Use of the EDCI Issuer to issue micro-credentials
Best practices Use of the EDCI Issuer to issue micro-credentials Users: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Accreditation and certification | Action: Fremework/methodology | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public), Learners (STEM background), Learners (Non-STEM background). DIS4SME DIS4SME Lisa Bilotti Giacomo Martirano Across Europe, there is a rapidly growing demand for digital skills and for mechanisms that formally recognise competences achieved through both formal and non‑formal education. Within this context, the DIS4SME (Data Interoperability Skills for SMEs) project contributes to the upskilling and reskilling of small and medium‑sized enterprises through targeted training on location data interoperability.As a consortium member, Epsilon Italia aimed to ensure that the learning outcomes achieved by participants in its courses were recognisable, verifiable, and aligned with EU policy frameworks for micro‑credentials. The challenge? The main challenge was to identify a cost‑effective and reliable system for issuing digital micro‑credentials compliant with the EU Recommendation on Micro‑Credentials.Most commercially available badge platforms were found to be limited in one or more of the following ways:Non‑compliance with the EU micro‑credentials frameworkRequirement for expensive licences or annual feesDependence on restrictive national accreditation or proprietary systemsThese limitations hindered training providers from adopting micro‑credentials effectively and consistently across European contexts. Our solution Secure, authentic, EU‑compliant credentials: the Digital badges issued via the EDCI Issuer are fully aligned with the EU micro‑credentials framework and guaranteed by a qualified e‑seal.Interoperability and transparency: Credentials can be embedded directly in the Europass CV, enhancing recognition of skills across Europe.Cost‑effectiveness: Epsilon Italia achieved credential issuance without paying licence fees or using proprietary systems.Scalability: The organisation plans to issue at least 100 digital credentials during the first year of implementation. Outcomes The membership to the EFMD Global Network, and the eligibility to EQUIS accreditation were the first steps achieved in the process of EQUIS accreditation. The achievement of these milestones resulted in a set of outcomes: 15% increase in recruitment of international students; 1 new international exchange program with an EQUIS internationally accredited HEI; International recognition in accreditation of educational offer in advanced digital skills, with one new co-funded project with other EQUIS accredited HEIs; Improvement in national and international ranking for master programs Integration of EQUIS methodology with European approach to micro-credentials to further increase the quality level of educational offer. Key takeaways Integrate a qualified e‑seal, as required by the EDCI Issuer, to ensure legal authenticity and integrity. Update internal processes early to guarantee smooth technical integration with the EU’s credential infrastructure. Invest in staff training for managing digital credentialing workflows and maintaining compliance with EU standards. Avoid dependence on commercial badge platforms by adopting open EU‑provided tools that foster transparency and trust. Embed credentials within the Europass CV to enhance learners’ employability and cross‑sector recognition. Build long‑term collaboration with technical partners to sustain e‑seal management and alignment with evolving EU frameworks. Learn more here
A comprehensive accreditation system of educational offering: International accreditation of awarding HEI
Best practices A comprehensive accreditation system of educational offering: International accreditation of awarding HEI Users: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Accreditation and certification | Action: Fremework/methodology | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public). xAIM xAIM Maria Chiara Demartini In 2020 the xAIM consortium aimed at designing a high-quality master program in explainable AI applied to healthcare management. Although each beneficiary was supposed to contribute in term of the design and the teaching staff, the vocational master program had to be delivered by one HEI only. To ensure high-level standards of quality delivered at each phase of the design, organization, roll-out and monitoring of master program, the consortium looked for internationally recognised systems for accreditation to show outstanding excellence in quality assurance.Moreover, one of the sustainability strategies formulated by the consortium entailed the delivery of single modules of the xAIM master programs, beyond the entire master program. The challenge? The xAIM consortium faced multiple challenges: As an international consortium, xAIM didn’t want to rely on one single national regulation for the accreditation of the master program, in order to promote an internationally recognised high-quality master program. Since only one HEI was expected to award the master diploma, other national regulations were not necessarily fit for purpose. A broader and more international quality assurance framework was expected to be adopted for the xAIM master program. The sustainability