Implementation of the Micro-credentials Pilot Project in Latvia

About the project

In November 2024, Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences signed a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Education and Science on coordinating the micro-qualification pilot project and evaluating its results from 2024 to 2027. Within the project, employers’ needs are taken into account, and a new educational service is being developed in state universities of applied sciences, state universities of arts and culture, as well as colleges established by the state and state universities.

The project includes mapping and analyzing the existing regulatory framework related to the development and implementation of professional development programs in Latvia, as well as evaluating the current situation, including the practice of recognizing study results in higher education institutions. Various activities will be organized for all target institutions involved in the project. Training will also be provided for pilot project participants, including practical training with employers and involvement of foreign experts in content development. Guidelines and methodologies for the implementation of professional development programs will be prepared, support will be provided to project participants, and risks regarding the recognition of professional development results will be identified. In the final phase of the project, examples of good practice will be analyzed, including international experience in the introduction of micro-credentials, summarizing the experience of educational institutions involved in the pilot project in program development and implementation, and recommendations will be provided for improving regulatory frameworks and implementation processes.

About micro-credentials

The Council of Europe recommends the following definition:
“A micro-credential is a documented learning outcome that a learner has achieved following a short learning experience. These learning outcomes are assessed against transparent and clearly defined standards. Courses leading to micro-credentials are designed to provide the learner with specific knowledge, skills, and competences that respond to societal, personal, cultural, or labor market needs. Micro-credentials belong to the learner, they can be shared and transferred. They may stand alone or be combined into larger credentials. They are based on quality assurance in accordance with agreed standards in the relevant sector or field of activity.” (Council of Europe, 2022)

About micro-qualifications

Micro-qualifications are considered a new higher education study format – flexible and suitable to be pursued alongside work or other commitments. Compared to a bachelor’s or master’s degree, micro-qualifications are more specific to a certain subject, may be less expensive than a full degree, and can be completed in a shorter period of time. Many of them are offered by universities, educational institutions, and industry organizations that collaborate to bridge the “skills gap” in their field.

A micro-credential, as an educational document, is evidence of learning outcomes achieved by the learner during a short learning experience. Learning outcomes are assessed against transparent and clearly defined criteria.

Within the pilot project, professional development programs corresponding to the 5th–7th professional qualification levels (PQL), in accordance with Article 5 of the Vocational Education Law, will be developed and implemented:

• 5th PQL — theoretical and practical preparation that enables the performance of complex tasks as an executor, as well as the organization and management of the work of other specialists;
• 6th PQL — theoretical and practical preparation for making independent decisions and solving problems in a sector or profession under changing circumstances, using specialized knowledge in the field of professional activity;
• 7th PQL — theoretical and practical preparation for carrying out highly qualified professional activities in unpredictable circumstances, for formulating and critically analyzing complex professional problems, using advanced and extensive knowledge in the field of professional activity, as well as for making independent decisions, integrating knowledge from different fields, and contributing to the development of professional activity methods.