Microcredentials for lifelong learning and employability as a tool to tackle the challenges of the fast-paced change in today's labour market was the theme of Cedefop's 12th Brussels seminar, a virtual event organised along with the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, on 9 June.
Speakers highlighted the role of microcredentials in supporting labour-market-related and employment-relevant education, training and learning, while addressing all aspects of, and questions relating to, this hotly-debated topic of the European policy agenda.
The Brussels seminars are a series of events building on Cedefop’s research and analyses to debate issues relevant to current European debates on vocational education and training (VET), skills and employment; they are addressed to Brussels-based stakeholders, Permanent Representations of EU Member States, the European Commission, the European Parliament, European business and sector associations, trade unions and employee organisations.
This latest event attracted increased interest also beyond the EU, as participants included many from non-EU states, including outside of Europe, such as the United States, New Zealand, Japan and South Africa.
Flexibility and stickability
Referring to the key messages from Cedefop microcredentials research, the Agency's Executive Director Jürgen Siebel said that 'microcredentials should not replace traditional qualifications or substitute existing national processes to organise education and training, employment or labour markets. Instead, they can complement traditional qualifications and serve as a lifelong learning opportunity to all. Given their flexibility, microcredentials can be designed and delivered by a variety of providers in many different formal, non-formal and informal learning settings.'
The element of flexibility, alongside that of stackability, stood out as the most important characteristics of microcredentials during the seminar, while presentations and debates also highlighted that learning outcomes are the backbone of all types of learning (formal/non-formal) as the only ‘currency’ signalling value to employers and learners.
The policy focus
On behalf of the European Commission, DG EMPL’s Chiara Riondino focused on the political context of the microcredentials developments. 'The European approach – she noted – sees microcredentials as a complementary tool to provide additional opportunities for learning and upskilling, as well as enable people to acquire the knowledge, skills and competences they need in order to thrive in a changing labour market and society, so they can benefit fully from both a socially fair recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and just transitions to the green and digital economy.'
Aline Humbert, Chair of the Education Committee of the French Presidency of the EU Council, spoke of the importance of the proposal for a Council Recommendation on a European approach to microcredentials, which will feature in the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council meeting on 22 June.
Cedefop has been researching microcredentials extensively, among others, fostering academic debate, and the Agency's expert Anastasia Pouliou presented to the seminar the interim results of its research project on microcredentials, while future challenges and concerns were debated in a panel discussion.
Loukas Zahilas, Cedefop, Head of VET and Qualifications, told participants that microcredentials may be at the centre of current debates, but we should not forget that they are not an effort to reinvent the wheel but just a tool opening doors and offering new possibilities. 'Up to now – he added – they were flying under the radar but now they become more visible, so we believe we are at the beginning of a very interesting process.'
