Quality Enhancement Plan
Take The Reins
Take charge of your academic and career journey by
enhancing your skills through microcredentials
What is “Take The Reins”?
Take the Reins is the College of Central Florida’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), a powerful new initiative that empowers every student to connect their academic journey with career goals starting from day one. Through career mapping, digital badges and a professional portfolio, you’ll gain skills that set you apart in job interviews, transfer applications and beyond.
Launching Fall 2026, Take the Reins will give students the opportunity to earn digital badges for microcredentials that verify real-world skills.
Own Your Path
Your career planning journey begins at CF Orientation and continues into your first semester Micro-Computer Applications or First Year Seminar class. With guidance from academic advisors and faculty, you’ll build a flexible plan that matches your coursework to your evolving career goals, ensuring that every class moves you closer to your future.
Expand Your Skills
Earn microcredentials and receive digital badges
Throughout your time at CF, you can choose to complete short, self-paced online microcredentials that lead to digital badges, which show you’ve mastered essential skills like communication, career planning and AI literacy. These noncredit courses are free for all CF students. Faculty review your submitted work and award badges when you demonstrate real competency.
Career and Personal Development
Releases Fall 2026
Discover your strengths, create a career plan, and learn how to communicate in the work place
Communication
Releases Fall 2026
Strengthen your written, verbal, and interpersonal communication to succeed in any setting
Critical Thinking
Releases Fall 2027
Learn to analyze issues, evaluate evidence, and apply reasoning to solve real-world problems
Technology and Responsible AI Literacy
Releases Fall 2027
Explore prompt engineering, AI tools, and ethical use across industries
Teamwork
Releases Fall 2028
Explore collaboration, conflict resolution, and team dynamics through hands-on, project-based learning
Professionalism
Releases Fall 2028
Cultivate workplace etiquette, reliability, and accountability in professional settings
Leadership
Releases Fall 2029
Develop your ability to inspire, guide, and manage others effectively across different roles
Entrepreneurial Thinking
Releases Fall 2029
Gain foundational business skills to turn ideas into action through innovation and self-started ventures
Why It Matters
Earning microcredentials and receiving digital badges helps employers and transfer universities recognize your achievements. It also connects your academic goals with your career aspirations. Plus, microcredentials are:
- Short and focused: most badges can be completed in just a few hours or weeks
- Stackable: some badges can count toward certificates or degree programs
- Flexible and online: learn on your schedule, from anywhere
- Free: these noncredit microcredentials are free for current CF students
Stand Out and Step Up
Your professional portfolio will highlight all
of your strengths and accomplishments
You’ll collect real evidence of your learning and achievements in a professional digital portfolio. This tool helps you organize and present your best work, making it easier to apply for jobs, internships and transfer programs with confidence.
Microcredentials
Showcase your digital badges earned from completing microcredentials. You can share your badges in your portfolio, on professional platforms like Handshake or LinkedIn and on social media. Once earned, badges will tell future employers and transfer universities that you have demonstrated your skills effectively.
Degrees or Certificates
Once you graduate from CF, be sure to add the degree or certificate that you earned.
Internships and Work Experience
Showing that you have put your skills to the test in a work environment is another key to standing out. Be sure to keep track of your internships and work experiences within your portfolio including dates that you worked, the organization you worked for and the duties that were assigned to you.
Projects
Your experience matters, but so do the visual representations of your work. Any projects you work on in and out of the classroom, be sure to track and gather evidence of to show off in your professional portfolio.
Ready to Take The Reins?
The Take the Reins initiative is currently piloting in select courses. Talk to your advisor or fill out the form below to get started!