strategy included opportunities to deliver single modules, beyond the whole master programs. Hence, a comprehensive accreditation system was needed, including both bachelor’s, master’s programs, and short courses. Our solution An internationally recognised accreditation system was selected to quality assure the entire educational offer of the awarding institution. It is worth noting that there are alternative international accreditation systems for business schools. However, the consortium decided to apply for the EFMD quality improvement system (EQUIS), managed by EFMD Global, since it has a European focus. The following explains how each of the identified challenges are addressed: High-quality standards in master’s programs accreditation Challenge: One single national regulation for the accreditation of the master program could be partial and lack some international requirements in terms of accreditation of master programsHow the EQUIS accreditation process facilitates solutions:EQUIS is a comprehensive principle-based system to improve the quality of awarding institutions;• It has strongly agreed upon principles, though flexible implementation, based on national context and local needs;• EQUIS provides learning communities, which are focused on specific principles (e.g., internationalisation) or thematic areas (e.g., the role of AI in educational offer). Difficulty in selecting another (set of) national regulatory frameworkChallenge: Since only one HEI was expected to award the master diploma, other national regulations were not necessarily fit for purpose How the EQUIS accreditation process facilitates solutions:• EQUIS is an internationally recognized standard, acknowledging national context, but promoting a standardised international process for accreditation of HEIs• EQUIS was initially developed in and for European universities, without a specific national framework in mind Need for a supranational accreditation system Challenge: Need for an international quality assurance framework to overcome the limits of national regulationsHow the EQUIS accreditation process facilitates solutions:• It is an internationally recognized standard, based on a benchmarking approach• Although it was initially intended to improve the quality of the educational offer of European universities, EFMD has now extended its scope both geographically, with a global outreach of EQUIS accredited institutions, and institutionally, covering the accreditation of non-university training institutions too; • EQUIS has a strong experience in the field of accreditation of business schools, although its principles and processes are adapting to the ever-changing international educational landscape. Comprehensive accreditation system Challenge: Need to assure short courses and longer programsHow the EQUIS accreditation process facilitates solutions:• EQUIS is an institutional accreditation system covering bachelor’s, master’s, PhD’s, executive programs, and other educational offer;• Being a comprehensive quality improvement system, EQUIS provides support to accredited HEIs in enhancing the quality of the entire educational offer, from multiple and interlinked perspectives;• EQUIS provides HEIs with a global quality recognition of their educational offer. Outcomes The membership to the EFMD Global Network, and the eligibility to EQUIS accreditation were the first steps achieved in the process of EQUIS accreditation. The achievement of these milestones resulted in a set of outcomes: 15% increase in recruitment of international students; 1 new international exchange program with an EQUIS internationally accredited HEI; International recognition in accreditation of educational offer in advanced digital skills, with one new co-funded project with other EQUIS accredited HEIs; Improvement in national and international ranking for master programs Integration of EQUIS methodology with European approach to micro-credentials to further increase the quality level of educational offer. Key takeaways Institutional accreditation (e.g., EQUIS) is key when HEIs and training institutions are looking for a comprehensive accreditation system for their educational offer. Being principle-based, the EQUIS accreditation process is a replicable, yet flexible, strategic benchmarking tool to enhance the quality of the HEI’s educational offer. Institutional accreditation systemWhat worked: The accreditation system is not targeting a single program, or a short course, but the whole HEI or business school awarding the diplomas or certifications.This approach ensures accreditation is coherent throughout the HEI’s educational offerReplicable Lesson:Adopting comprehensive accreditation systems can lower the time to seek for accreditation of one additional program or courseThe whole institution is involved in the quality assurance process, leading to change in the mindset Standardised and widely adopted accreditation systemWhat worked: EQUIS is an internationally recognised and globally adopted accreditation system.In order to get immediate international recognition of the high-quality of its educational offer, the HEI can look for a widely adopted international standard.Replicable Lesson:An initial scope of the accreditation systems available in the market can help selecting the one best fitting the training institution’s needs.Benchmarking of leading HEIs can support the choice of an institutional accreditation system and its implementation Lessons learnt on the institutional accreditation system can be shared among partner HEIsWhat worked: More experienced HEIs in institutional accreditation systems can mentor other partner HEIs, in the same consortium, in their journey towards institutional accreditation.Replicable Lesson:Sharing achieved outcomes
