Progress with regulatory frameworks for micro-credentials

The adoption of micro-credentials in Southern Africa is fragmented because of limited regulatory guidance, but Mauritius has made significant progress in the conceptualisation of the concept, and some of its universities are collaborating with international institutions to offer credit-bearing courses that can translate into formal qualifications.

This is according to a collaborative initiative between Southern African and European higher education institutions and councils exploring the role of micro-credentials to shape education and workforce development in Southern Africa.

The Potential of Micro-credentials in Southern Africa (PoMiSA) project, which started in January 2023 and brings together 12 higher education institutions and five higher education councils as well as an independent South African non-profit organisation, JET Education Services, is working towards the systematic integration of micro-credentials across Southern Africa.

In a written response to questions from University World News, authored jointly by experts working on the project, they said Southern African policymakers and education regulators have expressed reservations concerning the articulation of learning credentials, quality standards and issues related to equity and social justice.

These experts are Dr James Keevy, the PoMiSA project manager; Professor Romeela Mohee, PoMiSA communications and advocacy coordinator; Dr Noshmee Baguant, PoMiSA communications and advocacy support; as well as Vishwa Maghoo.

To address that, they added, the PoMiSA project is seeking to create evidence-based regulatory frameworks as part of exploring the role of micro-credentials in shaping the future of education and workforce development in the region.

Mauritius

Country reports on the issue were released earlier this year, showing progress so far in participating nations.

The report for Mauritius says some of the country’s public institutions of higher learning, such as the University of Mauritius and the University of Technology Mauritius, are already collaborating with international platforms like American global massive open online courses, or MOOCs, provider Coursera to offer credit-bearing online learning that can stack into formal qualifications.

The report also notes that Mauritius’ micro-credential ecosystem is marked by collaboration between higher education institutions, vocational training providers and industry stakeholders.

Unlike in other African countries, a formal definition of micro-credentials is provided in the country’s National Credit Value and Transfer System, or NCVTS. This draws on international frameworks that emphasise transparent assessment, portability and rigorous quality assurance.

Mauritius defines micro-credentials as “records of learning outcomes that a learner has acquired following a small volume of learning, assessed against transparent and clearly defined criteria. These learning experiences are designed to provide the learner with specific knowledge, skills, and competencies.”

The definition allows for micro-credentials to be transferred across different education contexts, functioning as standalone qualifications or that can be combined to form larger qualifications.

South Africa

A report on another PoMiSA member, South Africa, says the country has no single nationally agreed definition, but its Department of Higher Education and Training has called for the need for broad stakeholder engagement.

In South Africa, micro-credentials have attracted interest in several economic sectors. These include information technology, where it is used in software development; cybersecurity and data analysis; entrepreneurship and small business for financial literacy and small business management for startups; manufacturing and engineering, including in machine operation and technical maintenance in production systems; as well as tourism and hospitality for hospitality management, tour guiding and customer service.

South Africa also has green energy and environmental sustainability micro-credentials related to green energy, sustainability and environmental management in the renewable energy sector, as well as health sciences and applied sciences micro-credentials that enable upskilling of medical personnel in rapid medical advances through new technology applications. The report says that, at a basic level, the qualifications framework and system in South Africa is able to accommodate the integration of micro-credentials.

It then offers recommendations that include the need to foster partnerships between education and training institutions and employer bodies to negotiate curriculum and skills relevance of micro-credentials to the workplace and implement micro-credential-based digital literacy programmes to prepare unemployed youth and marginalised communities for technological advancements.

Namibia

The country report for Namibia says the adoption of micro-credentials there is currently in its infancy and is yet to gain political support. The country has started exploring the possibilities of accrediting micro-credentials, but there are still challenges in terms of standardisation, recognition and quality assurance.

The report says the lack of a comprehensive definition of micro-credentials across academic institutions has contributed to scepticism and this has further created fears in the higher education sector that micro-credentials will undermine the traditional degrees and potentially affect revenues.

It recommends that authorities should facilitate the establishment of a multi-stakeholder taskforce to ensure that micro-credential development aligns with national development goals and industry needs. It also says there is a need to educate education providers, learners, employers and the public about the benefits of micro-credentials.

Lesotho

The Lesotho country report states that micro-credentials are already being offered there, although the frameworks of qualifications and education standards do not include them directly.

With the existing Lesotho Qualifications Framework, micro-credentials have already been accepted nationally and are being offered by different institutions: private, public, formal, non-formal as well as some non-traditional education providers.

As part of its recommendations, the report says Lesotho needs to develop a national framework for micro-credentials that will facilitate their credibility and recognition and protect stakeholders from bogus providers.

Upskilling potential

In their response to University World News, the team said that, in the long term, the PoMiSA initiative is anticipated to contribute significantly to enhanced youth employability and worker upskilling, that it will support sustainable economic growth by bridging gaps between academic training and labour market demand; and foster inter-institutional and cross-border collaboration.

The team argues that, by establishing clear, evidence-based frameworks for micro-credential recognition, the project not only addresses immediate education challenges, but also lays the groundwork for future innovations in skills development and quality assurance.

The PoMiSA project is co-funded by the European Union through an Erasmus+ programme, with participating institutions providing some of their own funding.

“The project has been designed to develop clear regulatory frameworks and a well-defined roadmap to guide the integration of micro-credentials into national education and training systems; enhance the governance capacities of higher education institutions and regulatory bodies; strengthen the linkage between higher education and labour markets and ensuring that educational outputs are closely aligned with current and future industry requirements,” they said.

The team said the project is distinguished by its collaborative structure, combining the expertise of both Southern African and European education institutions and councils. Seven countries are involved: Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Belgium, Ireland and Estonia.

They also note efforts to create data-driven policy frameworks that have resulted in detailed country-specific research maps and concept papers, which catalogue existing micro-credential offerings.

The national concept notes and SADC regional guidelines are in the process of being drafted, after which they will be included in the relevant national and regional consultation and approval processes, they added.

The initiative will also enable higher education institutions to adapt to dynamic labour market needs through improved digital learning and teaching practices and leverage proactive approaches in the region to micro-credentials as a model for regional peer learning and South-South cooperation.

“The PoMiSA project represents a transformative opportunity to enhance higher education and workforce development in the region. The comprehensive approach adopted, […] encompassing rigorous research, robust stakeholder collaboration, and proactive policy development, is set to transform the landscape of higher education in Southern Africa.”