Message from the President

Creating a society that turns the value of learning into individual potential, careers and human capital management

Our society is now at a major turning point, driven by advances in AI and digital transformation (DX) and by changes in industrial structure. High-level skills in specific fields are increasingly demanded, but acquiring them does not necessarily require a four-year degree program. The importance of recurrent education and reskilling — learning anew and continuously updating one’s skills throughout life — has never been greater.

Against this background, “micro-credentials,” which evaluate the content of short learning programs and issue the learning outcomes as digital certificates, are spreading rapidly around the world as a new infrastructure that visualizes individual skills and connects higher education institutions, private educational institutions and local governments with industry.

The Japan Micro-credential Organization (JMICRO) was established to promote the spread of micro-credentials in Japan, as well as industry-academia and international cooperation. We are convinced that the diverse skills learners acquire through micro-credentials will be appropriately evaluated, lead to learners’ career development and self-realization, and help form an ecosystem that connects directly to human capital management in companies.

Hand in hand with educational institutions such as universities and vocational colleges, and with companies, we will open up a future in which anyone can obtain high-quality learning anytime and anywhere, and in which the outcomes become an asset for society as a whole.

We ask for your continued support and cooperation.

Katsuhiko Shirai
President, Japan Micro-credential Organization (JMICRO)
Professor Emeritus, Waseda University