Unlocking Pathways
A needs analysis of micro-credentials offered by the technological higher education sector to address industry skill needs in Ireland.
Dr Sarah Carroll, with Dr Carina Ginty and Dr Moira Maguire
Micro-credentials offer considerable opportunities for flexible learning, particularly in response to demands for specific skills. This needs analysis was conducted to identify regional skill demands and review the micro-credentials currently offered by higher and further education.
This green paper, which has been designed to prompt discussion and facilitate sector-wide discussion and collaboration, is published under the Student Empowerment stream (Stream 1) of the N-TUTORR programme.
Summary of Key Findings:
There is no general consensus of a definition or conceptual framework for micro-credentials amongst the TU sector, although all are currently developing policies,
Incentives for higher education institutions to implement micro-credentials include responding to industry needs and increasing learner flexibility,
Challenges in implementing micro-credentials in higher education are largely due to lack of consistency, working frameworks and policies,
There is a wide range of short learning experiences offered by the third level sector in Ireland with a variety of duration, credits, format and topic,
Three global mega-trends – climate change, digital transformation and circular economy – strongly influence Ireland’s national skill needs,
Business, engineering, ICTs and construction are key growing industries with increasing skill demands across most regions in Ireland,
Sub-sectors with under-served skill needs include applied construction skills, computer-aided design in engineering and film production, and high-level culinary skills,
Transversal skills, such a project management, communication and foundational digital skills, continue to be sought by employers.