Sorcha Carthy
Senior Manager in the Skills and Engagement Unit, Higher Education Authority
There are 654 courses developed through the Human Capital Initiative (HCI), with every course created in response to an economic need for current and future skills.
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has launched an initiative to promote lifelong learning and address skills gaps in the Irish workforce. It has allocated €9.7 million in funding to subsidise fees for up to 14,000 learners across 654 micro-credential courses. This ‘Micro-Credentials Course Learner Fee Subsidy’, under the Human Capital Initiative (HCI) Pillar 3, aims to make upskilling more accessible and affordable, particularly in critical areas identified by national strategies and industry.
Wide-ranging, enterprise-driven skill development
The courses cover a wide range of disciplines, including renewable energy, sustainability, construction and planning, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, ICT and electronic engineering. According to Sorcha Carthy, Senior Manager in the Skills and Engagement Unit at the HEA: “All of the 654 courses are developed by Higher Education Institutions, including Universities and Technological Universities through the HCI programme where academics work directly with enterprise — so, every single course has been developed in response to an identified need in the Irish economy for current and future skills.”
Flexible, targeted upskilling courses
Micro-credential courses are designed to be flexible and targeted, addressing the specific skill requirements of learners, enterprises and society. Carthy explains: “They are all very relevant disciplines and skills areas and are being delivered in ‘micro-credential’ courses — short courses, some of which can be ‘stacked’ into larger awards because enterprise has seen that people want to upskill in a flexible, fast way.”
It has allocated €9.7 million in funding to subsidise fees for up to 14,000 learners across 654 micro-credential courses.
Micro-credentials are gaining momentum
The concept of micro-credentials is relatively new in the Irish higher education sector, but it is gaining momentum as a response to the changing needs of the workforce. Carthy notes: “What is happening now is a huge investment with over 650 subsidised courses — and what makes it new is being so widespread and in so many disciplines, as well as being accessible and flexible.”
One of the key initiatives in this area is the MicroCreds.ie platform, which is the first of its kind in Europe for short, university-accredited micro-credentials. This platform, a deliverable of the ambitious five-year, €12.3 million MicroCreds Project, brings together hundreds of short, flexible and accredited courses into one central place for learners and enterprises.
Lifelong learning boost
Micro-credential courses are key to achieving national lifelong learning targets and the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan’s ambition for at least 60% of adults to engage in training annually. As of Q4 2022, national lifelong learning participation is at 11.8%, with 80% of learners being employed. Offering flexible micro-credentials is expected to boost participation in lifelong learning.
Carthy emphasises the importance of these courses for individuals already in employment, stating: “We would expect that the majority of people who would be interested in these courses are already in employment; they perhaps do not have the time for the sizable commitment of doing a full degree. In this way, they can take these short pieces of learning and decide if they want to go back and stack it into the larger qualification over time.”
Incentivising new learning habits
The Micro-Credentials Course Learner Subsidy offers a subsidy rate of 80% for courses addressing skills in key priority areas, with other courses providing a 50% learner subsidy rate. Carthy explains: “We want to incentivise this new way of learning and create momentum around micro-credentials. All of the 654 courses are subsidised, some at half-price and others at 80% — the latter being in those particular fields where there is highest demand.”
This initiative invests in upskilling the Irish workforce and promoting lifelong learning through flexible micro-credential courses. By targeting specific skills needed by learners, enterprises and society, the HEA aims to empower individuals to excel in their chosen fields and contribute to the Irish economy’s growth and competitiveness.
To see the full list of 654 courses available at the subsidised rate visit hea.ie.
