'Sealing the Deal', 8 May 2024

1. Transparency,
Recognition and
the role of
eSealing
Koen Nomden
Team Leader for Transparency and Recognition of
Skills and Qualifications, DG EMPL,
European Commission
8 May 2024

2. 2
Policy context
Digital Education Action Plan
European
Digital
Credentials for
Learning
European Pillar of Social Rights Europass Decision
European Skills Agenda
Micro-Credentials Recommendation
Individual Learning
Account Recommendation
Achieving the European Education Area (2025)
European Qualifications
Framework European Skills, Competences,
and Occupations (ESCO)

3. 3
Contents
EU Skills
development
policy
A European
approach to
micro-
credentials
Potential of
micro-
credentials

4. 4
Skills development in the EU
Lifelong upskilling and reskilling need to become the norm, ensuring
sustainable competitiveness social fairness strong resilience

5. 5
EU targets by 2030 related to skills
60% of the
adult
population to
participate in
training each
year
80% of
Europeans to
have at least
basic digital
skills
20 million ICT
specialists
(+ gender
convergence)

6. Too few learners are engaging in training (after initial education)
Skills needs are continually changing
70.5% of employers provide training to employees, but less than 1/3 of
these provide certification
Micro-credentials are actively used in some sectors but awareness and
experience with micro-credentials is low among employers
Uptake of micro-credentials by workers is limited by lack of support from
employers and uncertainty about recognition of micro-credentials by
employers
Current context for micro-credentials

7. Micro-credentials for the labour market
Targeted, relevant learning
Small volume, short in
duration
Flexibility to fit with how
people live, learn and work

8. 8
Principles for design and issue of micro-credentials
Quality
Transparency
Relevance
Valid assessment
Learning Pathways
Recognition
Portable
Learner Centred
Authentic
Information and Guidance

9. 9
Universal
• Extensive and comprehensive
• Flexible
• Extendible
Verifiability
• Format and validity check
• Authenticity check
• Accreditation check (if applicable)
Standardisation
• Applicable to learning from any source
• One model to describe accreditation, courses and credentials
• Referencing other frameworks and controlled vocabularies
Portability
• Legal admissibility
• Multilingual (available in 29 languages)
• Relevant in education and employment
The success factors of ELM and EDC
eSeals support

10. eSealed credentials
Ensuring trust with ‘European Digital Credentials for Learning’

11. Credentials cover two areas of policy
Content
Area of Employment,
Education & Skills Policy
Envelope
Area of Identity, Authentication &
Secure Delivery Policies

12. The Digital Credential Content and Envelope
A digital credential covers two areas:
• Content = learning outcomes, skills, description of the activities
• Envelope = area of identity, authentication, secure delivery policies
A European Digital Credential for Learning is a claim related to the
learning achievement of a person. It creates the link between an individual,
an awarding body, and a learning achievement.
A European Digital Credential for Learning consists of data that is
structured in accordance with a data model (the European Learning Model).
European Digital Credentials for Learning are tamper-evident and
secure (they respect data privacy). They comply with the international
standards of “verifiable credentials”.
European Digital Credentials for Learning require an e-seal (= digital equivalent of an organisation’s
rubber stamp with legal value in line with e-IDAS regulation).

13. 13
Expressing Annex 1 content with EDC
The Council Recommendation on a
European approach to micro-credentials
for lifelong learning and employability:
o These standard elements are included in the
European Learning Model, that specifies a
common format for describing (micro-)credentials.
The data model is available as an open standard
to be used by providers of micro-credentials,
where relevant, and could support interoperability
and easier exchange of data on micro-credentials.
o Recommendation 6: “Member States are
recommended to adopt and promote the use of
[…] the European standard elements to describe a
micro-credential (as described in Annex I)”
o Annex I: “European standard elements to describe
a micro-credential”

14. How are eSeals used?

15. What is tamper-evidence?

16. What is tamper evidence?

17. What is tamper evidence?

18. What is tamper evidence?

19. 19
New support materials
o Training on ’How to create an Annex 1 compliant micro-credential’ as a video and
handout
o Mapping of the European Learning Model to Annex 1
o Still have questions? Contact the EMPL-ELM-SUPPORT@ec.europa.eu

20. Thank you!
Contact the EDC Team at
EMPL-ELM-SUPPORT@ec.europa.eu