Micro-credentials strengthen continuing education
Short-format continuing education courses are becoming increasingly important in a rapidly changing world of work. Micro-credentials certify acquired competencies through digital certificates that comply with European standards.
There is a growing demand for flexible and easily accessible learning units in continuing education. These micro-credentials help employers to better assess a candidate’s qualifications and support personalised learning pathways. Micro-credentials are standardised, fully digital certificates that document specific skills and competencies. They are awarded for compact learning units worth between one and nine ECTS credits.
In September 2025, the ZHAW officially introduced digital micro-credentials in its continuing education programmes. This competency-based approach creates transparency, strengthens lifelong learning and promotes academic mobility within continuing education. These certificates can be included in CVs, LinkedIn profiles and digital portfolios and can be verified online, ensuring a high level of credibility.
Building the foundations for quality and recognition
Micro-credentials were introduced within a clearly defined legal and quality framework. At the European level, the 2022 EU Council recommendation provides an overarching framework for quality and transparency that guides the ZHAW’s approach. Building on this, swissuniversities, the umbrella organisation for Swiss universities, published national principles for the use of micro-credentials at higher education institutions in July 2024.
Since 1 June 2025, the revised framework regulations for continuing education at the ZHAW have also formed the institutional foundation for such courses, supplemented by specific guidelines for the implementation of micro-credentials. An analysis of the continuing education portfolio clearly highlights the considerable potential: up to two-thirds of the ZHAW’s roughly 500 continuing education courses could qualify as micro-credentials. In doing so, the ZHAW is demonstrating its commitment to future-oriented, quality-assured continuing education.