Article
18-02-2025
Of the 27 mbo schools participating in the pilot, 17 have already developed one or more microcredentials by 2024. A total of 24 microcredentials are involved. Some schools are even already able to award and issue a microcredential. In other words, the movement towards lifelong development with microcredentials is in full swing.
A microcredential is a reliable digital certificate that allows learners to demonstrate what they know, can and understand after successful completion of a unit of study. In other words, a microcredential gives an independent (labour market) value to a smaller educational unit.
Cooperation with professional field
Cooperation with the professional field is an important issue when it comes to lifelong development with microcredentials. In the evaluation, almost all schools indicate that the professional field is involved in some way in the development of the microcredential. At 13 of the 17 institutions, the demand for a microcredential comes from the region or the professional field.
Shortage sectors in particular, such as the care sector, are open to these rapid employability initiatives. In the interviews, this was confirmed by the participating schools, stressing the importance of starting from the field:. ‘The work field needs to see the value of the microcredential, rather than developing something from the education field for the sake of developing it.’
A few figures at a glance:
- In 12 of the 17 microcredentials, the professional field is the requesting party.
- Almost as often, the development of a microcredential takes place in co-creation with the professional field.
- In the case of five mbo schools, the professional field is also involved in assessing the microcredential.
- In one out of eight microcredentials, the microcredential is also implemented together with the employer(s) involved.
Many colleagues are also involved within schools
About half of the schools indicate a need from management to develop microcredentials. There is also a need from teachers and learners. For example, interviewees mentioned that there are requests from learners to progress in a particular microcredential. Learners are also increasingly asking institutions whether there is a microcredential for a spcific subject area. The added value of microcredentials is seen at several layers.
The educational offer for the microcredential often comes from a team of teachers and educational developers who are motivated about the development, and well versed in the subject matter. ‘They engage enthusiastically in setting up the microcredential,’ he says. The cooperation between these stakeholders is generally felt to be good.
Exciting development
For the participating schools, quality is paramount: ‘Learners and employers must be confident that microcredentials meet all quality criteria.’ Working with a national quality framework, where a lot of autonomy sits with the school, is not common in mbo. This makes it an exciting development for the participating schools. In doing so, they are always working on a balance between a good educational product, good learning outcomes and assessment.
Want to know more?
The pilot microcredentials mbo runs until the end of 2025. AEF will conduct the final evaluation with the mbo schools, learners and employers involved in the autumn. Meanwhile, the movement towards lifelong development with microcredentials remains in full swing, both in mbo and in hbo and wo.
Want to know more about the microcredentials pilot or the mid-term evaluation?
- Download the mid-term evaluation here (in Dutch).
- Take part in the webinar on the mid-term evaluation on Wednesday 5 March from 11 – 12 am online. Sign up here.
- Questions? Contact Tanja Derksen at tanja.derksen@hu.nl, project leader pilot microcredentials mbo.
