A groundbreaking approach to validating skills and knowledge is emerging in the European educational landscape: micro-credentials. This flexible and highly adaptable certification system offers a concrete response to the demands of an ever-changing labor market, where skill updating has become imperative for professional competitiveness.
The study “The Best Practice Guidelines on the use of Micro-credentials”, published in March 2025, forms part of the broader “MiCroc’VET – Developing a common approach to Micro-credentials for non-formal C-VET providers” project, an Erasmus+ initiative coordinated by MEUS (Spain) with partners from Portugal, Greece, and Italy.
The MiCroc’VET project stems from recognizing that non-formal training providers are crucial in offering innovative, quality learning opportunities. Micro-credentials provide these organizations with a tangible way to add value and recognition to their short training courses.
But what exactly are micro-credentials? The Council of the European Union Recommendation of 16 June 2022 defines them as “records of the learning outcomes that a learner has acquired following a small volume of learning and that have been assessed against transparent and clearly defined criteria.” This definition highlights their streamlined yet rigorous nature.
The most fascinating aspect emerging from the study is the extraordinary versatility of micro-credentials, which find applications across diverse educational and professional contexts. The analysis of the 12 success cases revealed a rich and varied implementation landscape.
In university settings, examples such as the University of Siena’s OpenBadge Diversity demonstrate how organizations can use micro-credentials to certify skills related to LGBTQIA+ awareness. Similarly, the University of Thessaly in Greece has developed a micro-credential program dedicated to GIS applications in environmental and water resource management.
Portugal’s Centro Qualifica case is particularly significant, a national system that uses micro-credentials to validate skills acquired through work experiences, offering personalized learning pathways based on previously acquired competencies.
In the business world, the FORTH method demonstrates how micro-credentials can certify innovation skills, whilst the AI4GreenSMEs project uses them to recognize capabilities in applying artificial intelligence for sustainability in small businesses.
The digital revolution has amplified the potential of micro-credentials. The University of Zaragoza has implemented the CertiDigital project, which complies with the European Learning Model v.3, enabling direct integration with Europass Digital Credentials.
“Digital technologies are transforming micro-credential systems by enhancing their accessibility, portability, and value,” the study emphasizes. Digital approaches make micro-credentials “more secure, verifiable, and valuable for both learners and employers, whilst reducing geographical barriers to participation.”
One of the most relevant aspects highlighted by the study is the importance of quality assurance mechanisms. The most effective practices integrate international standards, such as ISO certifications implemented by Greek universities, with EQAVET (European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training) indicators.
Alignment with European Qualifications Frameworks (EQF) and credit systems (ECTS/ECVET) significantly enhances the recognition and portability of micro-credentials. For example, the Hellenic Open University’s Blockchain course assigns specific ECTS credits to each module, creating essential links with widely accepted recognition tools.
Micro-credentials represent a concrete response to labor market changes, where updating and acquiring new skills are constantly necessary. Their modular and flexible structure makes them particularly suitable for meeting the learning needs of adults, who often must balance training, work, and family responsibilities.
The study offers concrete recommendations both at the micro level (for organizations intending to develop micro-credential systems) and at the policy level. These include developing regulatory frameworks that legitimize micro-credentials, coherent recognition systems, and shared digital infrastructures.
The study concludes that “the evolution of micro-credential systems in Europe represents a significant innovation in educational recognition that bridges the gap between formal and non-formal learning, whilst enhancing workforce development.”
The MiCroc’VET project, with its thorough analysis and practical recommendations, contributes to this innovation process, promoting a common approach to micro-credentials that non-formal training providers across Europe can adopt, opening new pathways for recognizing continuous learning.
