Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney have launched a new platform to help people seeking to upskill and reskill. Microcreds.ie features 300 short, flexible and accredited courses from seven institutions to address the skills needs of industry. The €12.5 million MicroCreds project aims to reimagine the learner’s education experience through agile, accessible and bite-sized qualifications.
“It is vitally important that we find ways to make it easier for learners, employees and employers to access upskilling and reskilling opportunities that will help improve their education and in turn, address skills shortages," Minister Harris said at the launch.
“The OECD skills review emphasised that skills, talent and workforce development policies should be at the core of Ireland’s response to emerging global trends.
“Microcredentials are a fundamental shift in our approach to education and training. It recognises that in an ever-changing world, learners, employees and employers need to be able to keep up with the demands of the modern workplace.
“Microcredentials will help deliver this, providing targeted, up-to-date skills in flexible and accessible formats to bridge the skills gap and empower individuals to excel in their chosen fields.”
Also speaking at the launch, Minister Coveney said: “The MicroCreds project sees enterprise and universities work together to address the skills gaps in industry and address those needs.
“Microcreds.ie will empower individuals and support employers in accessing the upskilling and reskilling they require. Learners can choose from an array of microcredentials tailored to their career goals. Companies can also use the site to upskill and reskill their workforce in a way that suits the employee and the employer.
“The recent report from the OECD, Skills Strategy Ireland: Assessment and Recommendations, showed that we are facing some critical challenges today with others visible on the horizon. Upskilling and reskilling is essential for companies to adapt to changes in technology, retain talent, enhance productivity and remain competitive.
MicroCreds is an ambitious five-year project that aims to re-imagine how people engage with lifelong learning and upskilling in Ireland. Overseen by the Irish Universities Association, the project aims to put the building blocks in place to develop a national framework and understanding of microcredentials, making Ireland one of the first countries in Europe to do so at a national level.
“The development of MicroCreds.ie is a key deliverable of MicroCreds project," said Jools O’Connor, MicroCreds project lead at the Irish Universities Association. "It is very fitting that we are launching MicroCreds.ie during the EU Year of Skills, which aims to be a catalyst for the uptake of lifelong learning and upskilling opportunities.
“The core objective of MicroCreds.ie is to create a national platform for short, accredited courses that makes it easier and more accessible for people to engage with lifelong learning and upskilling opportunities in a way that better suits their personal and work commitments.
“Our partner universities have developed over 300 microcredentials and counting that have been developed in collaboration with enterprise to address key skills needs at both a national and regional specific level.” Microcreds.ie is one of 24 projects funded under Human Capital Initiative Pillar 3, which represents an overall investment of approximately €200 million from the National Training Fund over five years.
This is a fundamental shift in approach to education and training, which recognises that in an ever-changing world, learners, employees and employers need to be able to keep up with the demands of the modern workplace.
