35: Developing micro-credential provision with industry stakeholders

The United Nations currently advocate that national governments should prioritise lifelong learning as a critical solution to addressing a broader set of challenges facing society, employers, and global citizens. Higher education institutions (HEIs) need to consider how they can consolidate their position as lifelong learning institutions in this geo-political landscape. Micro-credentials are emerging as one solution in supporting this lifelong learning agenda, typically promoted as credit- bearing learning provisions focused on specific learning outcomes in a narrow field of learning and achieved over a shorter period. Embedding flexible lifelong learning and micro-credential solutions has implications for HEI strategies, organisational structures, curricula design, pedagogic approaches, learning pathways and employer engagement strategies. HEIs must develop a deep and critical understanding of workforce planning and development issues across industrial sectors to ensure the effective development of micro-credentials. This chapter will highlight how higher education providers can develop a civic, moral, and economic case for establishing alliances with industry stakeholders to develop targeted and sustainable micro- credential solutions.