Are micro-credentials the future of higher education in Europe?

Finish school, study for a bachelor's degree, specialize through a master's degree or postgraduate qualification and then begin to work. This traditional linear route taken by higher education, which culminates and perhaps ends forever with the securing of a job, is increasingly coming into question, as it fails to meet the needs and demands of today's employment ecosystem, which calls for professionals benefiting from continuing education and lifelong learning. In this increasingly digital, interconnected and specialized world, there is ever-growing interest in short courses, particularly ones provided affordably online which allow people to gain new skills. According to Eurostat, 27% of the Spanish population used the internet to take an online course in 2022, a figure that confirms the upwards trend of recent years, one that has become particularly accentuated since the COVID-19 crisis.

With the aim of providing a response to this trend, the global higher education community is currently aflame with a new buzzword: 'micro-credentials'. They certify learning outcomes achieved as part of short-term training experiences, such as a short course or training programme. They provide flexible and personalized help for people in acquiring the knowledge, skills and competencies they need for their personal and professional development, quickly and efficiently.

In June 2022, the European Council adopted a recommendation for its member States to embrace a European approach to micro-credentials and, particularly to apply an EU-wide definition, European standards and basic principles for the design and issuance of micro-credentials, including the qualifications frameworks and appropriate use of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

What should the role of universities be in this growing movement?

For Àngels Fitó, the UOC's current vice president for Competitiveness and Employability and, from 13 April, its new president, "there are growing systemic needs for lifelong learning, to prepare critical and responsible citizens capable of handling the transition towards digital, sustainable business models. In Catalonia, rates for lifelong learning remain far from the 60% set by Europe for 2030 and this negatively impacts the country's competitiveness and innovation indicators". 

Fitó also added that, in this regard, "the UOC is configuring a lifelong learning model that takes into account recognition, traceability and complementarity between cycles and programmes, to foster mobility and hybridization in combination, meeting individual and collective needs through academic, educational and professional support, at the service of a society increasingly aware and informed of global challenges".

To contribute to the debate and deliver new solutions, in the middle of last year research faculty at the UOC developed a methodology for the assessment and dissemination of graduates' employability skills. The pilot project involves a digital portfolio strategy and its certification through micro-credentials. The study has been published on an open access basis in the International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education.

"A common, agreed framework is in the pipeline", explained authors Marcelo Maina and Lourdes Guàrdia, members of the UOC's Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences and researchers at the Edulab research group. Its focus is upon "Employability Skills Micro-credentialing (ESMC)". "In this methodology, micro-credentials are granted after applying an assessment methodology that links evidence of skills development over the course of a programme of study, and integrates others from students' jobs or professions", they explained. "Graduates thus benefit from a broader-based CV and more evidence of their achievements".

Indeed, one of the key reasons behind the boom is the desire to offer training solutions more closely tailored to the world of work. "Traditional CVs say little about one's academic knowledge, and companies need to know more about such aspects to get a better idea of the skills developed by recent graduates. What they need is evidence showing their skills and also to see direct proof of their training experience", noted Guàrdia. In this regard, the European Union believes that "micro-credentials can play a role in delivering on the EU’s headline targets to be achieved by 2030, including a target of 60% of all adults participating in training every year and an employment rate of at least 78%".

Another micro-credential-related challenge is how to assess the soft skills acquired via these courses. That's why universities, institutions and organizations issuing this kind of credential need to consider the types of 'soft' knowledge and skills required by employers, and bear them in mind when creating and issuing micro-credentials.

An opportunity for rethinking micro-credentials

From 20 to 24 March, Castelldefels will be the venue for the International Micro-credentials Summit, an event bringing together professionals, innovators, intellectuals and political decision-makers working on improving the flexibility and responsiveness of education systems. As part of its wide-ranging programme, on Friday 24 March, the UOC will be hosting the National Symposium on Micro-credentials, which has the mission of linking Spain's vibrant micro-credentials ecosystem to broader trends associated with the European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability.

Speakers will include Joan Subirats, the Spanish Minister of Universities; Àngels Fitó, the current vice president for Competitiveness and Employability and, from 13 April, the new president of the UOC; Carlos Delgado Kloos, the Vice Rector for Strategy and Digital Education at the Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M), and Jon Altuna, the Academic Vice-Rector of the Mondragon University, in addition to other experts from around the world and from private enterprise.

The Symposium's goals are to accelerate the national conversation on micro-credentials and build cross-sector understanding and consensus for future action, in addition to considering the next steps to be taken in the field. It also seeks to contribute to dialogue on a micro-credential approach in Spain, connected with broader European initiatives, that facilitates understanding, uptake, validation and shared recognition.

What's more, on 29 March, vice president Àngels Fitó and Mitchell Peters, European Project Lead & Postdoctoral Researcher, will be taking part in a panel session on micro-credentials in Europe organized by the European Digital Education Hub. (Register here.)