April 2025, European Footwear Confederation (CEC)
The Erasmus+ Blueprint METASKILLS4TCLF project is currently developing 18 microcredentials for the top-ics of circular economy and digital fashion respectively. As the name implies, microcredentials often focus on learning modules much smaller than those on regular academic qualifications, enabling the learner to faster complete the learning. However, microcredentials do not replace traditional qualifications, but rather complement them by meeting new skills needs in a targeted and flexible way.1 The European Commission has defined microcredentials in the following way:
“A micro-credential is the record of the learning outcomes that a learner has acquired following a small volume of learning. These learning outcomes have been assessed against transparent and clearly de-fined standards. Courses leading to micro-credentials are designed to provide the learner with specific knowledge, skills and competences that respond to societal, personal, cultural or labour market needs. Micro-credentials are owned by the learner, can be shared and are portable. They may be standalone or combined into larger credentials. They are underpinned by quality assurance following agreed standards in the relevant sector or area of activity”.2
Short-term learning experiences have gained momentum in recent years, although they have been prominent in VET, and particularly continuous vocational training (C-VET) for a long time.3 What is new, however, is the increasing use of the term, which encompasses many different concepts for short-term learning and training, as well as the desire to standardise their features to improve their quality, recognition, portability, use, and relevance.4
Microcredentials serve multiple purposes. They can offer both an entry point to the labour market and provide solutions for professionals to update their knowledge as technologies evolve. They are geared to local needs and offered via global platforms. Some provide quick targeted responses to skills gaps, while others are included in comprehensive skills strategies.5 Users expect microcredentials to respond to real and current skills demands, which is the main reason for people to take them up. More than half of EU member states have started or are planning to incorporate microcredentials in their national qualification frameworks to ascribe value to them and enable comparison.6
The reputation of the microcredential issuer is key for their trust. VET providers with an accreditation or cer-tification enjoy a higher level of trust than those without. The same goes for microcredentials that are recognised as part of formal education and training, as they are quality-assured. Another important trust factor is the quality assurance from relevant authorities. There is no fixed quality standard for microcreden-tials awarded outside formal education and training systems.7
As the METASKILLS4TCLF project continues its work on developing microcredentials on the topics of circular economy and digital fashion, it contributes to shaping a more responsive and resilient skills ecosystem for the textile, clothing, leather, and footwear (TCLF) sectors. By promoting high-quality learning materials, de-veloped and validated in collaboration with both industry and education, the project supports the TCLF indus-tries in adapting to rapid technological and environmental changes. Ultimately, microcredentials are not just a tool for upskilling, but a strategic lever to future-proof Europe's TCLF workforce and ensure lifelong learning becomes a practical and accessible reality for all.
1 CEDEFOP. Exploring the Emergence of Microcredentials in Vocational Education and Training (VET), 6
2 European Commission. A European Approach to Micro-Credentials.
3 CEDEFOP. Exploring the Emergence of Microcredentials in Vocational Education and Training (VET), 8
4 CEDEFOP. Microcredentials for labour market education and training
5 CEDEFOP. Microcredentials: Striving to Combine Credibility and Agility, 3
6 Ibid, 2
References
CEDEFOP. (2024). Exploring the Emergence of Microcredentials in Vocational Education and Training (VET). Available at: 6221_en.pdf (Accessed: 16 April 2025)
CEDEFOP. Microcredentials for labour market education and training, Available at: Microcredentials for labour market education and training | CEDEFOP, (Accessed: 15 April 2025)
CEDEFOP. (2024). Microcredentials: Striving to Combine Credibility and Agility. Available at: Microcredentials: striving to combine credibility and agility (Accessed: 17 April 2025)
European Commission. (2021) A European Approach to Micro-Credentials. Available at: https://educa-tion.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2022-01/micro-credentials%20brochure%20updated.pdf (Accessed: 22 April 2025)