In a rapidly changing world, lifelong learning is the best way forward – for both individuals to advance their careers and for employers to develop their organisations.
It’s why through the Human Capital Initiative Pillar 3 funded MicroCreds project, the Irish Universities Association (IUA) developed MicroCreds.ie, a dedicated website offering access to hundreds of short micro-credential courses.
Typically lasting just six to 12 weeks, these fully accredited courses have been developed by Ireland’s top universities and the IUA’s founding members, including Dublin City University; Maynooth University; Trinity College Dublin; University College Cork; University College Dublin; University of Galway and University of Limerick.
MicroCreds’s bite-sized format is designed to quickly infuse leading, industry-specific knowledge into both individual learners and organisations. They facilitate access to upskilling while minimising workplace disruption because the courses offered are a mixture of online, hybrid and in-person formats.
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Ireland is the first European country to establish a national framework for quality assured, university accredited micro-credentials, regarded as the building blocks for lifelong learning.
For the IUA, the aim in developing MicroCreds has been nothing less than a complete reimagining of the relationship between learners, universities and employers to create a step change in lifelong – and life-wide learning.
Subjects range from agriculture and sustainability to workplace skills, AI and digital transformation, with each short course packing an outsized punch. They are designed to provide learners with opportunities to progress their careers in their current organisations, move to different employers, or change careers entirely.
For employers, they provide a solution to a range of challenges, from skills shortages to the retention of talent. They couldn’t have come at a better time.
Time is now for lifelong learning
“Now more than ever, there is a growing acknowledgment of the importance of lifelong learning, from Government and from education and research,” says Nora Trench Bowles, head of lifelong learning, skills and quality at the IUA.
“The outdated vision of higher education being front-loaded after school has really shifted to a better understanding of the fact that many of us need to dip in and out of higher education throughout our lives, throughout our careers, to better enable us to adapt to our changing world and our changing workplaces.”
Right now, the two biggest challenges impacting all of us are rapid digitalisation and climate emergency. MicroCreds can help to develop skills in both areas, she explains. “There are also transversal skills that can be taken and applied across a variety of sectors and roles.”
Demand for such skills is soaring among employers and also for learners, helping them to fast track their career.
European research already shows that people in Ireland have a relatively high willingness to continue learning but that too often life, in the form of caring responsibilities or busy schedules, just gets in the way.
“Micro-credentials really address these time barriers, being short, bite-sized courses that are flexibly delivered. What’s more, they come with accredited, high quality, research-led university teaching and it is the marriage of both of those that has really captured the imagination,” she says.
The IUA works with an enterprise advisory group to ensure the courses are developed to help meet emerging skills gaps in the workforce. Supporting employees to undertake them is also a way for employers to differentiate themselves in a competitive talent market, helping to establish them as an employer of choice.
Many of us need to dip in and out of higher education throughout our lives, throughout our careers, to better enable us to adapt to our changing world and our changing workplaces
But now, a funding initiative is in place to help lifelong learners upskill. In March, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) announced additional funding, subsidising the fees for learners by up to 80 per cent on hundreds of micro-credentials.
“With the new HCI Pillar 3 Micro-Credentials Learner Fee Subsidy, it’s a great time for people to take a look at MicroCreds.ie and see what might be of interest to them,” says Trench Bowles.
Very many employers have training budgets in place to help cover the remainder of the cost, she points out, “So make the case to your employer. You might be surprised by the support you get because employers want you to continue to develop and broaden your skill set.”
An intelligent solution
The rapid proliferation of new technologies, such as generative artificial intelligence (GAI) has made the need to upskill increasingly urgent.
“A lot of businesses just don’t know how to use GAI to maximise their business, to make their business perform the way they want it to, or to prepare for the future. Others don’t know what’s coming down the line but want to be in a position to address issues before they arise and make sure their staff are up to speed and ahead of the curve,” says Fiona Gamble, MicroCreds project lead at Trinity College Dublin, which offers a range of post graduate level micro-credentials.
Many participants are funded by their employer, who see it as an agile and flexible solution, she adds.
It’s surveys show that career development is the main motivation for people undertaking a micro-credential. Some people use them to transition into a new career, while others still use them to move into new organisational roles.
MicroCreds has also helped diversify learner profiles in the university, she says. “These shorter, more flexible types of learning have helped open up the doors to higher education to even more people who previously felt, because perhaps of family or life commitments, that they just couldn’t,” she adds.
Because of the input of enterprise advisory groups, and the innovative way in which participants are assessed, including through work related projects, the skills they are learning are directly transferable into their workplace in an immediate way, she says.
Demand for talent
As a MicroCreds enterprise advisory group member, James Sullivan, client services manager at CPL’s Talent Evolution Group, sees their value first-hand.
“We are seeing an increased demand for micro-credentials both from individual learners and from human resources managers looking to address skills gaps in their organisation,” he says.
“These great educational resources cover a wide variety of subjects, ranging from technical, transversal, and creative skills to business competencies. Micro-credentials help to bring a massive range of skills to a huge range of industries, from brewing to aircraft finance, with an emphasis on digital transformation,” he elaborates.
Currently, businesses are laser-focused on retaining their talented workforce.
“Employers are aware of the importance of retaining and developing their talent. They are keen on providing opportunities for their workforce to upskill, evolve, and advance to different roles within the organisation. Utilising micro-credentials for upskilling purposes provides greater internal mobility opportunities, which in turn helps ensure employee retention within the company,” he explains.
“Technology, workforce behaviours, and career aspirations are constantly evolving, affecting all types of roles in different ways,” he says. “My message to employers is this: Your employees must constantly evolve; otherwise, you risk getting left behind,” he concludes.
Find a MicroCreds course here to accelerate your career today