As demand grows for workforce-aligned learning, employer engagement is critical to designing relevant, scalable, and sustainable credentials. This five-week pilot course offers a just-in-time learning experience grounded in UPCEA’s University-to-Business (U2B) Stakeholder Engagement Tenets and supported by Human-Centered Design (HCD) principles. 

Participants will explore the U2B Design Framework, which blends UPCEA’s five tenets—Research, Validate, Co-Design, Prototype, and Iterate—with adaptable strategies and tools that support empathy, collaboration, and responsiveness. Through hands-on activities and peer exchange, participants will discover practical approaches to align microcredentials, training, or other offerings with workforce needs and institutional priorities. 

Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, the course supports reflection, benchmarking, and real-world application to help learners build trust-based partnerships with employers and design for strategic, sustainable impact. Designed for both new and experienced professionals across roles, the course builds institutional capacity for employer-responsive credential innovation—wherever your journey begins.