Microcredentials – The Opportunities in the Obstacles

Survey Snapshot and Workshop Summary

We extend our gratitude to everyone who took part in our survey and/or attended the Brisbane workshop. It was a fantastic opportunity to engage with colleagues and discuss key topics in microcredentials. The survey received 30 responses, and over 30 people attended the workshop, where we posed similar questions. Some individuals completed both the survey and attended the workshop, making the total sample size approximately 45. About half of the participants were from Higher Education, with the rest representing government, industry, K-12, non-profit organizations, professional associations, and VET sectors.

Below is a snapshot of the challenges, obstacles, and opportunities that emerged from the survey and our discussions. We asked participants a series of questions about their experience level, strategic objectives, the benefits of microcredentials to different stakeholders, and the challenges and barriers they face.

Experience with Microcredentials

In both the workshop and the survey, most participants rated their experience with microcredentials as either ad-hoc or intermediate. However, it was encouraging to see that nearly a third reported having well-established processes and frequent use of microcredentials, while about 10% noted that their processes were mature and aligned with external standards. This was further reflected in the workshop presentations, which offered more insights into best practices.

Strategic Objectives

When asked about strategic objectives, three key themes stood out:

1.????? Enhancing employability and career outcomes

2.????? Improving alignment between skills and industry need

3.????? Building pathways into formal qualifications at all levels.

Opportunities for Microcredentials

During the workshop, participants identified several opportunities for implementing microcredentials within their organizations or sectors, including:

• Responding to economic and technological change.
• Facilitating lifelong learning for new cohorts of learners.
• Encouraging skills development outside traditional training pathways.
• Creating pathways for secondary students.
• Highlighting transferable skills across different knowledge bases.
• Offering flexibility to meet a wide range of objectives.
• Democratizing access to higher education with a learner-centric focus.
• Promoting equitable participation through affordable, recognized, and flexible learning opportunities.
• Future-proofing education by upskilling the workforce and ensuring access to expertise in the marketplace.
• Supporting upskilling, reskilling, and point-in-time learning.

Organisational Benefits

When asked how microcredentials would help their organizations, participants first choice was better alignment with industry needs. However overall, alternative entry pathways into formal qualifications appeared as a top priority across sectors.

Benefits for Learners

Participants highlighted the following benefits for learners:

• Support for upskilling and reskilling
• Access to more flexible, efficient, and responsive educational pathways

?

Challenges

The most often mentioned challenge was lack of resources. In today’s tight fiscal environment, budgets and personnel are often not allocated to non-core initiatives. Closely following this was resistance to change and technical barriers that make building and scaling microcredential programs difficult.

Barriers

The three biggest barriers centred around recognition, value, relevance, and even awareness of what microcredentials are. This underscores the need for a consistent, standardized approach to build understanding and recognition across the sector.

During the workshop, participants were asked to share and vote on the most important considerations for integrating microcredentials into the sector. The top responses were:

• Establishing a common language and framework
• Framework alignment: AQF, microcredential, skills, and recognition frameworks.
• Consistent understanding across sectors
• Standardized frameworks and recognition systems

The workshop itself, was officially opened by Professor Kevin Ashford-Rowe , PVC Learning and Teaching, QUT and Kate Ames , PVC Engagement and Access, Torrens University Australia. We then had 4 case studies from different universities on how they had tackled specific problems in their Institutions.?

Case study 1: Microcredentials at UniSC

Anita J. , General Manager of the Centre for Advancement and Support of Learning and Teaching at UniSC shared a case study on UniSC’s participation in the Australian Government’s Higher Education Microcredentials pilot. Focusing on microcredential development, UniSC's team addressed the challenge of adapting existing long-form curriculum systems to accommodate professional learners in short form courses. By using the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS), they implemented a dual-stream enrolment process. This allowed professional learners to access non-credit courses through an open version of Canvas, while credit-bearing students continued to use existing systems. The initiative successfully delivered the course "Inclusive Digital Design for Business," serving both types of learners.

Case study 2: Embedding Micro-credentials at CQUniversity

Deb Friel , Manager of the Centre for Professional Development at CQUniversity, shared an initiative to embed a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification within a Bachelor of Allied Health degree, creating multiple industry-relevant exit points for students. By integrating a Certificate III in Allied Health into the bachelor’s program, CQUniversity addressed the needs of students seeking early workforce entry. However, a regulatory challenge arose students exiting with the Certificate III, while achieving a formal qualification, were still reported as attrition. This highlights the need for potential regulatory reforms. To overcome this, CQUniversity introduced a micro-credential in Skills for Allied Health Assistants and used Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for ALLH11010 Skills for Allied Health Assistants. This approach resulted in a 100% completion rate for the embedded Certificate III and employment of these students into the allied health workforce while completing their Bachelor.

Case study 3: Non-linear credit pathways at Deakin University

Hannah Brown , Manager of Lifelong Learning at Deakin University, shared an initiative to address the challenge of non-linear learning pathways by enabling students to apply credit from microcredentials across multiple degrees. Through data analysis with FutureLearn, Deakin found that learners often took unexpected academic journeys, with some completing up to 12 short Deakin courses on FutureLearn before directly enrolling in a degree, and others switching fields—such as moving from infant nutrition to cybersecurity.

To support these diverse pathways, the Lifelong Learning team collaborated with faculty curriculum, central curriculum, and governance teams to develop flexible credit principles. The most versatile solution, termed "Mix and Match," allowed students to apply credits from any Deakin microcredential toward degrees with free elective credits. This flexibility was incorporated into the university’s credit rules, making microcredentials accessible for a wide range of programs. At the time of the initiative's presentation, microcredentials had been embedded into the course rules of 36 degree programs.

