In today’s fast-paced world, staying ahead in your career often means continuously learning and developing new skills. But finding time to undertake substantial blocks of learning is often not possible because of the time commitment involved. That’s where micro-credentials come in, but what are they? In this blog, our Further Education and Training (FET) Service Programme Development Officer, Bridgita Kelly explains.
Micro-credentials (or microcreds), also known as micro-qualifications, are like bite-sized qualifications and are becoming increasingly important in the Irish education and employment landscape. These courses are short, stackable, accredited qualifications tailored to fit the learners’ work and life schedules. They focus on a particular area, like Digital Business Skills, Environmental Sustainability, or Work-Based Learning Practices.
Why should you consider studying a micro-credential?
Because these short, flexible courses are designed to fit around your life and work, they help you quickly build in-demand career skills that enable you to stay up-to-date with relevant and emerging practices. Their benefits include:
- Flexibility and Accessibility: For busy professionals, parents, or anyone with a demanding schedule, micro-qualifications offer a flexible way to upskill or reskill without committing to a multi-year program. Many are offered online or in blended formats, making them more accessible.
- Targeted Skills for In-Demand Jobs: The Irish economy is evolving rapidly, with new technologies and industries emerging all the time. Micro-qualifications allow individuals to quickly acquire the precise skills employers are looking for, helping to bridge skill gaps.
- Boosting Employability: Having a collection of relevant micro-qualifications on your CV can significantly enhance your employability. It demonstrates to potential employers that you are proactive, adaptable, and possess the specific competencies they need.
- Lifelong Learning Made Easy: The concept of “lifelong learning” is more crucial than ever. Micro-qualifications empower individuals to continually update their skillset throughout their career, ensuring they remain relevant and competitive in the job market.
- Recognised and Quality-Assured: In Ireland, there’s a growing focus on ensuring micro-qualifications are quality-assured and clearly mapped to the National Framework of Qualifications. This means you can be confident that the learning you undertake will be valuable and respected by employers and educational institutions.
Whether you’re looking to advance in your current role, switch careers, or simply explore a new interest, micro-credentials offer a practical and efficient pathway to achieving your learning goals.
How do they work?
Micro-credentials are units of assessment that are smaller than traditional programmes of learning, such as degrees and diplomas. They demonstrate that a learner has mastered a certain skill set or demonstrated a level of achievement in a particular area that is mapped to a particular level of learning on the National Framework of Qualifications.
What micro-credentials does Donegal ETB provide?
Donegal ETB’s FET Service has offered a number of micro-credentials to date from Levels 4-6, including Environment Sustainability Awareness (Level 4), Environmental Sustainability in the Workplace, Building Digital Business Skills, Sustainable Supply Chain Procurement (all Level 5) and Work-Based Learning Practices (Level 6).
For one busy business owner, Alice Lynch of Maggie’s Tavern in St. Johnston, the Building Digital Skills course equipped her with the tools she needed to navigate the digital world:
“The Building Digital Skills course gave me the confidence to really embrace the online world. Maggie’s Tavern is well-loved by the locals, but I wanted to find a way to reach new customers, especially tourists visiting Donegal. The Building Digital Skills course helped me understand social media platforms better, and now we’re more active online, showcasing what makes Maggie’s Tavern unique. It’s also taught me how to manage online feedback and engage with our customers in a more personal way.”
“Staying connected with our customers online is more important than ever. The course made it easier for me to understand how to use digital tools to keep the pub running smoothly and attract new customers for the business.”
Kathleen Conaghan, who is a Cook at An Craoibhin Community Enterprise Centre, Termon, Co Donegal, signed up for the Environmental Sustainability in the Workplace course*, despite not having done anything since her Junior Certificate:
“On the first day, we watched videos on climate change, and I was shocked at how fast things were changing in a short space of time. It made me want to complete the course as I was thinking ‘how can I make a difference, both at home and in work?’ I felt that everyone should do this course, as it felt so important to me.
At work, I changed our approach to packaging, food waste, our use of paper cups, and reusable bags. In my head, I was always going around thinking, ‘How can I slow this [effects of climate change] down?’ I was determined to complete this course, and I put a lot of hard work into it. I was on cloud 9 when I passed and 100% proud of myself … This course allowed me to see both the environment and myself differently!”
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Places are still available this Autumn (September 2025) on three micro-credentials with Donegal ETB, which you can apply for here:
- Environmental Sustainability in the Workplace: https://www.donegaletb.ie/course-detail/?CourseId=484842
- Environmental Sustainability Awareness: https://www.donegaletb.ie/course-detail/?CourseId=479178
- Certificate in Social Media for Digital Marketing (Online): https://www.donegaletb.ie/course-detail/?CourseId=485055
* Kathleen received additional support in IT Skills and from our Student Support Team while doing this course.