Session 5. Labour-market Relevance and Learner-centred Design���Prof. Dr. Ann Katherine Isaacs��Tbilisi�12 October 2026���
Session 5: Summary
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���1. How to identify genuine skills demand and avoid supply-driven micro-credentials.��
The first step is for universities to look outside of their own organization and expertise.
In Tuning Georgia (2008 to 2012), as in the other Tuning projects around the world, the first step was to organize a ‘consultation’ with the stakeholders, defined as students, academic staff, employers and graduates. These were ‘consulted’, through online questionnaires and/or focus groups, on the importance of each in a list of ‘generic competences and on the degree to which, in their view, these were developed in university programmes. The same was done with ‘subject specific competences’.
The results were very interesting, as everyone involved will remember: many ‘generic compentences’, like team work or creative thinking, were in high demand and considered very important by employers, graduates and often students, whereas they were less highly considered by academics.
���Genuine skills demand rather than supply-driven micro-credentials.��
The same thing turned out to be true for the subject specific competences, which, in Tuning Georgia were associated with (XX) key subject areas, and the results I understand still function as subject area frameworks.
What we learned was that a competence- output-based learner centered approach doesn’t come naturally: open-minded investigation and analysis of stakeholders’ perceptions is vital.
If HEIs cut what they already do into little pieces, and call them micro-credentials, it will not yield the potential that these small and flexible pieces of learning can have.
Rather, working with employers (and citizens) and listening to them, HEIs can design meaningful learning opportunities, at the same time bringing new knowledge and understanding of societal needs into their educational offer.
2. Employer and professional-sector co-design; evidence for market relevance.
If by market relevance we mean the suitability of the MCs that HEIs and other providers will design and offer, the first obligation is contact, communication and also awareness raising among employers, that HEIs are prepared to collaborate with them directly to discuss what knowledge, skills and competences are actually needed and to develop, jointly, micro-credentials that can meet those needs.
Co-design can include consultation to decide on whether the HEI already offers a needed piece of learning as a module in a degree course, which then can be offered alternatively as a standalone MC or even a series of MCs which employees can access progressively for necessary upskilling.
More likely, the employer will express a need for a specific piece of learning which requires the creation of a new MC: in this case designed together with the employer, and perhaps the employer will also provide hands-on instructors for part of the learning opportunity.
3. Competence-based and learner-centred design, including flexible participation and assessment.
In the ECTS and Tuning world, the formation of competences is the core of learner-centered learning. Competences are the knowledge, skills and levels or responsibility and autonomy that a learner possesses. Learning outcomes are not exactly the same thing: they are statements that describe what a learner can demonstrate to allow verification of the that the competence has been formed.
A widely used publication on this topic is the Tuning Guide to Formulating Degree Programme Profiles: we are now preparing a new edition, which will show how this applies to micro-credentials.
Flexible participation and assessment.
To be truly ‘learner-centered’, it is helpful to provide flexible learning opportunities, using various learning modes and allowing flexible access and timing. This is vital for learners who must fit their learning experiences into tight family and professional schedules.
MCs can usefully combine online learning activities that can be accessed when convenient for the learner, while the assessment can be scheduled in person, to avoid any questions about the identity of the person assessed.
Needless to say the assessment always must be aligned with the learning outcomes and suitable for ascertaining the learner’s proficiency in achieving them.
4. The value proposition for HEIs: responsiveness, new learner groups, partnerships, innovation and lifelong learning.
Why should HEIs be interested in offering MCs, and willing to put time and effort into developing effective ones?
According to the ‘vision’ of the future of HE described in the Rome Communiqué, and to the evolution of societal needs, the ‘mission’ of HEIs is changing. If HEIs, their governance, their staff, their students and stakeholders are aware of this, they can find satisfaction in meeting the new needs.
HEIs are used to thinking in terms of degree programmes, but many already have experience in offering flexible learning opportunities. Their responsiveness to social needs, serving new categories of learners and offering further education to persons already holding degrees keeps them in touch with and contributing to the real world.
Many thanks!�k.isaacs@unipi.it