Coursera’s leadership is pressing that microcredentials and professional certificates will dominate early-career hiring in 2026, citing employer surveys and platform demand. The company reports that tech and AI-related certificates—particularly Google’s data and project-management programs—are among the most-hired-for credentials. Coursera says employers increasingly prefer candidates with stacked, role-specific credentials over traditional degree signals, a shift that could influence enrollment patterns, continuing-education budgets, and university certificate partnerships.