A presentation to the The International Micro-Credentials Summit. MicroHE Consortium. Barcelona, Spain. 20-24 March The presentation considers: - The rise of the skills economy in Australia and the Universities Accord - The role Microcredentials will play in this - The Governments Microcredentials Framework - Development of the national MicroCredSeeker portal - Grants and funding availabl from the government to build new industry-linked credentials - and some future directions. please cite: Sankey, M. (2023). Slowly moving from strength to strength: Micro-Credentials Downunder. The International Micro-Credentials Summit. MicroHE Consortium. Barcelona, Spain. 20-24 March

1. CRICOS Provider No: 00300K (NT/VIC) 03286A (NSW) RTO Provider No: 0373 TEQSA Provider ID PRV12069
Slowly moving from strength to strength:
Microcredentials Downunder
Professor Michael Sankey
Director Learning Futures and Lead Education Architect
President, Australasian Council on Open Distance and eLearning (ACODE)
Community Fellow, Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE)
michael_sankey

2. Charles Darwin University acknowledges all
First Nations people across the lands on
which we live and work, and we pay our
respects to Elders both past and present.
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3. • The rise of the skills economy and the Universities Accord
• The role Microcredentials will play in this
• The Microcredentials Framework
• Development of a national portal
• Grants and funding to build new industry-linked credentials
• Future directions
Some discernable emerging trends
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26,124,814 people (30 Sept 2022)

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8. The rise of the skills economy
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9. • 480,000 fee-free TAFE and community-based Voc-Ed places
• $1 billion one-year National Skills Agreement 2023 – 2024
• 20,000 additional university places = $485.5 million
• 10,000 New Energy Apprenticeships
• The Government established Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA)
• This means a greater reliance on technology to conduct, record,
progress and further augment skills-based education
• This effects our learning platforms, curriculum management and
student management systems
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11. 1. Meeting Australia’s knowledge and skills needs, now and in
the future
2. Access and opportunity
3. Investment and affordability
4. Governance, accountability and community
5. The connection between the vocational education and
training and higher education systems
6. Quality and sustainability
7. Delivering new knowledge, innovation and capability
Key areas for review
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12. November 21
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https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-publications/resources/national-microcredentials-framework

13. • A certification of assessed learning or competency, with a
minimum volume of learning of one hour and less than an
AQF award qualification, that is additional, alternate,
complementary to or a component part of an AQF award
qualification.
The Definition:
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AQF = Australian Qualifications Framework

14. That microcredentials should be:
• Outcome-based.
• Responsive to industry-need.
• Tailored to support lifelong learning.
• Transparent and accessible.
Unifying principles:
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15. • One of the fastest growing post-secondary course types
• VET (vocational) skill sets or units of competency.
• Modularised, assessed components of existing higher education
curriculum or subjects.
• Assessed industry learning (vendor certifications and short
courses).
• Other forms of assessed learning or competencies (not currently
accredited by a regulatory authority).
The Gov’t see Microcredentials as:
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16. • Two prominent reviews conducted in 2021.
• Strengthening Skills: Expert Review of Australia’s VET system,
noted their potential for providing more flexible training options for
industry. The review recommended consideration for further encouraging
their use.
• Review of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF Review)
The AQF Review recommended that policy guidelines be developed to allow
the recognition of microcredentials for credit.
• These reports highlight how Microcredentials can modernise Australia’s
training landscape, as part of broader reform work in both VET and HE.
The real possibilities of Microcredentials
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17. • 9 NOVEMBER 2022
• The Pilot is to assist HE providers to design and deliver
microcredentials in fields of national priority, in partnership with
industry.
• $18.5 million in grants, of $100,000 per credential
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18. • Grants are to support open access to higher education across
Australia, and to encourage higher education providers to
engage with industry
• Round 1. HE providers will share $2 million to design
microcredentials in partnership with industry.
• Round 2. $14.5 million to all HE providers to support the
delivery of microcredentials
• Funding be provided from 2023-24 to 2025-26 to deliver
microcredentials to up to 4,000 students.
Microcredentials Pilot
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https://www.microcredseeker.edu.au/about

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24. Industry partnerships
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• We are not keen on cannibalizing
our current programs
• Need to create new business
• Needs the alignment of VET and
HE through common skills
definitions

25. • Integrate into the new skills economy
• Fully participate in Microcredentials agenda
• Fully hybridized and aligned learning opportunities
• Help our students to be productive and co-design their future
• Happy to take questions 
Fun times ahead as we:
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