On May 22, the Technological University of Uruguay (UTEC) and UNESCO IESALC officially presented the Training and Technical Assistance Program for the Co-design and Implementation of a Microcredential Model, aimed at strengthening institutional capacities for the design, development, and implementation of these innovative credentials, aligned with labor market needs and the current challenges of higher education.
The presentation took place through a high-level virtual meeting that brought together national and international authorities committed to transforming higher education. Participants included Borhene Chakroun, Acting Director of UNESCO IESALC; Valeria Laurnaga, Rector of UTEC; Virginia Villalba, Head of the Higher Education Area at the National Directorate of Education of Uruguay’s Ministry of Education and Culture; Yuma Inzolia, Director of Capacity Development at UNESCO IESALC; and Amadeo Sosa, Director of Education at UTEC.
During the meeting, the authorities highlighted the importance of promoting innovative educational models that expand learning opportunities, strengthen the link between higher education and the productive sector, and respond to the demands of a constantly evolving society. They also agreed that microcredentials constitute a strategic tool to promote lifelong learning, facilitate continuous skills updating, and support more flexible and personalized learning pathways.
Subsequently, on May 29, the opening session of the training and technical assistance program took place, with the participation of more than 50 faculty members, program directors, and academic authorities who will be part of this initiative. During the session, participants were introduced to the objectives, scope, and methodology of the program, which will help position UTEC as an institution that observes, analyzes, and incorporates educational trends that are transforming learning globally.
During the opening session, Blanca Bernabé García, Academic Coordinator at UNESCO IESALC, highlighted some of the main challenges currently facing higher education, including the need to expand access to relevant training opportunities linked to the needs of the productive sector, and to offer alternatives that allow individuals to update their knowledge and skills throughout their lives.
Microcredentials have emerged as an innovative response to these challenges by enabling individuals to acquire specific, up-to-date competencies that are highly valued by productive sectors. In Latin America and the Caribbean, this model is gaining increasing relevance due to the need for more agile, flexible, and technologically aligned training alternatives that respond to growing demands for professional upskilling.
Through this strategic commitment to microcredentials, UTEC seeks to strengthen its ability to offer innovative, relevant learning experiences aligned with the needs of the 21st century, contributing to the development of skills required to face the challenges of an increasingly dynamic professional environment.
The launch of this program represents a strategic step toward consolidating new opportunities for training and certification, reinforcing UTEC’s commitment to educational innovation and to adopting trends that are transforming higher education globally.
UTEC’s institutional strategy goes even further. With the aim of engaging the entire academic community in this transformation, a series of awareness-raising seminars will also be developed, aimed at faculty and other university stakeholders, focusing on the strategic relevance of microcredentials for the future of the institution and for 21st-century higher education.
READ MORE: https://www.iesalc.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-iesalc-and-technological-university-uruguay-strengthen-academic-innovation-through
