Mission Possible: Renewing Adult and Continuing Education Futures

 

By Professor Don Olcott, Jr., FRSA (HOF 2024)

 

Good Morning, Mr. Phelps: The world has seen some very turbulent times for adult and continuing education during the past decade. Political populism, public and employer disillusionment, increasing educational costs, and competing interests across institutions and sectors have created an uncertain future. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is for you and your PMF (Possible Mission Force) to seek out courageous and inspiring adult and continuing educators to bring forward new strategies, ideas, and best practices for sustaining a thriving and innovative future for adult and continuing education. If you or any members of your PMF team are captured, you and your team will be disavowed, and your Mission Impossible 8 complimentary theater tickets will be revoked – just kidding!

 

Leadership is Essential

Is the future of adult and continuing education secure and guaranteed? A rhetorical question, indeed. There are no guarantees for the future. Today, many educational leaders are advocating “future proofing” education against unanticipated change, geopolitical shifts, global crises, and natural disasters, and new normals (plural) that may or may not define future societal eras or Zeitgeists (Gast, 2022).

The problem with this conceptual approach is that it is reactive rather than building institution response scenarios that are agile, flexible, and responsive to any “new normal” or crisis. Visionary and creative leadership will make this happen, including reframing the possibilities ahead for adult and continuing education.

 

Adult and Continuing Educators are the Possible Mission Force (PMF)

We all need a touch of humor (thus the opening dialogue above) to help us navigate the challenges of the future. Regrettably, Tom Cruise may not ultimately save us from ourselves any more than artificial intelligence (AI) will be the panacea for all things educational. As adult and continuing educators, we must embrace the challenge and re-engage in the conversation to foster collaboration about what we can do to strengthen and expand the role of adult and continuing education for future generations.

 

State of the Profession

The OECD 2023 Report on Trends in Adult Learning provided a snapshot of current trends in adult learning. It is beyond the scope of this commentary to provide a detailed analysis. Here are some highlights from the report.

 

• Participation in many countries appears to be falling; more alarming is that overall participation is declining despite the gap between socio-economic groups narrowing.
• Formal education is playing a diminishing role in adult learning. The focus is increasingly on non-formal job training-related programs.  Countries with strong participation in formal adult learning programs tend to have higher non-formal learning engagement. Tertiary qualifications dominate formal education.
• Over 40% of non-formal job-related learning lasts one day or less. Unemployed adults tend to attend longer programs, given time availability and the need to develop meaningful employment skills.
• Improving job performance and employability is the main motivation for engaging in adult learning programs. Lack of time, family obligations, and cost remain primary barriers to participation.
• Participation tends to be highest when available in the workplace and supported by employers.
• Policy misalignment, where compliance with Lifelong Learning skill development is fragmenting the possible mission impacts of training 

 

Strategies for Success: Sharing the Experience

I want to invite my IACE Hall of Fame global colleagues to share their own ideas on how to renew and empower the profession for future generations of learners. Here are a few strategies of mine. They may stimulate some of your own ideas.

 

Storytelling

Do we tell our adult and continuing education story clearly to our multiple publics and stakeholders? Interestingly, in my own research (Olcott, 2024) recently on the future of open universities, I discovered some perplexing trends.

Governments, employers, and prospective students view open universities much the same way. The diversity, and by extension, capabilities of open universities to be innovative and unique got lost in translation despite distinguished leaders such as Sir John Daniel (2019) and experienced leaders such as Professors Alan Tait and Ross Paul (2019) noting the vast diversity. 

Telling our story better means articulating our value, our creativity, and our commitment to serving adult learners. The adult and continuing education profession inherently reflects a steadfast optimism built on empowerment, creativity, and commitment to human learning. Indeed, this is a noble endeavor, but there are many competing stories that remind us all that we must tell our story often and consistently better than the rest.      

