Designing for Microcredential Impact
‘Demand’ as a design principle
As employment-related microcredentials continue to gain traction globally, one aspect is becoming increasingly clear: designing with intent is not enough. If microcredentials are to deliver on their promise of relevance, flexibility, and impact, they must be built around actual demand - from learners, employers, and evolving workforce systems. Demand must shift from being an observed trend to becoming a core design principle.
To illustrate this idea, I draw on work I was recently involved in through the PoMiSA Project - Potential of Microcredentials in Southern Africa. Co-funded by the European Union, the project brought together partners from seven countries to develop ‘state of play’ reports on microcredential adoption, conceptualisation, policy development, and implementation. As a strategic consultant, I collaborated with the North-West University team in South Africa to establish a shared analytical framework for the national reports and led the development of a synthesis report to offer a comparative analysis of the state of play. All reports are openly available at https://pomisa.hec.mu.
In this blog post, I share insights into how demand is shaping microcredential systems - whether through national frameworks, industry partnerships, or learner- and employer-led approaches - in two PoMiSA countries: Mauritius and Ireland. While these countries differ in size and system maturity, both illustrate what it starts to look like when demand is treated not as a secondary consideration, but as a guiding design principle to serve learners and employers alike.
Demand-Driven Learning in a Changing Workforce
Both Mauritius and Ireland are navigating workforce transitions shaped by technological change, ageing populations, and increasing sectoral specialisation.
In Mauritius, the government has prioritised upskilling and lifelong learning as part of its ambition to transition into a high-income, knowledge-based economy. Key sectors - including ICT, tourism, manufacturing, and the emerging blue economy - require new workforce competencies. At the same time, the country’s demographic profile is shifting, with 30% of the population over 60, making continuous learning essential for longer working lives and workforce adaptability.
In Ireland, with a median age of 38.8 years, there is a strong focus on lifelong learning and professional development. National skills strategies have long identified the need to align education more closely with evolving labour market needs to ensure “that all of Ireland’s citizens have access to the skills they need to succeed in life; and Irish business has the people with the skills they need to grow” (Ireland’s National Skills Strategy, 2025, p. 7). As a result, microcredentials are closely aligned with labour market demands, with business and industry stakeholders involved in their development.
What Learners and Employers Are Asking For?
Across both countries, there is clear evidence of what learners and employees want: short, flexible learning options that are affordable, career-relevant, recognisable, and based on in-demand competencies and skills.
Mauritian learners perceive microcredentials as an opportunity to stand out in a competitive job market - particularly for those entering ICT, transitioning careers, or building practical skills without committing to a full degree. Affordability and accessibility are highly valued. Learners also view microcredentials as a quick and effective way to acquire practical skills and demonstrate expertise.
Irish learners share similar motivations. Surveys show that adult learners prioritise professional development, up-to-date sector-relevant knowledge, and microcredentials that fit around work and life commitments. Flexibility, career advancement, and employability are consistently cited as top motivators.
From an employer perspective, the message is also clear. In both countries, businesses are increasingly open to using microcredentials as part of staff development and recruitment strategies - but they want assurance. Employers are asking for:
· Clarity on competencies gained through the microcredential
· Evidence of relevance to workplace needs
· Assurance of quality and recognition
· Competitive pricing or funded options to support scale
Microcredentials are valued for their specificity and agility, particularly in sectors where traditional qualifications lag behind market demand. But where systems for recognition and quality assurance are absent or inconsistent, employer confidence falters.
What’s Working: System Enablers and Institutional Examples
What sets Mauritius and Ireland apart is a willingness to respond strategically to workforce demand - whether through national frameworks and employment strategies or collaborative partnerships between education and industry.
In Mauritius, system enablers include the Mauritius National Skills Development Strategy 2022–2026 (Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment, 2022), which aims to address workforce challenges by focusing on skills development. Within this strategy Microcredentials are positioned as a strategic tool— embedded within broader educational and economic frameworks to support targeted upskilling and flexible approaches to lifelong learning and employability. The Mauritius National Credit Value and Transfer System (NCVTS) provides a formal definition of microcredentials, enabling them to function either as standalone qualifications or as stackable components of larger credentials, with portability across education contexts.
This strategic framing has been further strengthened by recent work commissioned by the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), in collaboration with Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Mauritius Qualifications Authority (MQA). This initiative aims to guide the development of a coherent national microcredential framework aligned with Mauritius’ workforce priorities (Martin & Nic Giolla Mhichíl, 2025).
