Microcredentials are increasingly becoming part of discussions on education, the labour market, and the recognition of skills and competences. However, for many, they still remain a new concept that requires clear language, practical examples, and well-designed communication. It is one of the challenges faced by the team of experts from the Educational Research Institute – National Research Institute (IBE PIB). The latest meeting of the Microcredentials Advisory Group revolved around possible ways of promoting this form of skills confirmation in Poland.

Microcredentials – accreditations and training for the issuers 

The 10th meeting of the Microcredentials Advisory Group was held online on 17 June, 2026. The main topic of the discussions was communication and promotion of microcredentials in Poland.

At the beginning of the event, the meeting participants listened to a short introduction by Michał Nowakowski, microcredentials project leader at IBE PIB, and an update on progress in developing standards and strengthening the quality of microcredentials. Dr Wojciech Gola, key expert in the project, spoke about the current stage of work on issuer accreditation and presented a dedicated training course designed for organisations issuing microcredentials.

“Current work on developing standards and assuring the quality of microcredentials is focused on accrediting issuers. We have prepared documentation outlining the accreditation process and shared it with issuers for testing and feedback. At the same time, we are developing an online course for microcredential issuers within the Odznaka+ application. The course is designed to provide essential knowledge about microcredentials and the system itself, and will remain fully online to ensure easy access for issuers,” said Dr Wojciech Gola.

Communication and promotion of microcredentials

The quality assurance standards for microcredentials being developed at IBE PIB include the aspect of spreading knowledge about both microcredentials and the system developed. Urszula Buchowicz, microcredentials expert at IBE PIB, introduced this topic, highlighting the role that issuers play in raising awareness of this form of skills validation.

Katarzyna Mikulska-Kędzierska, key expert at the IBE PIB project, spoke about activities related to the promotion of microcredentials and the challenging early stages of the project.

“We faced a difficult challenge – our team had to build awareness from the ground up around a solution that had not previously existed. We conducted a thorough market analysis and developed a communication strategy. We prioritised the selection of tools and communication methods to reach a wide audience, create engaging content, and encourage the use of microcredentials,” said Katarzyna Mikulska-Kędzierska.

“We are not aiming to be present at every event, but rather to maintain a consistent and meaningful presence where our target audiences are. We are pleased that this approach is working, and that the project is gaining a growing group of supportive partners and issuers who are helping us further promote microcredentials,” added the IBE PIB expert.

Ewa Sularz-Wysocka, key expert at IBE PIB, presented examples of activities that have contributed to the growing awareness of microcredentials and a better understanding of their importance.

“We focus on communication that truly engages: LinkedIn helps us reach new audiences and gain visibility, our website microcredentials.pl structures project knowledge and serves as a knowledge base, while the podcast “Po pierwsze, umiejętności. Podcast o tym, jak być na czasie” (Skills Come First. The Podcast About How to Stay Current) adds a dynamic, expert narrative. In this way, we effectively promote microcredentials, highlight the importance of future skills, and bring together communities from education, HR, business and new technologies. Currently, we are focusing on two initiatives: the second international Warsaw Microcredentials Summit, planned for autumn, and the continued promotion of the microcredentials concept through podcasts,” said Ewa Sularz-Wysocka.

The meeting participants shared their views on the effectiveness of communication activities conducted by IBE PIB experts. Members of the Advisory Group acknowledged the results of the team’s work. They also shared their support for continuing these efforts and offered suggestions for future improvements.

“Employers need a clear message about how microcredentials support skills development in their organisations. Promoting the benefits of microcredentials – such as their flexibility, the ability to align learning with employees’ individual career paths and support them in adapting to the rapidly changing demands of a given role – is crucial. It cannot be communication filled with specialist terminology, as this would be too technical and would not reach a broad range of companies,” said Małgorzata Lelińska from the Lewiatan Confederation. 

Microcredentials – cooperation with universities

Campus Mikropoświadczeń (Microcredentials Campus) is one of the most important initiatives in the project. The pilot, which originally covered only companies from the ICT and marketing sectors, was expanded to include universities, for which the implementation of microcredentials is a highly relevant topic, as the European Union recommends that they be incorporated into their offerings.

“Campus Mikropoświadczeń (Microcredentials Campus) are regular meetings during which we develop a shared position on the implementation of microcredentials in higher education institutions. While we expected the academic community to be interested in discussions on implementing microcredentials, the level of engagement has highlighted a strong need for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and shared solutions. We plan to organise such meetings dedicated to representatives from the business sector,” said Martyna Leciejewicz, key expert at IBE PIB. 

Finally, participants of the 10th meeting of the Microcredentials Advisory Group discussed issues related to the implementation of microcredentials at Polish universities and shared their recommendations on the topic.

The meeting was attended by: 

1. Agnieszka Dec, Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy,

2. Bogusław Dębski, Polish Information Processing Society (PTI), Sectoral Skills Council – IT,

3. Karina Galstyan (representing Radosław Kardaś), Ministry of Digital Affairs,

4. Michał Goszczyński, Ministry of Science and Higher Education,

5. Prof Andrzej Kraśniewski, The Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland,

6. Małgorzata Lelińska, Lewiatan Confederation,

7. Agnieszka Majcher-Teleon, Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy,

8. Aleksandra Wąsik, All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions / Polish Teachers’ Union,

9. Marek Michajłowicz, The National Information Processing Institute (OPI PIB).