Micro-credentials – the under-utilised tool for workforce development
Publication date: 12 Nov 2025
Micro-credentials are small, credit-bearing qualifications that are outcome-based. To achieve a micro-credential, learners are assessed to demonstrate they have achieved the learning outcomes. Further information is available in the Micro-credentials Characteristics Statement and the Good Practice Guide for Micro-credentials and Small Qualifications in Scotland.
Micro-credentials Special Interest Group
The Medr-funded Micro-credentials Special Interest Group (MIC.SIG) is a cross Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland Tertiary Working Group chaired by Steve Osborne, Principal Lecturer Professional & Workforce Development, at Cardiff Metropolitan University. The MIC.SIG has been established through QAA’s grant arrangements with Medr to support the development and sharing of practice in the rapidly developing field of micro-credentials across higher and further education.
The principal aims of the MIC.SIG are to:
- support the tertiary sector in ensuring that micro-credential students and learners experience the highest possible quality of education in line with other traditional tertiary education provision
- contribute to developing excellence, independence, and trust in the quality assurance and enhancement of micro-credential provision using the QAA's focus areas of standards, leadership and quality assurance and enhancement as pillars to guide the work of the MIC.SIG
- promote the use of the Micro-credentials Characteristics Statement to tertiary education providers developing and maintaining micro-credential provision, as well as supporting any further developments to the Statement.
To support these aims, the MIC.SIG is undertaking a range of activities to provide information and share good practice on micro-credential development and delivery.
Please see our fact sheet and FAQs, which provide a brief description of micro-credentials for you or to share with colleagues. You may also find the global summary table useful as a (very) brief overview of micro-credentials around the world.
We are currently hosting our Landscape survey 2025 to provide a snapshot of the micro-credentials on offer across Wales, Northern Ireland and around the UK. Please complete the short survey, which is open until 30 November.
We have hosted three webinars since May 2024 – summaries and recordings from these are provided below.
Employer engagement
To better understand workforce upskilling and CPD needs, we invited professional, statutory and regulatory bodies (PSRBs) and employers to share their views on the role and relevance of micro-credentials. Results and insights gathered from these surveys are summarised in this short report and will inform our future work in this area. Thank you to all who contributed.
We have also been working with the British Chambers of Commerce to support employer awareness of micro-credentials – please see our joint article here.
We have created a short, employer-facing micro-credential fact sheet for colleges and universities to share with their employer partners. The pared back description of a micro-credential is locked and providers can add their contact details and logo to the bottom of the sheet before sharing with their contacts.
If you use the fact sheet, we would welcome any feedback from you and/or your employer partners. Please get in touch at nations@qaa.ac.uk.
Micro-credentials: Benefits for businesses and employees
Publication date: 02 May 2025
Case studies
We are also showcasing the wide range of micro-credential developments, practice and delivery models through a series of case studies. Additional case studies will be added here as they become available.
Creative and critical thinking micro-credentials
Discover how Edinburgh College developed a unique suite of qualifications to build meta-skills and thinking strategies in learners and educators - from primary pupils to police trainers.
Embedding micro-credentials within a skills strategy
Learn how Coleg Cambria is embedding modular learning into its new Higher Education and Technical Skills Strategy - opening up flexible, employer-aligned pathways for adult learners and the local workforce.
Community learning programme - lifelong learning
In this collaborative initiative with community organisations, Cardiff University has developed a suite of micro-credentials to support learners from deprived communities into work, college or university.
Digital micro-credentials at Swansea University
Swansea University has successfully introduced and delivered a series of micro-credential initiatives aimed at addressing the digital skills gap across Wales.
MSc Advanced Practice and micro-credentials
To support clinicians with engaging in CPD, Cardiff Metropolitan University developed a flexible micro-credential route to its well-established postgraduate Advanced Practice programme.
Bangor University's strategic approach to micro-credentials
Bangor University has developed a two-pronged approach to embedding micro-credentials within its core academic and strategic frameworks.