Evaluating micro-credential-readiness level of the provided courses
Best practices Evaluating micro-credential-readiness level of the provided courses Users: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Accreditation and certification | Action: Framework/methodology | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public). BioNT BioNT Tanja Ninkovic In 2022, the Council of Europe recommended the adoption of micro-credentials as a way of certifying small, high-quality learning units. Designing a course that qualifies for a micro-credential requires rigorous quality assurance, systematic record keeping, and clear assessment of learners’ knowledge. These features make micro-credential-bearing courses especially valuable for first-time job seekers and professionals seeking a career change.BioNT is a Digital Europe funded project which develops and delivers online training for job seekers and SME members, in order to equip them with new skills required for their career progression. For this, certificates of the taken courses, which have strong quality control mechanisms, are more beneficial than of the courses without such structured quality control. Micro-credentials regulations by the Council of Europe in 2022 provide a clear and streamlined list of requirements that when followed ensure quality of the courses and of the certificate. The impact of this regulation is twofold: It strengthens the interconnectedness of educational systems and supports greater learner mobility. It establishes micro-credentials as a trusted quality-control tool that, when widely applied, ensures lifelong learning courses are consistent in their content, preparation, promotion, and documentation. This, in turn, increases trust in the certificates issued and supports more reliable hiring processes. BioNT courses were not initially planned with the micro-credentials in mind (as the project was written before the Recommendations for the European approach to micro-credentials was published), but the consortium worked extensively to ensure good quality of the courses. During the project lifetime, the micro-credentials approach for the existing training framework and already developed courses was assessed. Here, the BioNT project describes the assessment of the planned and delivered courses and their fulfilment of micro-credential requirements, and identifies what would need to be changed in order to formally issue them. The challenge? For many training providers who wish to implement micro-credentials for their existing courses, including BioNT, the main challenge lies in determining how well existing courses align with the formal requirements for issuing micro-credentials. While the courses may already follow strong quality standards, it is often unclear which aspects fully meet the criteria and which fall short. Therefore, a practical tool to support training developers and providers in the evaluation of the level of course readiness was needed. This tool would help to identify eventual gaps in compliance, and to understand precisely which elements of the course design, delivery, and documentation would need to be adapted. The Recommendation by the Council is a legal document which does list requirements, but does not provide guidelines on their practical meaning and is therefore difficult to implement for many training developers who are not dealing with policy or legal documents on a regular basis. Organisation providing lifelong learning directed courses as a main or side activity invest substantial effort in designing and delivering training, training materials, information, and documentation. To prove the training quality, these organisation could highly benefit from applying the micro-credentials framework and for this, they need to understand how much their offers already align with the requirements, and identify the gaps and aspects they need to improve. Our solution To solve these challenges, BIoNT created a practical evaluation form which lists mandatory and recommended elements of the micro-credential requirements, and guides the form users to evaluate their course against these elements. Specifically, the form prompts to: Check whether the courses meet all mandatory elements required for issuing a micro-credential. Identify gaps that prevent compliance. Collect structured information on course design, delivery, and quality assurance procedures. Plan the structure, dissemination, documentation and delivery of courses in alignment with the micro-credentials requirements for lifelong learning courses. The form is implemented as an Excel sheet containing a checklist of required tasks based on the Council of Europe recommendations. Each question is supported by definitions, examples, and fields where training developers and providers can add concrete information alongside checking compliance.The form is freely available for download here: