Event on micro credentials guidelines to be organised during EVSW

RATIONALE

Micro-credentials are a new concept and an important international trend that are central to the EU Skills Agenda, and the post Covid recovery and digital and green transition. Micro-credentials have been in existence under different names in different countries including in some partner countries. Nevertheless, experience with micro-credentials is still limited.

What we want to propose is to develop guidelines for developing and recognising micro-credentials. The idea is to pool the existing experiences in producing micro-credentials building on developments in EU, partner countries and beyond. We want to explore how we can improve the portability and recognition of micro-credentials using as much as possible existing experiences.

In particular we want to build on the European approach to micro-credentials which underlines the importance of relevance, assessment and stackability of learning outcomes as key components for designing and implementing micro-credentials by practitioners in the context of lifelong learning including validation, vocational education and training, adult learning and higher education.

In order to facilitate the use and recognition of micro-credentials they need to be embedded in a wider policy or regulatory framework, in particular in the context of ETF partner countries. Should they be part of the NQF and the database or register of qualifications? What are we going to put into the guidelines on this issue?

Objective

Guidelines for micro-credentials could cover different aspects. They may support policy makers at system level in embedding micro-credentials into the qualification and education and training systems including data bases and ensuring that they can be recognised through empowering policy documents and regulations. They may also focus on qualification developers, curriculum developers, assessors and recognition officers at providers level supporting them in putting micro credentials in practice.

We want to ensure a participative approach inviting experts and practitioners from the EU, partner countries and elsewhere to contribute in shaping the guidelines, providing relevant experiences and inputs. The objective of this event is to explore the scope and possible content of the guidelines and discuss the process of their development.