If you would like to submit a micro-credential case study, please contact us using this form.
Webinars
Micro-credential postcards from the Nations: Practice-sharing event with a focus on micro-credential development around the UK
Our webinar on 3 June 2025 featured a diverse collection of micro-credential case studies from around the UK and welcomed the following speakers:
- Hannah Amos, Cardiff Metropolitan University
- Sheila Godfrey, Edinburgh College
- Casey Hopkins, Swansea University
- Emma Hurst, Coleg Cambria
- Lois McGrath, Bangor University
- Libby Shackels, Southern Regional College, representing NI colleges.
Steve Osborne, from Cardiff Metropolitan University, chaired.
Micro-credential development around the UK - webinar summary
Publication date: 06 Jun 2025
Micro-credential practice: International perspectives to support development across the UK’s nations
At our webinar in March 2025, we welcomed two expert speakers. Mary Bishop and Rupert Ward both shared some of the work in which they have been involved. Steve Osborne then chaired a panel discussion, followed by Q&A from delegates.
Micro-credential practice: International perspectives to support development across the UK’s nations
Publication date: 18 Mar 2025
QAA is grateful to the following colleagues for their contributions to the webinar:
- Professor Mary Bishop, Director, Royal Society of Medicine
- Steve Osborne, Principal Lecturer Professional & Workforce Development, Cardiff Metropolitan University
- Professor Rupert Ward, Associate Dean (International) and Professor of Learning Innovation, University of Huddersfield.
Micro-credential practice: Policy and perspectives from the UK’s nations (HEFCW-funded event)
Our first webinar was in May 2024. Organised by the Network in partnership with QAA, it shared current policy landscapes across higher and further education in micro-credentials and short course learning across each of the UK’s home nations. Each expert speaker provided a short overview of the current practice and policy developments in each of the UK’s nations, followed by a panel discussion.
Micro-credential practice: Policy and perspectives from the UK's nations
Publication date: 16 Jul 2024
QAA are grateful to the following colleagues for their contributions to the webinar:
- Steve Osborne, Principal Lecturer Professional & Workforce Development, Cardiff Metropolitan University
- Professor Laura Roberts, Professor, Biosciences, Swansea University
- Michael Bower, Assistant Director, Ireland the Open University
- Jon Buglass, Vice Principal, Edinburgh College
- Professor Annabel Kiernan, Pro Vice-Chancellor – Academic, Staffordshire University
- Libby Shackels, Director of Curriculum, Southern Regional College
- Christine Brown, Vice Principal Teaching & Learning, Northern Regional College
Enhancement project exploring current practice in relation to micro-credentials
QAA undertook an enhancement project exploring current practice in the sector in relation to micro-credentials, building on case studies that HEFCW developed and published in December 2022. The project explored current use of the QAA Micro-credentials Characteristics Statement (published May 2022).
To undertake the project, QAA distributed a survey to all participating providers (nine HEIs and two FEIs) and subsequently undertook a series of tailored conversations with these providers.
The conversations provided an opportunity to explore some of the approaches in more detail; any challenges and ways in which they were being addressed; the use of the QAA Micro-credentials Characteristics Statement and whether any revisions to it would be helpful at this stage; and any other areas that might be valuable for the sector to explore to enhance practice.
Micro-credentials: Practice in the Higher Education Sector in Wales
Publication date: 18 Dec 2023
Webinars
The project also held two webinars and the resources can be found below.
Quality Assurance processes (24 May 2023)
Micro-credential planning: Sport managers and health project
Publication date: 14 Sep 2023
Microcredentials: The Open University in Wales
Publication date: 14 Sep 2023
Practicalities of delivery (7 June 2023)
Quality assurance of micro-credentials at the University of South Wales - a work in progress
Publication date: 14 Sep 2023
Micro-credentials in Wales: Practicalities of delivery
Publication date: 14 Sep 2023