Backed by $1.5 million in federal funding, Southeastern Wisconsin colleges, universities and partners collaborate to create new online courses that meet emerging workforce needs
MILWAUKEE (June 10, 2026) – The Higher Education Regional Alliance of Wisconsin (HERA) and its member institutions have launched 24 new microcredential courses designed to provide new knowledge and skills to employees in high-demand careers throughout Southeastern Wisconsin, the organization announced today.
HERA, a collaboration among 16 public and private colleges, universities and technical colleges in the Milwaukee region, secured $1.5 million in federal funding in 2024 to accelerate the development and implementation of new microcredential programs.
Since then, 11 of those institutions and one community partner have collaborated to create the 24 courses, which have either launched already or are currently under development. Five of those courses have already completed at least one cohort, serving more than 180 students – and counting.
HERA microcredential courses cover topics related to business management, Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, supply chain and more.
“Launching these 24 new courses is a terrific example of HERA institutions working together to execute on their goals of addressing workforce gaps and expanding talent bridges for employers in our region,” said Cindy Gnadinger, HERA Chair and President of Carroll University. “By collaborating in new ways that are truly unprecedented in higher education, we can be more nimble to identify and react to the needs of Milwaukee Region employers and employees. Through this work and many other efforts, HERA and its member institutions play an even greater role in enhancing our region’s economy.”
Microcredentials are an emerging trend in education and employee upskilling. Courses are typically shorter than traditional college courses, delivered online with flexible scheduling. They focus the educational expertise of academic institutions into shorter, stackable, skills-based non-degree credentials. A microcredential course can typically be completed in 2-4 months.
Microcredentials are especially relevant to current employees who are looking to learn new skills and advance their careers but find it challenging to return to school on a full-time basis. And they can greatly benefit employers, who must constantly train workers to meet the ever-changing challenges of today’s workplace to remain competitive.
“Southeastern Wisconsin’s higher education institutions play a unique and vital role in developing our region’s work force and supporting the needs of our employers,” said Cristy Garcia-Thomas, interim president of the Greater Milwaukee Committee. “By working together to develop a wide range of new microcredential courses to address skill shortages in high-demand fields, these colleges and universities are proving that they can quickly adapt to current and future needs. This is just one of the many ways these institutions fuel our entire region’s economy. As a proud partner of HERA, all of us at GMC enthusiastically support these efforts.”
HERA and its member institutions are focusing their efforts on enhancing specific skills in high-demand, high-impact fields that are experiencing talent shortages in the region. Based on labor market data and input from employers, HERA identified priority areas such as information technology, including artificial intelligence and data analytics; health care; business; and education.
Funding for this round of HERA microcredentials came through a Congressional Directed Spending allocation with the support of Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
About the Higher Education Regional Alliance
The Higher Education Regional Alliance (HERA) is a talent producing collaboration among 16 Southeastern Wisconsin public and private, two- and four-year colleges and universities and a network of partner organizations. We are dedicated to closing achievement gaps and educating students today to become an innovative and nimble workforce that meets the needs of the region’s industries tomorrow. This challenge is too large for any one university or college to solve alone, so we are working together. We know that education impacts more than individual lives; it can change the trajectory of our entire region. For more information, please visit herawisconsin.org.
