May blog post

What are micro-credentials?

The first webinar organised by our project brought together a broad group of experts interested in continuous learning: 166 people registered for the event, and at its peak there were 121 participants online. The development of micro-credentials is therefore clearly an engaging theme for university actors, especially among those working in continuous learning.

The webinar examined micro-credentials from the perspectives of administration, funding, strategic leadership and practical implementation. The discussion showed that this is not merely a new form of education, but part of a broader shift in how universities make their expertise available to meet the needs of working life.

​Picture: What are micro-credentials? - The next step?

The event was opened by Senior Ministerial Adviser Päivi Bosquet from the Ministry of Education and Culture. She provided historical background on micro-credentials by noting that similar kinds of learning units have long been offered at universities. What is new is not the small, working-life-oriented learning opportunities themselves, but the fact that these competences are now being made visible and incorporated into the official education offering.

It is also essential that the offering is compiled and made discoverable through shared channels. For example, the role of services such as opin.fi becomes increasingly important when micro-credentials need to be easy to find for both individuals and organisations. As administrative development progresses, it also becomes easier to identify and recognise competences acquired through micro-credentials, which benefits both learners and universities.

Next, experts Mira Arffman and Katri Kuusela from the University of Lapland presented the results of the survey and interview study as well as the workshop carried out within the project. A more detailed analysis of the survey findings is available in a blog post published in January. In addition to the survey, the webinar also presented interviews conducted in the project with university strategic leadership, such as vice-rectors responsible for education and deans. Based on the material, the structures for continuous learning are already seen as fairly strong from the perspective of implementing micro-credentials. At the same time, it was noted that the work is still at an early stage, and that more clarity is needed regarding micro-credential concepts and practices, as well as stronger competence development. Micro-credentials are not automatically seen as entirely new content, but rather as a new way of packaging and bringing together existing teaching.
 
What is the value proposition of micro-credentials?

The panel discussion featured Päivi Bosquet from the Ministry of Education and Culture, Anne Gustafsson-Pesonen from the UCEF network, Jukka Lerkkanen from the POIJU project, and Anna Päiviö from JOTPA. The discussion highlighted several perspectives on the core value proposition of micro-credentials:

• Micro-credentials enable rapid responses to changing needs in working life.
• They are designed, implemented and assessed together with working life, which increases their relevance to employers and employees.
• They provide alternative ways of demonstrating competence alongside degrees and can also support the development of degree programmes.
• Knowledge produced by universities can be delivered through micro-credentials in a format that is relevant to working life.

The discussion noted that the university brand and quality still matter in working life, but one challenge is making the offering visible and easy to understand. The branding of micro-credentials for working life was also discussed. Communication needs to be clear, because working life is more interested in the added value of the education than in how it is administratively organised within universities.

In her contribution, Anna Päiviö from JOTPA highlighted several observations from the first pilot projects on micro-credentials that had just concluded. The pilots showed that a successful micro-credential is clearly defined and sufficiently short, which in practice means learning units worth 1–5 ECTS credits, as described in the framework. Co-design with employers proved fruitful in the pilots, but discussion also focused on how collaboration and development can continue without project funding. In the pilots, companies took part in planning workshops, for example, which may represent a significant investment for them without external funding. From the learner’s perspective, Jukka Lerkkanen emphasised the everyday realities of adult learners as a key consideration in the practical implementation of micro-credentials. Balancing work and study is a challenge that can be addressed through individualisation, flexible ways of completing studies and diverse assessment methods. He also added that the starting point for designing a micro-credential is recognising that people already in working life have a great deal of competence, which further underlines the importance of co-design.

The discussion also identified challenges, the most significant of which was the funding base for micro-credentials. Several speakers noted that it is difficult to make micro-credentials financially viable without public funding. In addition, purchasing and sales practices require clarification both in higher education institutions and in working life. The offering should be easier to browse and the purchasing process more straightforward in order to increase volume.

At the end of the panel discussion, Touko Apajalahti from Technology Industries of Finland summarised the discussion. The sector is estimated to need around 140,000 new professionals over the next ten years, most of whom will require higher education. Continuous learning is already part of everyday life in companies, but the share of education provided by universities is still fairly small. Micro-credentials can serve as bridges between universities and companies. For this to happen, they must be genuinely connected to companies’ renewal and be easy to find. The audience discussion also raised questions about the use of research-based knowledge in micro-credentials, the coordination of micro-credential provision between universities of applied sciences and universities, and the timetable for completing the national framework. Päivi Bosquet estimated that the revised framework will be published in autumn 2026.