Micro-credentials – experiences, challenges and a vision for a new European approach to education

Abstract

Project implementations regarding micro-credentials demonstrate that the deployment of systems that would provide a standard at the national or continental level faces numerous challenges. Technological progress and changes in the labor market require graduates and professionals to acquire new competencies, both in the form of upskilling and broadening competencies with elements of retraining (reskilling). The pandemic, digital transformation, and the development of artificial intelligence tools have shown that updating knowledge acquired through studies or long-term practices necessitates a new approach. This work offers a review of issues related to micro-credentials and considerations regarding labor inputs, both in the context of study programs, informal education, and the relationship of these approaches to the concept of lifelong learning.