The MCEU Hospitality project addresses the transformative potential of digital microcredentials (DMCs) in the hospitality industry and aims to develop microcredentials to support hospitality workers’ upskilling and reskilling.
Transformative potential of DMCs in hospitality
DMCs can affect the hospitality sector by offering flexible, short-term qualifications that are closely aligned with industry standards. Addressing the current disarray surrounding microcredentials (MCs), Iceland calls for better quality assurance and governance. The European Erasmus+ project MCEU serves as a key focal point, aiming to introduce DMCs with an emphasis on digital and green skills, and to pilot the issuing of digital credentials within the industry.
The MCEU initiative
The MCEU initiative seeks to integrate practical skills with quality elements built on EU standards for MCs, increasing thus the value of MCs. Developing an open source platform for issuing DCs and using the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) to ensure portability and recognition, the project aspires to issue digital credentials that are secure, unique, and easily shareable.
Defining microcredentials
The MCEU definition of MCs is aligned with the European approach to microcredentials as non-degree qualifications that offer assessed knowledge, skills, and competences, supporting flexible learning pathways (FLPs) through a modular structure that allows for stacking or combining them into larger credentials.
Legislative developments
The 2024 legislative developments enabled short-term studies to contribute European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits towards formal degrees. However, more dialogue between educational systems and the labour market, and a general raise of interest in MCs is urgently needed. This requires further local research and the establishment of a common understanding and definition of MCs across Iceland.
Way forward
The MCEU project emphasises that the origin of knowledge is secondary to the demonstrable skills and competences individuals acquire. It advocates for education systems and the labour market to reflect on the significant potential of DMCs in transforming lifelong learning and professional development.
This news item is based on a presentation delivered at Nordyrk, a Nordic conference on vocational education and training held at the University of Iceland, Reykjavík in June 2024.
For further updates, please follow MCEU project on LinkedIn and visit the project website.
| Please cite this news item as: ReferNet Iceland, & Cedefop (2024, September 26). Iceland: digital microcredentials in hospitality industry. National news on VET |