Drivers of the global push for microcredentials in higher education: flexibility and employability in contemporary university systems

The recent emergence of microcredentials, short courses leading to accreditation with an emphasis on work-aligned skills, is worthy of note due to its speed, scale and accompanying endorsement from governments and influential non-state actors worldwide. This paper analyses the reasons for this rapid...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Perspectives (Association of University Administrators (U.K.)) 2023-10, Vol.27 (4), p.179-187
Main Author: Salmon, Michael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accreditation
Colleges & universities
Education Work Relationship
employability
Employment
Employment Potential
flexibility
Higher Education
Job Skills
Microcredentials
Neoliberalism
Vocational education
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The recent emergence of microcredentials, short courses leading to accreditation with an emphasis on work-aligned skills, is worthy of note due to its speed, scale and accompanying endorsement from governments and influential non-state actors worldwide. This paper analyses the reasons for this rapid growth which have been proposed in academic literature and policy documents, revealing a set of drivers associated with neoliberalism's impact on higher education systems, such as the increasing demand for universities to offer vocational learning leading to improved employability outcomes. Beyond this, the global microcredentials landscape speaks to a wider conception of modern labour markets as markedly unstable and requiring great flexibility to navigate. The paper concludes with recommendations for higher education management practice in response to the microcredential boom in light of its underlying character.
ISSN:1360-3108
1460-7018
DOI:10.1080/13603108.2023.2229767