https://biont-training.eu/training.html. Outcomes The BioNT consortium used the form the form to assess all the training offers. This provided a highly valuable comparative overview of the structural differences between courses and highlighted which quality elements needed strengthening to meet the micro-credential standards.Even if a course organiser chooses not to pursue full micro-credential certification—for example, in the BioNT case, where some courses cannot include learner identification or formal assessment for confidentiality reasons—the form still adds value. It helps clarify which elements prevent compliance and whether adjustments are possible or even desirable.The form has already gained recognition: it was selected through a competitive process for presentation at the European core facilities meeting organised by the CTLS association, where it attracted strong interest from peers. Key takeaways Anyone interested in evaluating their own courses can download the form from the BioNT website (https://biont-training.eu/training.html). Completing it requires approximately 15 minutes per training offer.We recommend answering all questions: Multiple-choice options are based directly on the Council of Europe’s micro-credential recommendations. When a mandatory element is missing, the corresponding field automatically turns red. Text boxes allow organisers to document additional information; when this field is mandatory, it is written in the column on the right. At the end of the form, users will also find supporting resources, including:o A learning objectives ontology based on Bloom’s taxonomy.o A description of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) levels and their meaning. Learn more here
A Joint European Degree label in Engineering to facilitate accreditation
Best practices A Joint European Degree label in Engineering to facilitate accreditation Users: Policymakers (EU), Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Accreditation & Certification | Action: Framework/Methodology | Beneficiaries:Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public) JEDI jedilabel Lucía Linares, Project Manager, UPMRamón Martínez, Project Coordinator, UPM The JEDI project, coordinated by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), brought together sixteen educational institutions from eleven countries to explore and develop a European label for joint degree programmes in engineering. As student mobility and such types of degrees are on the rise, there is a need to refine common assessment criteria. In collaboration with accreditation agencies, ministries, and employers, JEDI explores the feasibility and impact of this label and promotes innovative learning methodologies that highlight European values in joint programmes. The challenge? The JEDI project was tasked with developing a label under which recognised joint degrees could be delivered across Europe. This included acceptance by employers, as well as compatibility with national legislations. However, the lack of harmonised regulations for joint degrees created obstacles in their recognition across different countries. National engineering professional associations were also hesitant to recognise foreign programmes, making it difficult to integrate these degrees into the broader European engineering, technology, and science sectors. Our solution JEDI established a structured framework to guarantee consistency and quality, align curricula in terms of learning outomes, and establish quality assurance and accreditation criteria. It then developed a prototype label based on common criteria and made the label widely accepted and credible at the European level. JEDI tested the prototype label on selected joint degree programmes and gathered feedback from students, academic institutions, and employers to assess its impact and refine its applicability and effectiveness. Key takeaways Stakeholder-Driven Evaluation Process: Actively collect feedback from universities, employers, and accreditation bodies to ensure the joint degree label meets both academic and industry needs, ensuring relevance and sustainability. Leveraging Existing Accreditation Frameworks: Incorporate insights from established accreditation systems such as EUR-ACE, aligning joint degrees with industry standards and ensuring they meet the specific requirements of European engineering and technology programmes. Learn more here
Denmarks’s responsive policy approaches for rapid accreditation in vocational and higher education
In 2013, the Accreditation Act in Denmark, led to a shift in accreditation of courses, in particular from programme-based to institutional accreditation.
The institutional accreditation process evaluates the quality assurance systems of higher education institutions, focusing on whether they are well-documented and effective in enhancing programme quality. The Danish Accreditation Institute works closely with an expert panel to ensure thorough assessments.
The process results in an accreditation report that is handed over to the Accreditation Council. Based on the report, the council makes a decision on whether to classify the institution as ‘self-accrediting institution’. What this entails, is that the institution can make changes to existing programmes as they please, as long as the changes do not change a programme’s identity.
