4th ACQF Forum: Micro-credentials for better opportunities

4th ACQF Forum: Micro-credentials for better opportunities

Final ACQF Forum in 2024 - in Victoria, Seychelles.

The Project "African Continental Qualifications Framework" (ACQF-II) organises the 4th continental “Forum of the institutions of National Qualifications Frameworks", in partnership with the African Union, African countries, Regional Economic Communities.

This workshop is co-organised with Seychelles Qualifications Authority (SQA), and will take place in Victoria-Seychelles, from 13 to 14 November 2024, at the Hotel Savoy.

This Forum is focused on the theme: Micro-credentials for better opportunities.

The workshop languages will be English, French, and Portuguese. Streaming will be available to ensure wider participation.

Main sources for learning and information:

1. Micro-credentials: international developments, some definitions

National governments, and regional and international organisations have intensified debate and research with the aim to define the role and place of Micro-credentials in national education systems and qualifications frameworks, enhancing their benefits for lifelong learning and employability. In 2022 UNESCO proposed a common definition of micro-credentials[1], based on a process of experts’ consultation of global scope. In June 2022 the European Union approved the Council Recommendation[2] on a European Approach to Micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability.

All definitions emphasise key element, such as: assessment, quality assurance and focused learning achievement.

The proposed UNESCO definition is:

“A micro-credential:

  • Is a record of focused learning achievement verifying what the learner knows, understands or can do.
  • Includes assessment based on clearly defined standards and is awarded by a trusted provider.
  • Has standalone value and may also contribute to or complement other micro-credentials or macro-credentials, including through recognition of prior learning
  • Meets the standards required by relevant quality assurance.”

The definition agreed in the European Union states:

‘Micro-credential’ means the record of the learning outcomes that a learner has acquired following a small volume of learning. These learning outcomes will have been assessed against transparent and clearly defined criteria. Learning experiences leading to micro-credentials are designed to provide the learner with specific knowledge, skills and competences that respond to societal, personal, cultural or labour market needs. Micro-credentials are owned by the learner, can be shared and are portable. They may be stand-alone or combined into larger credentials. They are underpinned by quality assurance following agreed standards in the relevant sector or area of activity.

 

 

[1] UNESCO (2022). Towards a common definition of micro-credentials. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381668
[2]  Council Recommendation of 16 June 2022 on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability 2022/C 243/02 ST/9790/2022/INIT https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2022.243.01.0010.01.ENG

 

Agenda

1.   Objectives of the 4th ACQF Forum

This Micro-Credentials Forum aims to define a first consensual view towards a common approach for ACQF and Africa on micro-credentials for better opportunities.

Main themes explored at the 4th ACQF Forum focused on Micro-credentials are:

  • Micro-credentials in global developments: trends, cases
  • Micro-credentials in the African context: growing interest, policy initiatives, current panorama
  • Micro-credentials in lifelong learning policies
  • Research underpinning micro-credentials
  • Micro-credentials – a core component of the ACQF: the new Handbook on Micro-credentials.

As usual, the agenda includes space to advance the ACQF implementation activities in particular:

  • ACQF implementation: referencing to ACQF, Qualifications and Credentials Platform (QCP), Green Skills-Green ACQF

Participants: this Forum will be attended onsite and online.

  • Onsite: 30 representatives from 18 African countries and 2 economic regions. 30 participants from national institutions. Certificates of participation will be delivered to all assiduous participants.
  • Online: the invitation to join via Zoom will be shared to all involved countries and relevant institutions.

2.   Agenda

Seychelles Time (UTC - GMT+4)

Day 1 – 13/Nov: Micro-credentials: Global and African trends and dynamics

Chairpersons: Ms Fiona Ernesta (CEO of SQA), Eduarda Castel-Branco

Facilitators’ team: Eduarda Castel-Branco (ACQF-II coordinator); James Mwewa (ACQF-II expert); Greta Kirdulyté (ACQF-II-PPMI expert)

09.15-10.00

Session 1: Opening.

Speakers: Ministry of Education of Seychelles, Chief Executive Officer of SQA, ACQF-II project coordinator.

  • Official opening. Welcome.
  • Objectives of the workshop
  • Brief introduction of the participants

10.00-11.00

Session 2: Micro-credentials for better opportunities. Overview of micro-credentials systems and their impacts. Trends, achievements and emerging issues.

Speakers: Eduarda Castel-Branco, Greta Kirdulyté               

  • Presentation: Micro-credentials in the ACQF context. Eduarda Castel-Branco
  • Presentation: Global overview of policy developments, key trends, and emerging issues. Greta Kirdulyté
  • Discussion

11.00-11.15: Coffee break (Hotel Savoy)

11.15-11.45

Session 3:

Keynote speech: Micro-credentials for better opportunities – could Africa take a leading place?

