Micro-credentials are an important example of individualised flexible learning pathways, which can offer increased learner choice and autonomy and eliminate barriers to access and progression in education systems. In this sense, they are viewed as essential for adapting formal education systems to the needs of more diverse learner communities, including first-generation learners, disadvantaged groups, like refugees, and returning students. 

A new policy paper from the International Institute for Educational Planning - UNESCO, published in January 2023, offers a blueprint for micro-credentials policy development and explores the topic in detail, with country examples and key challenges and solutions to provide a path forward for strong implementation.

With changing labour market needs and technological advancements, the papers’ authors, Michaela Martin and Peter van der Hijden, argue that now is the time to build consensus on micro-credentials for the benefit of all learners and society. 

In addition to a new neutral and universal definition of micro-credentials, the paper looks at the standard elements - such as credit points, awarding bodies, and assessment methods, among others – that make the new definition fully operational. It also explores the actors – e.g., learners, providers, employers, quality assurance agencies, and others – and roles, which form part of the ecosystem needed to support the successful development of micro-credentials.