The concept of microcredentials is gaining more and more interest, but it has not yet been included in the WHW (Higher Education and Research Act) and therefore does not yet have a legally recognised status. In our current system, we only have legally recognised diplomas on the basis of the WHW. The microcredentials that we will issue during the course of the pilot therefore do not yet have any legal status. However, we are working on this together with lawyers from the institutions.
Because all higher education institutions in the Netherlands have committed themself to the pilot and the current quality framework through the organisations VH and UNL, microcredentials issued within the pilot have national recognition and acknowledgement. In the design of the (digital) certification, we will therefore explicitly mention this national framework.
A follow-up question is whether a microcredential offers opportunities for intake or exemption. This is a subject that falls within the mandate of the examination board of the institution where inflow or exemption is requested.