Paolo Federighi on micro-credentials: Progress toward equality, but equity remains elusive

They provide affordable and flexible learning opportunities, but do they truly promote equity and inclusivity? “Not quite yet,” says Paolo Federighi, Honorary Professor of Adult Education at the University of Florence, in reference to the much-debated micro-credentials.

In June 2022, the Council of the European Union (EU) adopted a Recommendation on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability. The aim of this recommendation is to support the development and recognition of micro-credentials across institutions, businesses and sectors, specifically in adult education settings.

Since then – and arguably even before – micro-credentials have exploded in popularity, with some suggesting that they could be revolutionary for adult education, particularly for historically and systematically excluded adult learners.

Micro-credentials are short-term courses that certify one’s knowledge in a specific area, ranging from accounting to cybersecurity, and from diversity and inclusion to language proficiency. The hope is that adult learners could benefit from this flexible way of developing knowledge, skills and competences. The advantage is clear: the shorter the course, the lower the chance of learners dropping out.

Paolo Federighi, Honorary Professor of Adult and Continuing Education at the University of Florence, has also noted this.

“The high dropout rate is one of the major challenges in adult education. Most adult learners engage in short-term educational activities that better fit their schedules and needs,” explains Federighi, one of the organisers of the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame conference, held at the University of Florence in November 2024. The topic of micro-credentials was also discussed at the conference.

Federighi’s comments are supported by the results of the European Union’s Adult Education Survey AES (2022), which reveal that over 90% of adult learners in Europe participate exclusively in short-term activities. He continues that “long-term courses often have a high dropout rate and when a person drops out, it’s particularly hard for them to resume learning, as they often have to start from scratch.”

This issue is even more pronounced for some learners.

“I’ve worked extensively with adult learners in detention centres, where dropping out of training or learning paths is almost the norm. I’m not sure micro-credentials would necessarily attract more learners, but they could certainly have a significant impact on dropout rates. And that would already be a success for adult educators,” says Federighi.

What about workplace learning?

If addressing the dropout phenomenon is one crucial benefit of employing micro-credentials, studies have also suggested that recognising learning outcomes could have a positive motivational effect on continuing the educational path.

“This effect would be enhanced by the stacking and portability of micro-credentials,” says Federighi. He explains that these micro-credential courses are often offered by companies, especially multinational ones with employees worldwide, contributing to making these credentials theoretically internationalised. This is one crucial advantage of micro-credentials.

“Workplace learning is a fundamental element because if you think about it, not every employee is involved in training every day of their life, but they do work most days of their life, making the workplace the perfect space for micro-learning opportunities,” continues the professor.

Workplace is the perfect space for micro-learning.

This opens a new perspective on micro-credentials, which are not only beneficial for workers but also for employers and entrepreneurs.

“Those who are more attentive and involved in the professional and personal development of their staff have greater retention capabilities for their talent as well.”

Filling the gap between high and low skilled

One of the greatest hopes for micro-credentials is that their use will help low-skilled workers. According to a study by the OECD’s Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies PIAAC (2019), only 20% of adults with low skills engage in job-related adult learning, compared to 37% of those with medium skills and 58% of those with high skills.

According to the OECD report, given that an estimated one in five adults across countries has low skills, the impact of micro-credential courses could be significant.

“However, it appears that, at least for now, low-skilled workers are more likely to be excluded from these initiatives. Micro-credentials seem to be particularly beneficial for medium and high-skilled workers, while low-skilled workers often struggle to utilise them effectively,” says Federighi.

Low-skilled workers are more likely to be excluded from the initiatives related to micro-credentials.

Another report by the OECD (2023) highlights that age is another limiting factor for the success of micro-credentials. The limited evidence available suggests that labour market outcomes are more favourable for learners under 45.

“We need to remember that micro-credentials are merely a tool and cannot solve the growing issue of inclusion and equal access to adult education,” says Federighi.

In many European countries, the gap between low- and high-skilled workers is widening. The problem with inclusion in adult education is the lack of educational opportunities, meaning discrimination occurs at an earlier stage. There is also geographical discrimination, with courses more readily available in cities than in rural areas, and disparities in the content and delivery of education.

“I don’t believe micro-credentials can work miracles in terms of inclusion unless these issues are addressed first,” he says. “At present, I don’t think micro-credentials can achieve equality, but they might contribute to greater equity.”

Implementation at the European level

Despite these challenges, obtaining a certification from a short course can certainly be advantageous.

“The issue is that these certifications are often only recognised by the issuing company. If we could broaden the scope and contexts in which learners can use these certificates, micro-credentials would be far more beneficial,” says Federighi.

This is why European collaboration and effective coordination are advisable.

“However, there is a lack of unity in Europe, with each member state doing things differently.”

Micro-credentials would be more beneficial if we’d broaden the scope in which learners can use the certificates.

The European Commission has issued a recommendation, which EU member states are required to implement in their legislation.

“Unsurprisingly, the way states across the continent have implemented this recommendation differs notably,” says Federighi, who knows the divide very well. He’s working on a micro-credentials project in Norway, a non-EU country that is interested in making sure that the role played by NGOs, associations and non-formal education providers is recognised when it comes to micro-credentials. On the other hand, countries like Greece, Bulgaria, Hungary and Italy are struggling more when it comes to implementing micro-credential initiatives.

In Italy, the concept of micro-credentials is relatively new and has entered the political and educational debate primarily due to the EU’s recommendation.

“The issue in Italy is that there is now a heated debate over who should have the monopoly on offering these short-term courses, as the current providers are reluctant to relinquish their control,” says Federighi.

Stronger EU stance needed

This is one of the reasons why Professor Federighi believes a more standardised approach to micro-credentials is necessary.

“We need a stronger stance from the EU to ensure member states are aligned; I would even suggest that some decisions should be mandated,” he says.

“We must also clearly evaluate the actual learning outcomes of these courses. For these certifications to be effective and credible, they need to be offered by entities capable of assessing the final results, and they must be recognised across companies and borders. Only then will micro-credentials achieve their full potential,” concludes Federighi.

To explore further, view the videos related to this article:

In video 1, Paolo Federighi explores the question: Why is implementing micro-credentials for adult education challenging?

In video 2, Paolo Federighi answers the question: How do micro-credentials support adults from disadvantaged backgrounds?

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