Practical tools and approaches to support non-formal providers in implementing micro-credentials
The European project MicroCVET (2023-2025), funded under the Erasmus+ KA210-VET programme, was created to support non-formal continuing vocational education and training providers adopting micro-credentials by developing a common approach and practical implementation tools. The project, which involves Markeut Skills (Spain) as coordinator, E&D Knowledge Consulting (Portugal), Kainotomia (Greece), and OpenCom (Italy), is structured around three main activities: creating a shared glossary, collecting best practices, and developing operational guidelines.
The MicroCVET Glossary, coordinated by E&D Knowledge Consulting, represents the project’s first output and addresses the need to provide training organizations with a guidance tool in the complex world of micro-credentials. Through fifteen interconnected thematic areas – accreditation to data security, learning methodologies, and collaboration with the labour market – the glossary builds a comprehensive framework of key concepts that a training organization must master to implement micro-credentials effectively.
The distinctive feature of this tool lies in its practical approach. Each term, starting from an analysis of existing definitions in the literature, proposes a definition contextualized within the scope of non-formal continuing vocational education and training and explores its operational relevance. The result is a tool that clarifies concepts and connects them, highlighting the relationships and practical implications for sector operators.
The glossary, developed through desk research, collaborative brainstorming, and workshops during the Porto mobility, represents the first step towards creating a shared European approach to micro-credentials. The aim is mainly to support non-formal providers, who often have fewer resources than academic institutions but are called upon to play an increasingly important role in continuing education by providing them with a guidance tool that facilitates the understanding and implementing micro-credentials in their training activities.
