Statement of Purpose

Statement of Purpose for the Establishment of the Japan Micro-credential Organization (JMICRO), General Incorporated Association (full text)

1. Background and Rationale

   Contemporary society faces global issues such as environmental problems, the management of the global economy, and complex geopolitical challenges, and nations, regions and individuals alike are compelled to respond appropriately. What should we be thinking about now in order to make human society sustainable? Individuals, too, are confronted with rapid technological change, symbolized by AI, and the major shifts in labor markets that accompany it. Responding to such change requires continuously strengthening the competitiveness of the Japanese economy and of the organizations we belong to, as well as the adaptability of each individual. Yet the speed and diversity of change make this requirement fundamentally difficult to meet.
   To address this challenge, numerous reforms have been promoted in conventional higher education systems. However, in addition to the existing academic degree system, building more flexible and diverse learning systems has become an urgent task.
   Such systems enable individuals to learn as needed and to respond to changing labor markets and technological innovation. They help ensure that the diverse learning outcomes of each individual are accurately recorded and expressed, and that each person is given an environment in which to make effective use of their abilities.
   Interest in “micro-credentials” as a flexible and diverse means of learning and certifying its outcomes is growing worldwide. International organizations and governments, including UNESCO, the OECD and EU member states, recognize their importance and are promoting frameworks for standardization and recognition. Concrete initiatives are under way in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Thailand.
   In Japan, by contrast, micro-credential initiatives have only just begun, and integrated solutions are needed to ensure the reliability of learning outcomes, guarantee international compatibility, and raise public awareness.
   In light of this situation, stakeholders from the private sector, education, academia and industry have joined forces to establish the Japan Micro-credential Organization, a general incorporated association serving the public interest (hereinafter “the Organization”), in order to promote quality assurance and the development of standard specifications for micro-credentials in Japan and to build an external recognition scheme.

2. Purpose and Projects

   Taking into account domestic and international trends in micro-credentials, the Organization aims to enhance their reliability, transparency and usefulness in Japan, and carries out the following projects.
   1) Development and dissemination of micro-credential specifications and standards
   ・Developing domestic specifications that reflect the guidelines of international organizations such as UNESCO
   ・Designing linkage with digital credentials such as Open Badges
   2) Building and operating a third-party external recognition scheme for micro-credentials
   ・Reviewing and recognizing programs offered by educational institutions, companies and others
   ・Establishing a fair and transparent recognition process
   ・Managing recognition marks and a registry
   3) Visualizing micro-credentials and promoting their circulation
   ・Systematically mapping micro-credentials to qualifications frameworks (NQF), skills standards and occupational competency frameworks
   ・Supporting the recording of learners’ learning outcomes and portfolios
   ・Supporting awareness and use among companies and society
   4) Policy recommendations and promotion of international cooperation
   ・Conducting research and making recommendations to the government for the development of domestic systems
   ・Promoting the sharing of standards and mutual recognition, centered on the Asia-Pacific region

3. Governance

   Placing emphasis on neutrality and public benefit, the Organization will establish an advisory committee and a recognition review committee composed of representatives of education, industry, government and expert researchers, thereby building a highly transparent and reliable governance structure.
   In order to enhance the social usefulness of micro-credentials at an early stage, the Organization will also promote its projects in cooperation, as far as possible, with higher education institutions and with bodies engaged in professional and vocational education and various forms of practical training.

4. Future Direction

   The Organization will provide a standard foundation for micro-credentials in Japan and play a central role in an ecosystem that appropriately connects individuals’ learning outcomes to society. It will also contribute to mutual recognition and international compatibility in the Asia-Pacific region, and to enhancing the global credibility of Japan’s capacity for human resource development and education.

On the basis of the above purpose, we hereby declare the establishment of the Organization.

July 8, 2025
Japan Micro-credential Organization (JMICRO), General Incorporated Association
The Founding Members