Digital tools for the portability of learning outcomes

Context

EU citizens still face challenges to access further education or change career because their skills and qualifications are not fully trusted or understood. This limits lifelong learning opportunities and labour mobility alike.

Qualifications databases or registers and digital credentials are becoming important digital tools to improve the transparency and portability of learning outcomes. EU initiatives such as the European Qualifications Framework, Europass, ESCO and the European Digital Credentials for learning infrastructure lay the groundwork. More recently, the Union of Skills proposed a Skills Portability Initiative building on transparency tools and promoting common European formats for digital credentials.

Drawing on selected evidence from 27 countries (for a total of 28 systems), this Insight explore developments related to qualifications databases as well as digital credentials, including their perceived benefits and challenges as well as understanding and use. 

Facts and findings 

• All 28 analysed systems recognise the value of digital tools for promoting the portability of learning outcomes, though attention and development vary significantly.
• Focus is more on digital tools for information on qualifications, programmes and accreditation, than on digital credentials.
• Issuing and storing digital credentials tools are more developed than sharing and verification tools, which rarely go beyond technical authenticity and integrity checks.
• Most countries report only partial implementation of digital credential, with no fully developed infrastructure covering all types of learning.
• Awareness of EU tools and infrastructures related to digital credentials (e.g. Europass, EBSI, and the EU Digital Identity Wallet) is high across countries.

Key messages

• The high number of information tools – in many countries – indicates attention to information access but also raises risks of dispersion of information.
• Countries are moving from static qualifications registers towards more user-oriented services, integrating learning opportunity and labour market data (e.g. job vacancies and skills anticipation).
• Digital credentials hold potential to increase the visibility of all types of learning (including non-formal and informal learning), but fragmentation risks widening gaps across types of learners.
• Limited advances in digital credential verification tools reflect interoperability and governance challenges as well as underuse of information on learning outcomes.
• EU-level infrastructures (e.g. European Learning Model) have laid important groundwork and influenced national developments, yes this has not translated into coherent national systems.

Policy pointers

• Connect and balance – A user-oriented digital ecosystem requires coordinated development across all its components, from tools that inform about programmes and qualifications to those that record, share and verify credentials and their learning outcomes.
• Sustain and monitor - Investment should continue in connecting qualifications, learning opportunity and labour market data; monitoring of users and uses is needed to assess effectiveness and reach.
• Spotlight digital credentials - Greater policy discussion is needed on how digital credentials can build on existing developments such as national qualifications frameworks databases, accreditation registers and skills intelligence, but also support developments related to recognition of qualifications, stackability of microcredentials and validation of non-formal and informal learning.
• Make learning outcomes count - The value of digital credentials depends on whether and how learning outcomes are presented and used with verification tools supporting employers, recognition authorities and other key users.
• Converging before diverging - As national approaches towards digital credentials are still developing, there is an opportunity to reinforce EU cooperation, moving beyond technical developments and providing directions on their strategic role, conceptual basis and governance.