 

Micro-Credentials:  Strategic Game Changer or Tactical Diversion

Micro-credentials are not new. Short-term adult education and continuing education training programs have been around for decades, particularly evident in vocational-technical professions and the military (McGreal & Olcott, 2022). Micro-credentials are unique today because of the rigor applied to assessing knowledge and skills, with skills/competencies validated and certified. 

 

Remember the days when we attended a one-day seminar on Saturday and received a certificate of completion or attendance. This was not validation of new skills and knowledge, and these short-term, less rigorous activities could not be stackable into formal qualifications. This renewed focus on assessment provides the conduit to validating non-formal training and educational activities and in-turn leverages the stackability and conversion of non-formal learning normative units or value to be applied to existing or new formal qualifications.

I try to articulate to institutional leaders that micro-credentials can be a strategic tool as well as a tactical training approach for program delivery. Educational organizations are often criticized for trying to be all things to all people and often doing some of this very poorly. Conversely, the strategic integration of micro-credentials can, in fact, change the fundamental mission and architecture of an institution in ways that are catalysts for better serving our diverse stakeholders. An example of this is our approach to lifelong learning.      

 

Lifelong Learning (LLL) – Walking the talk

Indeed, it is mindboggling trying to scan the range of keynotes, organizational documents, and formal publications on lifelong learning for the 21^st century. What is even more amazing is that nearly all of these are predicated on a fundamental strategy that lifelong learning really means some type of magical transformation that happens ONLY after a student gets a first degree. The assumption suggests that a degree in Shakespearean tragedies is much more valuable than a micro-credential in hospitality management that leads to a workplace internship and employment.

If we return to the idea that micro-credentials can be a strategic approach for organizations, this suggests that skills development and employment become central priorities. This, in and of itself, has significant implications for how organizations are funded, structured, staffed, and marketed, and for which credentials and qualifications (degrees, certificates, micro-credentials) can be combined. 

Lifelong learning in its purest form means that learning occurs across the lifespan and that an 18-year-old can start with micro-credentials first and then return for a degree later. It means no imposed chronology of credentials: you get a degree first, then lifelong learning begins. As it stands, we advocate lifelong learning as long as it fits within traditional organizational structures that have stood for decades but are clearly not serving the needs of students, employers, and societies. Reframing this misalignment between education and society is perhaps the greatest challenge we face in the next fifty years, particularly the challenges facing students and employers in the developing world. 

 

Summary – We are the Champions!

All of us are adult and continuing education’s Possible Mission Force (PMF). I’ve shared a few of my own strategies to renew our commitment to the future. We must tell our story and better communicate our value. Micro-credentials are strategic as well as for tactical program delivery. And finally, a true lifelong learning model is flexible and offers the maximum options for engaging in a synthesis of formal and non-formal educational activities based on the learner's needs, not the mandates of the system.    

What are your strategies for sustaining and nurturing the future of adult and continuing education, including the broader framework of lifelong learning? 

 

References

Daniel, J. S. (2019). Open universities: Old concepts and contemporary challenges. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 20(4). https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v20i3.4035

Gast, A.  (2022).  Four ways universities can future-proof education. World Economic Forum.  https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/01/four-ways-universities-can-future-proof-education/ 

McGreal, R., & Olcott, D. J. (2022). A strategic reset: Micro-credentials for higher education leaders. Smart Learning Environment, 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-022-00190-1

OECD.  (2023). Trends in adult learning. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/trends-in-adult-learning_ec0624a6-en.html

Olcott, Jr., D. (2024). Open universities: Reinventing, repurposing, and reimagining innovative futures. Journal of Open, Distance, and Digital Education (JODDE), 1(2), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.25619/ntkvsz26  

Paul, R. & Tait, A. (2019). Special issue editorial: Open universities: Past, present and future. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 20(4). https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v20i4.4575

 

 

Micro-Credentials and Lifelong Learning – Reimagining Recognition in Adult Education

 

As the global economy and workforce evolve, educational models must keep pace. The Working Group 5 (WG5) on Micro-Credentials (MC) and Individual Learning Accounts, guided by mentor Sturla Bjerkaker (IACEHOF 2014), took on this challenge at the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Conference in Florence. The session sought to unpack the potential, pitfalls, and future of micro-credentials in adult and continuing education.