Case Study 4: Policy changes at QUT

Jo Allbutt , QUT Online Program Manager, shared their efforts to address policy challenges by integrating microcredentials into the university’s core operations. Rather than treating microcredentials as a side project, QUT has focused on embedding them into existing policies and processes, adapting lessons learned from their online award courses. Recognising this as a significant change management process, the team has emphasised building trust and gathering ongoing input from both internal and external stakeholders to stay responsive to emerging trends.

A key success has been incorporating microcredentials into regular discussions on new degrees, curriculum updates, and subject development. Additionally, they have introduced a facilitation model to support academic staff in delivering short courses and microcredentials, which has helped address concerns about resource allocation. Although the process is still evolving, QUT is steadily working toward fully embedding microcredentials into the institution's processes, continuously refining the approach to smooth out challenges.

National and International Trends

After the case studies, Margo Griffith and I explored several key national and international trends shaping the landscape of microcredentials. As technology advances, providers are focusing on scaling and automating microcredential offerings. Learners are increasingly looking for ways to curate and share their learning journeys, while AI is enhancing talent systems. Rather than narrowing the definition of microcredentials, emerging frameworks support a diverse range of credentials that accumulate throughout a person’s lifetime of learning and work. Some universities are leveraging microcredentials to enhance transparency within traditional degree programs by making implicit skills more explicit.

Rise of Microcredentials: The continued growth of microcredentials reflects a shift toward short-form, flexible learning that meets the needs of both learners and employers.

Connection Between Learning and Employment (Skills-First Approach): Microcredentials are increasingly linked to employment, with a focus on equipping learners with job-relevant skills, aligning educational outcomes with workforce demands.

Policy and Frameworks: Policy development is essential for standardizing and scaling microcredentials, ensuring they are recognized and valued by employers and educational institutions alike.

Alignment with Open Recognition and Open Badging Standards: There is growing alignment with global standards such as Learner Employment Records (LERs), Comprehensive Learner Records (CLRs), and Recognition Standards Data (RSDs), which are key to enhancing the credibility and portability of microcredentials.

Digital Credentials and Digital Identity: As digital credentials evolve, learners are gaining more control over how they manage and share their qualifications, and employers are adopting HR and talent systems that use AI to streamline skills-based hiring.

Digital Credential Ecosystem: The digital credential ecosystem from earning to consumption is rapidly maturing driven by both AI and skills-based hiring. Verifiable digital credentials that are human and machine readable are already starting to replace traditional cover letters and resumes.

We also looked at a few examples of national and international policy initiatives supporting microcredential adoption to highlight how different regions are responding:

• Florida House Bill (2021): Mandates public postsecondary institutions to award nationally recognized digital credentials that demonstrate career readiness.
• South Africa's PoMISA Project: Developing a regional framework for microcredentials.
• Australia, New Zealand, Singapore: Implementing microcredential frameworks.
• UAE (2022): Launched a national project to promote credit-bearing microcredentials (CBMC).
• Europe: Countries like Austria, Finland, and Sweden now require publicly funded institutions to provide upskilling or reskilling programs, reflecting a global push toward lifelong learning and microcredentialling.

Workshop Wrap?

To finish the workshop, we asked participant to share their key take-aways, what they will do differently and any ah-ha moments.

Some of the Key take-aways

• Met my tribe. We are not alone!
• Schools don’t need to offer, but find ways to access Uni offered Microcredentials
• Not all micros are created equally but are equally valuable
• The area is complex, growing and there is so much to learn.
• Digital creds could actually increase the digital divide
• Common language is important. If we can’t interpret how can our audience
• New world, new skills, new ways of learning
• We are all on the same journey and if you haven't got the answer someone else probably does!
• Challenge in lack of consistency but that’s also a benefit - flexibility
• We need to be careful to ensure cross sector representation in our presentations
• The availability of standards for open badges
• “Fundamentally a change process”
• Micro credentials are going to be the way to meet the demand of workforce
• Really enjoyed it - has given me the faith to go forward
• Mapping and designing architecture for badges and micros is imperative.

What people will do differently

• Redouble focus on the learner.
• Push for greater digital architecture planning / Re-look at systems and reengage our digital services
• Focus on the conversation by knowledge sharing and navigating the organisation through disruption in disruption
• Look at attrition implications of classification as ‘credit bearing’ versus ‘award’
• Keep things simple and wargame the relationship between the big picture and the individual
• Research others current frameworks as a basis for ours
• I now have the evidence to argue with the higher ups....
• Seek marketplace for secondary students
• Introduce a facilitation model for academics (thanks, Jo!)
• Build in micros and digital badges from the outset
• Look to partner at every opportunity and design the Microcredential to meet learner and employer need
• Adopt a skills first approach for long term
• Collection of standards
• Consider introducing standardised credit principles
• Connect with colleagues to go further with conversations
• Work integrated learning and earn and learn models that allow learners to connect and transfer learning supported by digital badges and microcredentials is a huge opportunity

What were some of the Ah ha moments

• We’re actually doing some things okay.
• It's a big change but if broken down into smaller parts, it's actually simple
• Collaboration is essential
• There are amazing projects out there that need amplification
• There’s more people in this space than I realise. We are all trying to do the same thing.
• So many different interpretations of the same thing

?In summary, the workshop and survey were a wonderful opportunity to come together and share experiences and practice. Stay tuned for more upcoming events.