From skills needs to learning pathways: The role of AI in micro-credentials

Education and training systems are under growing pressure to respond more quickly to changing skills needs, technological transformation and increasingly diverse learner profiles. In this context, micro-credentials are gaining importance as flexible, targeted and potentially stackable forms of learning that can support upskilling, reskilling and lifelong learning. At the same time, the rapid development of artificial intelligence is opening new possibilities for the design, delivery and assessment of learning, including through the identification of skills needs, the formulation of learning outcomes, personalised learning pathways and new forms of evidence-based assessment. However, these developments also raise important questions about quality, transparency, recognition, trust, inclusion and the ethical use of AI in education and training systems.

Recent European and international work has highlighted both the opportunities and the conditions required for micro-credentials to contribute meaningfully to lifelong learning and employability. The Council Recommendation on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability provides a common reference point for improving the quality, transparency, comparability and recognition of micro-credentials. Building on this agenda, the European Training Foundation has developed practical guidance on how to design, issue and recognise micro-credentials, with a focus on their relevance for partner countries and for more flexible skills development systems. International organisations have also underlined the potential of micro-credentials in TVET and lifelong learning, while stressing the need to embed them in coherent quality assurance, recognition and governance frameworks¹. Against this background, the integration of AI into micro-credential systems should be explored not only as a technical innovation, but also as a policy and institutional challenge requiring clear principles, human oversight and inclusive implementation.

Within this context, the webinar will explore how AI can support the design and delivery of micro-credentials, combining international, regional and practical perspectives. Following an ETF introduction to frame the topic, the presentations will provide an opportunity to reflect on how ethical AI can be used to strengthen micro-credentials while safeguarding quality, trust and learner-centred approaches.
 

¹ See for instance: ILO (2025), Microcredentials for youth and work. https://www.ilo.org/publications/microcredentials-youth-and-work or OECD (2023), Micro‑credentials for lifelong learning and employability. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/micro-credentials-for-lifelong-learning-and-employability_9c4b7b68-en.html