When it presented its new skills strategy (see EUROPE 12518/1) at the beginning of July, the European Commission committed itself to creating European standards to ensure the recognition of short learning courses. On Tuesday 20 April, the institution therefore launched a public consultation with a view to presenting an EU Council recommendation on micro-credentials in the last quarter of 2021.
Demand for these qualifications, which certify the results of short learning experiences, is growing: more and more Europeans now need to update their skills to bridge the gap between their initial training and the rapidly changing needs of the labour market, the Commission notes.
However, the value of the micro-credentials issued to them at the end of these accelerated courses is “not always clear”, the Commission deplores. These titles are multiplying, can attest to only partial qualifications, can be obtained after training courses provided online for some, etc.
The Commission intends to address this lack of a common definition and the lack of transparency which may hamper the recognition of micro-credentials, limit their value and the trust placed in them by employers, particularly abroad.
It also hopes that the text will help encourage citizens to travel in the EU for training and counts on the involvement of European university alliances as role models.
Its consultation is open until 13 July: https://bit.ly/32xbf9J (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)