application style without emotionally investing yourself in a lengthy promotion process. - Low-pressure.
It's a low-pressure approach compared to promotions, especially for those who struggle with interviews. - Spreads workload.
Building up micro-credentials can reduce the workload for both applicants and assessors during a promotion window. - An opportunity for validation.
For areas where you are highly capable, you can get a micro-credential as recognition and reward for the work you already do. - Community-focused.
A chance for our senior assessors to learn the competencies of people from across our team, as well as take ownership in areas where they are highly capable. - Feedback-driven.
Your assessors will work with you to succeed. Regardless of outcome you will get feedback, with specific goals set for you in the case that you did not pass and should reapply later.
Caveats
- Micro-credentials can only be used for promotion within two years of issue. Our skill definitions are likely to evolve and it’s important that you keep your skills sharp and relevant.
- You are currently limited to two skills submissions (excluding re-assessments) per calendar month. We don't want people submitting a full promotion application with this approach outside of the window.
- In the unlikely case that you managed to submit and pass all of the skills required for promotion entirely through micro-credentials, you will still have to wait for a promotion window for your new role to be confirmed. In the case of TTL/Senior II and above, you will still need an interview anyway. This is to help with budgeting and managing role expectations.
How to get micro-credentials
Micro-credentials can be acquired one of three ways:
- a self-submitted assessment as described on this page,
- an endorsement from an engineering leader, or
- from a promotion application for high-scoring skills, regardless of overall result.
The process
- You compile evidence for assessment of a single skill using the Micro-credential application template. For more guidance, refer to the 'Write application' section of the promotion guide). Consider reviewing this with your line manager.
- Submit your evidence by email to the SEM team. This can happen at any time throughout the year.
- Submissions are assigned to an assessor who will complete the assessment and respond to you with the outcome, ideally within two weeks. The assessor will be TTL/Senior II role or above, but will depend on the skill and seniority submitted.
- Your assessor will pass their assessment on for peer review and moderation. One peer reviewer is required for applications below TTL/Senior II. Two peer reviewers for applications to TTL/Senior II and above.
- The final score will be communicated to you by the original assessor with their justification. 8 out of 10 is the pass mark for a skill (see scoring).
- If your application does not achieve the pass mark the assessor will explain which areas need improving, or further evidence, to score higher. You may resubmit your existing assessment with amendments, ideally clearly marking the additions and modifications to make it easier and quicker for the assessor to respond. The assessor can re-assess the changes (similarly, there is a two week guideline response time for resubmissions and amendments).
- If successful (congratulations!) a micro-credential will get added to your Inviqa Me profile. The score associated with your micro-credential will be recorded and can be used when you next apply for promotion so that you do not have to resupply evidence for that skill.
We have created a dedicated page for evidence to provide direction.