          By: Prof Mark Brown (online)

11.45-13.00

Session 4: Micro-credentials in the global context – shaping innovation, supporting flexibility, responding to massive skills needs of the green and digital transformation. Challenges and barriers. Sharing of good practices – short presentations.

Facilitators: Eduarda Castel-Branco, James Mwewa             

  • Policy developments, trends and new perspectives from research and practical implemenation:
  • CEDEFOP: Ms Anastasia Pouliou
  • OECD: Mr Simon Roy
  • New Zealand Qualifications Authority: Ms Melinda Hall
  • Plenary discussion.
  • Conclusions

13.00-14.00: Lunch break (Hotel Savoy)

14.00-16.30

Session 5: Micro-credentials in the African context.

Presentation of 3 country cases. Working Group discussions.

Facilitators: Eduarda Castel-Branco, James Mwewa

  • Mauritius – the new Macro-Credentials Framework. A game changer for the country and an example for Africa? Speaker: Prof. Romeela Mohee. Commissioner, Higher Education Commission.
  • Seychelles – Micro-credentials panorama in the country – results of the first survey focused on micro-credentials. Speaker: Noella Baker-Albert (SQA).
  • Kenya – quality assurance and registration of (proxies of) micro-credentials in the NQF Register. Speaker: Rita Mwuhunga (KNQA)

Discussion in working groups: 4 groups.

Debate on 4 main questions:

  • Types of Micro-credentials for diverse social and personal development purposes: different models, features, benefits and success factors,
  • Quality assurance of Micro-credentials: main requirements, practices, recommendations
  • Micro-credentials and stackability: features, solutions, new perspectives
  • Micro-credentials in the NQF: different options, similarities, distinctive features, opportunities for innovation and inclusive NQF scope.

Debate concludes with brief presentations from all working groups.

16.30-17.00

Session 6: Green skills, Green NQF, Green micro-credentials.

Speaker: Eduarda Castel-Branco.

  • Presentation

Coffee break

Day 2 -14/Nov / Part I: Towards a common approach to micro-credentials in Africa

Chairpersons: Eduarda Castel-Branco and Fiona Ernesta

 

09.00-09.15: Welcome. Recap of day 1.

Speakers: Mr Mboni Dlamini (Eswatini)

09.15-11.30

Session 7: ACQF Micro-credentials Handbook – Presentation.

Debate, comments, proposals from the stakeholders

Speakers: Eduarda Castel-Branco, Greta Kirdulyté

Presentation: ACQF Micro-credentials Handbook

  • Rationale, objectives, scope of the Handbook
  • Using the Handbook – main topics, examples, references
  • Towards a common approach on micro-credentials for Africa - pointers and recommendations.

Structured debate - comments, ideas and proposals.

  • In 4 working groups - debate on the Chapter 6 of the Handbook: "Towards a common approach to Micro-credentials - pointers and recommendations"
  • Online interventions - to complete the debate
  • Poll - to collect views and proposals on the Handbook overall.

Conclusions and next steps

11.30-11.45: Coffee break

Day 2 – Part II: Implementing the ACQF - focus on Qualifications & Credentials Platform and Referencing to ACQF

 

11.45-13.00

Session 8: ACQF Qualifications and Credentials Platform – training 4

Facilitators: Team Cognizone Consortium

13.00-14.00: Lunch break

14.00-15.30

Session 9: Referencing to ACQF. Reports from 5 pilot countries – draft 3. Comparison. Discussion. Conclusions

Facilitator: Eduarda Castel-Branco.

Speakers: ARES (Cabo Verde), KNQA (Kenya) SQA (Seychelles), SAQA (South Africa), ZAQA (Zambia)

 

15.30-16.30

Session 10: Referencing to ACQF. Reports from new pilot countries – draft 1. Discussion

Facilitator: Eduarda Castel-Branco

Speakers: EQA (Eswatini); HEC (Lesotho); Zimbabwe.

 

16.30-16.45

Session 11: Discussion of the Referencing process and reports. Comparative analysis of main findings and conclusions. Recommendations and next steps.

Speaker: Eduarda Castel-Branco

 

16.45-17.30

Session 12: Final conclusions. Closure

Facilitators: SQA, ACQF-II

  • Final conclusions and recommendations
  • Distribution of participation certificates.
  • Closure

Final Coffee break

Contact person: Eduarda Castel-Branco, ecb@etf.europa.eu