Incorporating automated tools and analysis in master’s programme design
MERIT is developing master’s degrees and short-term with the participation of NGOs, non-profits, research organisations, companies and SMEs. These are delivered by technical universities across Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Italy and Spain.
Courses in domains such as AI, cybersecurity and IoT become quickly outdated and projects like MERIT need resilient methods for easily building new content. Establishing an intangible infrastructure which allows for this is key to the project’s sustainability.
Fit4internet’s IT screening project for upskilling and reskilling unemployed workers
fit4internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society.
Assessing and recognising individually acquired digital competencies through the digital skills profile platform
fit4Internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society.
Best practice layout
LEADSx2030 best practices Assessing and recognising individually acquired digital competencies through the digital skills profile platform Users: Industry, SMEs | Theme: Accreditation & certification | Action: Stakeholder collaboration, Framework / Methodology | Beneficiaries: Labour force employed, Labour force unemployed, Learners (non-STEM background). Valerie Michaelis Deputy Secretary General Fit4internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, Fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The Fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society. The challenge? Managing proof of competencies acquired through various learning methods, including formal education, non-formal training, and informal certifications, which can lead to inconsistent records. Securing sustainable funding to support the continuous development of new digital competencies, ensuring that programs remain up-to-date with evolving market needs. The second main challenge was fostering broad participation and engagement, especially among groups who may lack access to digital tools or education. Our solution The Fit4internet platform provides a centralised, user-friendly system to manage and showcase digital competencies, aligning with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Through this platform, individuals can track and showcase their digital skills, making it easier for employers, educators, and organisations to assess their talent. The platform allows users to create an e-portfolio that showcases their digital skills, with the option to share it through a link or as a PDF. This portfolio highlights the digital competencies that a user has acquired, linked to their certificates. These certificates can be formal, non-formal, or informal. The platform also supports the generation of a digital skills profile that showcases the user’s acquired skills. Users earn digital badges as a visual representation of their skills. This allows them to continue with their learning journey, while showing off their competencies to others. Outcomes 15 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. 15 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. 15 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Key takeaways Fit4internet engage multiple stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to develop holistic and relevant digital competency frameworks. They also use widely applied frameworks to measure skills gaps, enabling better planning for individuals and institutions. By doing this they improve reinsertion rates into the labor force by addressing individuals digital skill gaps and aligning them with market needs. This benefits companies by providing clear insights into the skillsets that are being developed and that are available in the workforce. Learn more here Case Summary– Context: Fit4internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, Fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The Fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society. Challenge: The challenge faced is managing proof of competencies acquired through various learning methods, including formal education, non-formal training, and informal certifications, which can lead to inconsistent records. Securing sustainable funding to support the continuous development of new digital competencies, ensuring that programs remain up-to-date with evolving market needs. The second main challenge was fostering broad participation and engagement, especially among groups who may lack access to digital tools or education. Identified Approach / Solution: The Fit4internet platform provides a centralised, user-friendly system to manage and showcase digital competencies, aligning with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Through this platform, individuals can track and showcase their digital skills, making it easier for employers, educators, and organisations to assess their talent. The platform allows users to create an e-portfolio that showcases their digital skills, with the option to share it through a link or as a PDF. This portfolio highlights the digital competencies that a user has acquired, linked to their certificates. These certificates can be formal, non-formal, or informal. The platform also supports the generation of a digital skills profile that showcases the user’s acquired skills. Users earn digital badges as a visual representation of their skills. This allows them to continue with their learning journey, while showing off their competencies to others. Outcomes: Key takeaways: Fit4internet engage multiple stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to develop holistic and relevant digital competency frameworks. They also use widely applied frameworks to measure skills gaps, enabling better planning for individuals and institutions. By doing this they improve reinsertion rates into the labor force by addressing individuals digital skill gaps and aligning them with market needs. This benefits companies by providing clear insights into the skillsets that are being developed and that are available in the workforce.