University network at the forefront of continuous learning

In the 2020s, expertise will be the most significant prerequisite for growth, and the availability of skilled labor will determine our position in international competition. Continuous maintenance, development, and updating of skills require new ways to acquire knowledge. Micro-credentials are a way to meet the training needs of the workforce, and many EU countries have recently adopted them. In the Finnish higher education sector, micro-credentials are a new concept, as the work to define the concept to meet national needs was completed in the spring of 2024.

The project “University network at the forefront of continuous learning“ is carried out as a group project by the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Lapland, the University of Oulu, Tampere University, the University of Turku, the University of Vaasa, and Åbo Akademi University. The project consists of five work packages (WP), with each university participating with different emphases and responsibilities. The themes of the work packages form a coherent whole.

WP 1 Coordination: The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) is the main implementer of the project and acts as the coordinator of the group project.

WP 2 Customer-oriented continuous learning: work package 2 examines customer-oriented operating models in continuous learning and micro-credentials and creates a common understanding of what micro-credentials are and how they are produced, offered, and implemented in a customer-oriented manner. The University of Lapland is responsible for coordinating the work package.

WP 3 Continuous learning and micro credentials in universities: Work package 3 increases the capability of university staff to establish continuous learning and micro-credentials as part of university operations. The coordinator of this work package is the University of Tampere.

WP 4 A collaborative model for planning training offering: Work package 4 builds a collaborative model for planning the offerings of micro-credentials through co-development. The coordinator is the University of Turku.

WP 5 Communication: Work package 5 ensures that the results and outputs of the project are widely used in universities, and that university-level continuous learning and micro-credentials become more widely known to potential workforce customers, i.e., learners. The University of Oulu acts as the project’s communications manager.

In addition, the University of Vaasa and Åbo Akademi University will participate in the implementation of the work packages.

Built on the existing network, the project enables effective cooperation and information flow, as well as diverse and comprehensive project activities. We will strengthen our cooperation and ensure the sufficiency of skills related to continuous learning and micro-credentials in our universities. We will create common operating models to ensure the provision of high-quality continuous learning services in the future as well.