Introduction:
This SPHERE seminar, organised by SPHERE and hosted by the Université Internationale de Rabat with the support of the National Erasmus+ Office Morocco (NEO Morocco), explored the shifting landscape of higher education and the evolving role of micro-credentials and skills-based learning as it relates to employability. While many universities have provided short non-degree learning opportunities for quite some years, this had not gained much attention, either at policy levels or within the institutions themselves. This seems to be changing; in view of an increased need for learning and re-learning, and also in response to rapidly evolving skills needs in society and the labour market, the rise of micro-credentials has generated excitement, creativity, and scepticism. Improved technical capacities for flexible delivery of learning had also been a factor in this phenomenon.
Discussions at this seminar combined policy perspectives, national case examples, institutional practices, and stakeholder views. The seminar served as a platform for exchange, peer learning, and reflection on current developments and challenges. In addition to HERE, it also engaged different Moroccan stakeholders at government and business-sector level, with distinct perspectives on micro-credentials.
This report compiles the insights shared during the event through the presentations and discussion. It draws several conclusions relevant to the HERE participants and their respective higher education systems. It also makes recommendations for follow-up themes and events.