SwissCore is pleased to invite you to a webinar and roundtable on the European approach to Micro-credentials co-organised with EARLALL.
Shorter forms of learning opportunities than traditional qualifications are being developed rapidly across Europe and the world. These opportunities, in the shape of micro-credentials, are made available in response to the demand for more flexible, learner-centred forms of education and training. Micro-credentials can be particularly useful for people who want to upskill or reskill to meet labour market needs or to develop professionally after starting work. The recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to accelerate the green and digital transitions also requires individuals to upskill or reskill.
The webinar is aimed to education and training providers as well as local and regional public authorities dealing with education and training. Maintaining and acquiring new competences is essential to enable active participation in society, to ensure continued personal, social and professional development and to boost employability and socio-economic innovation.
The webinar seeks to familiarise key stakeholders on the ground (education providers, education planners, researchers and academics, policymakers, job market experts, guidance practitioners, etc.) with the concept of micro-credentials in order to better engage their actions with the European context. Without common standards ensuring quality, transparency, cross-border comparability, recognition and portability, micro-credentials cannot reach their full potential.
The webinar will first explore the Commission proposal for a Council Recommendation on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability (10.12.2021) and how it aims to foster inclusiveness and equal opportunities and enable individuals to acquire the knowledge, skills and competences they need to thrive in an evolving labour market and society. This European approach also aims to support the ongoing work by national and regional authorities, stakeholders and diverse groups of providers across the EU on micro-credentials. For this reason, the second part of the webinar will be devoted to explore and compare examples of best practices from different countries and regions.
Please register here.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Agenda
Chair: Noelia Cantero, EARLALL Director 10:00-10:05
Welcome: Maria Pascual, Regional Ministry of Education, Catalonia and EARLALL Skills and Labour Market Chairperson
10:05-10:25 Micro-credentials for Lifelong Learning – EU approach: William O’Keeffe, European Commission, DG EMPL
10:25-10:40 Automotive Alliance (Pact for Skills) – implementing micro-credentials at European level: Dr Svatopluk Stolfa, VSB-TUO
<> <> <> <>
Chair: Laurin Reding, SwissCore
10:45-11:25 Round table – Implementing micro-credentials at national/regional level: Examples from:
- Ireland: Dr Emma Francis, Project Officer MicroCreds, Irish Universities Association
- Switzerland: Pascal Paschoud, President of Swissuni and Executive Director for Further Education at EPFL
- Sweden: Björn Flintberg, Project Leader, Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE)
- Spain: Neus Caufapé, Principal of Institut Escola del treball de Lleida and Cristina Marfil, Technical Advisor at the Directorate-General for Vocational Education and Training, Regional Ministry of Education of the Government of Catalonia
<> <> <> <>
11:25-11:30 Concluding remarks
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________