A $1.3 Billion Learning Platform CEO Advises Gen Z: Microcredentials Are Key to 2026 Job Success.

Securing a job hasn’t been the simplest this year, and in 2026, the job market is likely to stay just as unstable. Managers will be struggling with how to integrate AI into their businesses and which skills are truly necessary on the team to boost efficiency. Firms will also be dealing with policy challenges like tariffs and the normalization of the base rate, along with how consumer spending will fare for the rest of the year.

So far, it’s been . According to a , Gen Z job seekers—currently aged 13 to 28—are facing multiple barriers to landing a role. With hiring tracking downward, unemployment has risen particularly fast among those with less experience, so while America’s overall unemployment rate has sat around 4%, those in the 16 to 19 age bracket are contending with a 14% rate, while 19 to 24-year-olds average around 9%.

Education plays a crucial role in the job prospects of youngsters. At present, those with a college degree have a slightly lower unemployment rate (just over 6%) compared to those with a high school diploma or some college education. Although there’s much discussion about whether college degrees justify the financial cost, it’s clear that employers prefer candidates who have shown a dedication to learning.

Then comes the trend of “microcredentials,” which are professional certificates showing that a candidate is seeking additional training or qualifications to back the positions they’re applying for. According to the $1.3 billion learning platform, over 90% of employers prefer to hire a candidate with a microcredential on their resume over one without.

According to Coursera’s CEO, Greg Hart, the most well-liked programs on the platform center around technology and, more specifically, AI. Notably, two professional certificates from Google stand out: ‘Foundations of Data Science’ and an analytics program named ‘Data, Data, Everywhere.’ Also popular are Google’s project management certificate and a ‘Foundations of Cybersecurity’ course.

The platform’s 2025 Jobs Skills report discovered that employers’ priorities for applicants match the skills individuals are cultivating. GenAI and HR technology are the most sought-after skills, followed by soft skills like assertiveness and stakeholder communication.

While a skeptic might claim that the CEO of an education platform would recommend learning as a way to enter the career ladder, Hart’s view is shared by some of the world’s most renowned CEOs. For example, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon advises young people to abandon social media and focus on other things. Citadel CEO Ken Griffin advises something, and Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio advises youngsters to

“We indeed notice a significant surge in enrollments, usually in January,” Hart says in an exclusive interview. “It’s somewhat like gym memberships, people think new year, new you, and education is clearly one of the best ways to reinvent oneself.”

Looking ahead, generative AI will keep being the current expertise. “It’s the most in-demand skill in our company’s history at present,” Hart states.

However, that doesn’t mean ignoring soft skills and understanding other sectors. For example, healthcare is seeing a rise in interest. This aligns with the U.S. employment situation, with reports indicating that the industry is one of the few sectors with employment growth currently.

A shortage of soft skills also poses obstacles for young people to get hired. Last year, a survey by technology education provider General Assembly found that fewer than half of workers (48%) and only 12% of mid-level executives believe today’s entry-level workers are sufficiently prepared for the workforce. The main factors contributing to this lack of confidence are that managers feel new workforce entrants lack skills such as communication, collaboration, and adaptability required to succeed in their organizations.

“I truly believe that as people realize AI is making technology handle more and more people’s jobs, the value of the human aspect actually goes up,” Hart adds. “Your functional knowledge in a world where AI is doing more of the work isn’t less important; it’s just not as much of a differentiator anymore.”

‘The courses I suggested to my sons’

Hart walks the talk, disclosing the courses he advises his two Gen Z sons, who are 22 and 21, to take.

Hart’s older son is a finance major, and so, “I told him to take Gen AI for finance. It’s very convenient, directly relevant, and after he completed it—he liked it—the next question was ‘What should I take next?'”

“I said, ‘Go browse through the Gen AI-related certifications and determine which one you think is most relevant. I can tell you that being proficient in data will be beneficial for your career, so see how Gen AI can help you excel in data analytics. What finance majors used to do was just spend time on spreadsheets, so figure out how you can use Gen AI to do that more efficiently and include it on your resume.'”

Hart’s younger son is a video game design major, and Gen AI was once more recommended for skills such as project management. But Hart added: “I told him: ‘You need to develop as many skills related to game design as you can, so not only your technical skills in coding or multimedia, but also how you integrate all of that. Project management, no matter what you do in life, is a very effective and useful skill, so look into some project management-related things and also some entrepreneurship-related things.”