Málaga (EFE).- Spanish universities will offer short-term and more flexible training possibilities aimed especially at the population between 25 and 64 years of age with the aim of alleviating the shortcomings of the educational system and contributing to lifelong training.
The Minister of Universities, Joan Subirats, has presented in Malaga the action plan for the development of university microcredentials in Spain (Plan Microcreds), which has “the basic idea of opening the university to all ages”.
This initiative “is not something that has been decided in Spain autonomously, but is part of a European strategy”, Subirats specified.
Educational systems that are more flexible and adaptable to the needs
He added that “before, people studied for four or five years and then they could spend their whole lives working” with this training, but now they must “rethink the training structures”, because “there is a structural change in jobs and significant deficiencies in certain formations.
For this reason, Europe “requests more flexible educational systems and adaptable to needs”, and that “a large part of the population can have access” to these initiatives.
Regarding the application, he explained that, “if a university course has 60 credits, a degree, 240, and a master’s, 60, when talking about microcredentials they would be from 1 to 15 credits, understanding that one credit is 25 hours ”, and these accreditations can be “accumulated”.
“We are targeting the population between 25 and 64 years of age, regardless of whether or not they meet the requirements to enter university, because there may be people who did not enter university at the time, but now want to opt to join these courses” , has pointed out the minister.
With this plan, universities “will be able to accredit these people for their professional career to enter this microcredential even if they do not have the Baccalaureate requirements and others that are needed.”
Aid for financing
Regarding financing, he stated that, through an addendum to European funds already approved by the Council of Ministers, an endowment of 50 million euros has been obtained so that universities can apply this plan from January 1, 2024 to January 30. June 2026.
The forecast is that, in this period, this endowment will allow a thousand training and accreditations for 60,000 people as a “minimum commitment”, according to Subirats.
For her part, the president of the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE), Eva Alcón, has applauded this initiative and has assured that these institutions have already “been working” on this matter for some time, but now it opens with the plan ” a different ecosystem.
For Alcón, it will be “a valid instrument to continue with the mission of learning throughout life” and also “a magnificent instrument for inclusion and to generate equal opportunities.”