McGraw Hill Unveils New Micro-Credentialing Program to Support Student Professional Growth

COLUMBUS, Ohio (July 15, 2024) – McGraw Hill today announced the launch of SIMskills Badges, a series of self-paced, online courses designed to enhance college students' skills in Microsoft Excel. Powered by SIMnet, McGraw Hill’s industry-leading Microsoft Office training and assessment platform, the courses allow students to earn digital badges that demonstrate their proficiency in Microsoft Excel. SIMskills Badges courses, initially offered to students using business, economics, and computing products in McGraw Hill’s Connect platform, are now available for individual purchase by all students in the United States and Canada using Connect.

McGraw Hill has an existing digital certificate program available to students through its SIMnet platform and through a partnership with Accredible, a leading digital certificate and badge provider. This existing program for students using SIMnet for their courses has delivered 1.2 million badges to affirm students’ skills in Microsoft Office applications. With the new SIMskills Badges programs, students can earn digital credentials on their own.

SIMskills Badges courses provide students with a flexible and convenient learning experience, allowing users to learn what they want, when they want, without the stress of deadlines, grades, or exams. Once students complete a course, they have the option to share a digital SIMskills Badge on their LinkedIn profiles—a helpful feature for employers seeking adept professionals skilled in Microsoft Excel, which was the 2^nd most in-demand skill listed in U.S. job postings between May 2023-2024, according to Lightcast Data.  

“Student stress is heightened by high-stakes assessments. By expanding our widely-used SIMnet brand with SIMskills Badges, we can take some of that pressure off by meeting students’ changing needs and allowing them to learn at their own pace and earn valuable credentials without deadlines or the fear of failing,” said Michael Ryan, president of McGraw Hill’s Higher Education division. “We look forward to growing the SIMskills Badges program in the future to continue empowering students on their academic and professional journeys.”

Unlike SIMnet courses, which may only be assigned or made available by instructors, Connect users have the option to independently purchase SIMskills Badges courses at their discretion. The courses offer the following badges:

• Foundational Skills for Microsoft Excel
• Advanced Skills for Microsoft Excel
•  Data Analysis Skills for Microsoft Excel

Students using McGraw Hill Connect will see a SIMskills Badge link in the platform, which they can click for more information and to access the three courses and earn badges. Students may purchase an individual SIMskills Badge course for $20 or the complete set of all three SIMskills Badge courses for $50, both available for one year after purchase. Before purchasing SIMskills Badges, students can complete a free 2-day trial, and those who enroll in the course will have access for an entire year.

For more information about SIMskills Badges, visit: https://www.mheducation.com/highered/simnet/simskills#.