The European Council adopted a recommendation regarding micro-certificates

The global changes and new labour market challenges of recent years require more and more people across Europe to expand their skills, knowledge, and various competencies in order to keep up with the dynamically changing environment and remain prepared as an employee. As we wrote in our previous news: Ursula von der Leyen declared 2023 as the European Year of Skills, thus supporting the improvement of the green and digital skills of the EU's adult population.

This – and the renewed European policy in 2020 – has increased the importance of lifelong learning and continuous training. The most important basis for this is that all the necessary high-quality and appropriate training opportunities are available to people. The goal of modernization is therefore to ensure new, high-quality, and innovative opportunities for vocational training, and to flexibly meet the needs for retraining and further training of the working-age population.

In achieving these goals, micro-certificates can have a special role, which will certify the training and results for expanding knowledge - even supplementing their full qualifications. The long-term goal of modernizing the existing micro-certificate system is to create flexible learning paths and career opportunities and increase labour market mobility. By implementing the amendments, they intend to improve the quality, transparency and spread of certificates. Common principles for certification can also increase transparency, access, and trust.

The common principles and definitions are the building blocks of the system of micro-certificates.

First of all, a uniform definition is necessary, according to which: the micro-certificate is a document certifying the training outcome obtained in small-volume learning units. The results achieved are assessed and evaluated according to transparent and clearly defined criteria.

The certificates can be independent or combined with larger certificates, which are assured for its quality based on the standards accepted in the given sector.
There are mandatory elements in each certificate must contain (eg. student identification, certificate name, issuing region, learning outcomes and the ECTS credits required to achieve them, level of possible learning experience, form of participation in the learning activity, or applied quality assurance mechanisms).

The issuance and design of certificates must be relevant by 10 universal European principles.

The Council - especially the policy regulations governing the field of education and employment - formulates recommendations in the relevant certificates for the widest possible exploitation.

It is important that there is a uniform concept of certificates at the member level as well, and that their inclusion in the existing systems is successful. It is fortunate if a professionally supportive environment is also created: this is especially important in the case of vocational training providers, who are important players in the system due to their role in training.

The Commission supports the effectiveness of the reform by developing available tools, conducting extensive research, developing Europass, and promoting the cooperation of interested parties.