Examples of demand-focused microcredentials in Mauritius include:
· University of Mauritius partnerships with Ceridian and the Mauritius Ports Authority to co-develop sector-specific microcredentials
· Polytechnics Mauritius and the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development (MITD) delivering targeted microcredentials in ICT, hospitality, and trades
· Integration of international platforms like Coursera into formal educational offerings, with clear stackable pathways
In Ireland, system enablers include the Irish framework for Microcredentials established in 2022 (HEA, 2024) catalysed by the EU Council Recommendation on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability (2022). Additionally, Ireland’s MicroCreds initiative (https://microcreds.ie/) embeds microcredentials within the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), ensuring that learners can accumulate and use credit across institutions and sectors. All offerings are referenced to the NFQ, with assurance from national agencies, allowing stackability and international portability.
Examples of demand-focused microcredentials include:
Skillnet Ireland
https://www.skillnetireland.ie/
and Springboard+ (https://hea.ie/skills-engagement/springboard/) - nationally funded, industry-led programmes aligned with workforce needs
Education and Training Boards (ETBs) co-designing credentials like the Near Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) construction courses with employers and trade bodies (McCoshan, 2023)
MicroCreds.ie providing a coordinated platform for accessing microcredentials designed in partnership with industry
These are not isolated experiments. They reflect a broader shift toward demand-responsive systems - where microcredentials are designed to build skills that matter.
Challenges to Address
Even where innovation is strong, challenges persist.
In Mauritius, promising pilots and cross-sector collaborations exist, but many institutions remain cautious, citing the need for a national microcredential policy or recognition framework (currently in development). Co-delivery and co-assessment with industry - particularly among TVET institutions - remain limited and there is a need for robust, reliable assessment frameworks. Without these mechanisms, learner outcomes risk fragmentation, and employer confidence may be constrained.
Ireland has made significant progress in system coordination and recognition. However, challenges remain in keeping credentials aligned with fast-changing sector need, particularly in digital fields. A 2020 survey of Irish employers showed low familiarity with microcredentials in recruitment contexts, suggesting that even high-quality systems require greater visibility and shared understanding (Nic Giolla et al., 2020).
Conclusion: Demand as a Design Principle
Microcredentials cannot reach their full potential if developed in isolation from the systems and people they are meant to serve. The experiences of Mauritius and Ireland show that when microcredentials are built around actual workforce needs, backed by policy and recognition systems, and co-designed with industry, they can become enablers of career mobility, economic resilience, and lifelong learning. But to ensure they fulfil this potential, we need better visibility of outcomes, for both learners and employers, to guide future design
The question isn’t just what we build next, but whether we’re building with the right compass. What would shift in your context if demand weren’t an afterthought, but rather, a design principle for your microcredentials?
References Cited
Department of Education and Skills (2025). Ireland’s National Skills strategy 2025 https://assets.gov.ie/24412/0f5f058feec641bbb92d34a0a8e3daff.pdf
HEA. (2024). Microcreds. https://microcreds.ie
McCoshan, A. (2023). Case study Ireland: Microcredentials for labour market education and training. First look at mapping microcredentials in European labour-market-related education, training and learning: Take-up, characteristics and functions. Thessaloniki: Cedefop. https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/files/ireland_microcredentials_mapping.pdf
Martin, M. and Nic Giolla Mhichíl, M. (2025). Micro-Credentials in Mauritius: Towards a National Framework for TVET and Higher Education. Paris: IIEP-UNESCO. https://www.iiep.unesco.org/en/node/14170
Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment (Mauritius) (2022). National Skills Development Strategy 2022-2026. Available at: https://empment-labour.govmu.org/Documents/NSDS-2022-2026.pdf.
Nic Giolla, M., Brown, M., Beirne, E., & Mac Lochlainn, C. (2020). A Microcredential roadmap: Currency, Cohesion and Consistency. Dublin City University. https://www.skillnetireland.ie/uploads/attachments/A-Micro-Credential-Roadmap-Currency-Cohesion-and-Consistency.pdf
PoMiSA Reports (2025). Available at https://pomisa.hec.mu/
Proposal for a Council Recommendation on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability. (2022). https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-9237-2022-INIT/en/pdf