Microcredentials – Here to stay, but their future is open

They can increase the provision of labour-market-relevant vocational education and training (VET), supporting national, regional and sectoral upskilling and reskilling strategies, offering learners targeted training for better employment prospects, and helping employers improve employee retention and productivity. They support the modularisation of qualifications and the validation of prior learning, enabling the inclusion of the most vulnerable and lifelong learning at all levels.

Microcredentials are here to stay but their future is open. While their potential to meet European citi- zens’, companies’ and countries’ diverse education and labour market needs is undeniable, further com- prehensive and context-sensitive research is needed to clarify their status in relation to existing qualifica- tions. In parallel, the development of learner-centred support policies, including guidance, is essential if more individuals and companies are to engage in and benefit from microcredentials.

Further experimentation with practical initiatives, as well as knowledge sharing between them, are needed to support countries in their efforts to develop and mainstream microcredentials and to define their role in national skills formation systems.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story @  Briefing note – Microcredentials: striving to combine credibility and agility | CEDEFOP