Not whether or for whom, but to what extent are microcredentials needed? – this and many other issues concerning the development of microcredentials in Poland were discussed by experts gathered at the Bellotto Hotel in Warsaw on October 15, 2024.
The meeting “Microcredentials for everyone – a development strategy” was the first opportunity for experts from the European Commission, ministries, higher education institutions, state institutions involved in adult learning, enterprises and training companies, among others, to discuss the issues involved in implementing microcredentials in Poland.
The topic of microcredentials is one of the key elements of both the idea of lifelong learning and the new conditions in the labour market. We see a great need for the flexible and quick confirmation of skills
From a speech by Ursula Romańska, Deputy Head of Unit in the European Commission, participants learned that the focus of the meeting organised by the Educational Research Institute was perfectly in line with the issues that are currently an important topic of conversation among the candidates for the new EC College of Commissioners.
We are on the eve of the election of a new EC College of Commissioners, and we already know that the emphasis in this new term will be on the issue of acquiring competencies and confirming them. We have a plan to create a “Skills Union”. We want skills acquired in one country to be usable in any other Member State
Microcredentials – a breakthrough in thinking about education and the labour market
Discussions among meeting participants included the revolutionary potential microcredentials have in changing the way we think about education.
The issue of microcredentials is a breakthrough in thinking about doing more in school than just getting a diploma. They are flexible, helping you find your own learning path
Formal education at all stages can gain from the implementation of microcredentials – this was a unanimous claim made by the representatives present from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, higher education institutions and adult learning entities. Participants noted the need to include teachers, including those in academia, in the process of effectively popularising the use of microcredentials.
An interesting thread in the discussion was also the one on microcredentials in the labour market. There was much talk about the changing expectations of employers and the need to certify specific skills.
Employers are increasingly less likely to want diplomas from job candidates. They need competencies. This is why we are following the project on microcredentials very intently, because they confirm specific competencies, and therefore respond to the real needs of employers
The success of microcredentials will be determined by their quality
When discussing the long-term strategy for implementing microcredentials in our country, the topic of possible risks and challenges facing the system’s developers cannot be ignored. The most common words, aside from “microcredentials”, were: “quality” and “credibility.”
I don't see any threats when it comes to microcredentials from the perspective of the ICT industry. We see only challenges. The most important challenge is quality
Bożena Ziemniewicz, representative of another Sector Skills Council – for Development Services, spoke similarly:
In the discussions among training companies, the issue of microcredentials came up many years ago. The most relevant question was: why do we need them? It is said that Polish society readily accepts digitalization, and this is because it is convenient. Microcredentials are also convenient. But this is not enough. Microcredentials must first and foremost be reliable.
Michal Nowakowski, Project Leader of “Microcredentials – piloting a new solution to support lifelong learning”, answered important questions about the issue of the credibility and quality of microcredentials.
The transparency of microcredentials, including digital credentials, is key – they must confirm what a person really knows. This is why we are placing great emphasis on their quality in developing the standard for creating microcredentials. We are doing everything to develop a solution that is effective, credible and tailored to the Polish market.
The participants of the discussion at the main table were:
- Dr. Maciej Jakubowski, Director of the Educational Research Institute
- Urszula Romańska, Deputy Head of Unit in the European Commission
- Michał Nowakowski, Project Leader, “Microcredentials – piloting a new solution to support lifelong learning”, IBE
- Małgorzata Mika, Deputy Director of the European Social Fund Department at the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy
- Sławomir Szymczak, Chief Expert of the project “Microcredentials – piloting a new solution to support lifelong learning”, IBE
- Tomasz Kulasa, Director of the Department of Innovation and Development at the Ministry of National Education
- Michał Goszczyński, Deputy Director of the Department of Innovation and Development at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education,
- Justyna John, Centre for the Development of Digital Competencies at the Ministry of Digital Affairs
- Edyta Sznajder, Director of the Department of Human Resources Development in Enterprises at the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP)
- Anna Marciniak, Expert at the National Centre for Research and Development
- Bogusław Dębski, Director of the Centre for the Certification of Competencies and Confirmation of Qualifications, Polish Information Processing Society (PTI), representative of the Sector Skills Council – Information Technology
- Ludwik Szakiel, Deputy Director of the Department of Business Promotion at the Marshal's Office of the Pomorskie Voivodeship
- Maciej Karasiński, Deputy Director at the Regional Labour Office in Rzeszow
- Magdalena Tarczewska-Szymańska, Deputy Director of NASK, Director for Administrative Processes in the Scientific and Academic Computer Network
- Hanna Reczulska, Director of the Office for Academic Recognition at the Scientific and Academic Exchange Agency
- Agata Zarzycka, University of Warsaw Development Support Office
- Bogdan Księżopolski, Ph.D., Co-founder of CyberSkiller
- Ewa Kołodziejczyk, Education Building Development Manager at Microsoft
- Krzysztof Głomb, Chairperson of the digital education section of the Committee on Informatics at the Polish Academy of Sciences
- Dr. Krzysztof Symela, Director of the Research Center for Vocational Education in the Łukasiewicz Network ITeE Radom
- Marek Michajłowicz, Deputy Director of the Information Processing Center
- Dr. Jędrzej Witkowski, President of the Board of the Center for Citizenship Education
- Bożena Ziemniewicz, Vice-President of the Board of the Sector Skills Council – Development Services