 

Held as part of the larger Hall of Fame conference, the workshop was hosted at the University of Florence and prepared through a pre-conference webinar on October 8, 2024. Viola Pinzi of the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) chaired the session, which featured additional insights from Paolo Federighi and Kent Gudmundsen. Around 20 participants contributed, representing various perspectives from education, policy, and professional practice.

 

Why Micro-Credentials? Why Now?

Micro-credentials—short, targeted learning experiences that provide verifiable recognition—are gaining traction worldwide. From Europe to the Philippines, ministries of education are exploring how micro-credentials can expand learning access and improve employability.

 

In the adult education context, micro-credentials offer flexibility, personalization, and relevance. They allow learners to upskill quickly, respond to labor market needs, and continuously learn without committing to lengthy degree programs. However, the group noted that micro-credentials also come with challenges, particularly around validation, sustainability, and coherence with existing recognition systems.

 

Core Questions Raised

The working group posed several foundational questions:

• What is genuinely new about micro-credentials? Are they a fresh approach or rebranded forms of existing learning validation tools?
• What systems of recognition are needed to ensure their credibility and portability?
• How do micro-credentials interact with the broader concept of lifelong and long-lasting learning?

 

A central concern was sustainability: while micro-credentials offer immediacy and flexibility, participants questioned how long the skills and competencies gained from short learning experiences will endure. The group hypothesized that the shorter and narrowly defined a learning experience is, the less durable its outcomes may be, raising the need for deeper learning approaches within micro-credentials frameworks.

 

Recognition, Validation, and Governance

Recognition systems emerged as a critical concern. To be meaningful, micro-credentials must be assessed and validated by credible institutions. Participants asked: Who gets to recognize micro-credentials? Should it be universities, government bodies, or new independent entities? What frameworks can ensure standardization while allowing for contextual flexibility?

 

Suggestions included developing a “micro-credential unit” within institutions or as part of a cross-sectoral regulatory body. Validation processes must be rigorous, learner-focused, and transparent.

 

Stakeholders and the Learner-Centered Approach

Micro-credential systems require coordination among several actors: learners, employers, education providers, and trainers. Each has a stake in ensuring that micro-credentials serve individual goals and broader labor market or societal needs.

 

The group emphasized that micro-credentials must be designed with learners at the center, not just in terms of content but also in terms of accessibility, usability, and long-term value. This learner-centered vision was championed throughout the session.

 

Visualizing Micro-credentials as Modular and Stackable

A creative and widely accepted metaphor emerged during the session: micro-credentials as LEGO blocks. Learners should be able to stack them vertically (toward degrees or advanced credentials) and horizontally (to broaden their skill sets). This modular approach could offer unprecedented flexibility in constructing individualized learning paths.

 

Reflections and Global Relevance

Participants acknowledged the growing global interest in micro-credentials, including their relevance for organizations like the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE). Micro-credentials could provide an important bridge to employment and further study in regions with informal labor markets or limited access to higher education.

 

However, the group cautioned against viewing micro-credentials as a panacea. Without clear recognition frameworks, inclusive design, and sustainable learning pathways, micro-credentials risk becoming fragmented and inequitable.

 

Looking Ahead: Building the Infrastructure for Micro-credential Success

The session concluded with a call for international dialogue, shared standards, and policy frameworks that balance innovation with quality assurance. As the micro-credential field evolves, it must stay grounded in the values of adult education—access, equity, relevance, and empowerment.

 

WG5’s work laid a strong foundation for continued collaboration in defining and refining the role of micro-credentials in a lifelong learning ecosystem. As adult learners navigate a world of rapid change, micro-credentials may become the flexible, stackable tools that help them thrive—if developed thoughtfully and inclusively.