GSS EU Science Funding Gateway

Proposals submitted under this topic must address one of the following priorities:

Priority 11: Micro-credentials eco-systems

While objectives and practices need to be adapted to given national/regional/local circumstances, approaches taken need to be transparent and comparable, in line with the provisions of the Council Recommendation.

Public authorities at national, regional, and/or local level, in cooperation with providers of micro-credentials, social partners and other stakeholders need to design and implement systemic changes in education and training as well as labour market systems so as to adapt them to the provision of micro-credentials.

The objective of this Priority is to support the stakeholders in their work to design systemic changes leading to:

• Defining the micro-credentials’ framework and purpose in the national set-up, including in relation to the national qualifications framework (where appropriate);
• Incorporating micro-credentials issued by higher education institutions, VET institutions and other formal and non-formal providers in relevant quality assurance mechanisms;
• Facilitating understanding and recognition of micro-credentials issued by various actors and their portability between education systems and in the labour market, as well as promoting increased awareness on the meaning and value of micro credentials;
• Making the provision of micro-credentials relevant and targeted.

Priority 12: Micro-credentials for the digital and green transitions

Public authorities at national, regional and/or local level from Member States and/or third countries associated to the Programme, in cooperation with providers of courses leading to micro-credentials (such as higher education institutions, VET institutions, adult learning organisations and non-formal providers), social partners and other relevant stakeholders may receive grants for the design and implementation of micro credentials to provide targeted learning, upskilling and reskilling opportunities to respond to the needs of the digital and green transitions.

Actions should be in line with the characteristics of micro-credentials as set out in the bove-mentioned Council Recommendation and experimentation should focus in particular on learning pathways, diversity of learning settings, and designing relevant micro-credentials to respond to the challenges and opportunities of the digital and green transitions. The outcomes of the conducted project need to be implemented in the national/regional systems that are part of the project, with the potential to be transferred also to other systems.

BOTH PRIORITIES: Activities of the project are, for example, meetings, consultations (online or physical), surveys, focus group discussions, activities related to the implementation of the piloting changes, including training sessions for staff and learners involved in testing the proposed solutions, design, issuance/publication and implementation of the actual micro-credentials and the courses leading to them, drafting of the strategies/recommendations/guidance documents, as well as dissemination activities.