As defined by Education Design Lab (the Lab), micro-pathways are:

• Co-designed with learners and employers
• Consist of two or more stackable credentials
• Include a durable skills micro-credential
• Flexibly delivered to be achieved within less than a year
• Result in a job at or above the local median wage
• Start learner-earners on the path to an associate degree.

A micro-pathway can be packaged as a validated market signal connecting learners to employment in high-growth careers.

Example: Scaling Learner Opportunity and Economic Growth Across Arkansas - Education Design Lab | Learn & Work Ecosystem Library