ID274 Developing a Strategic Framework for Skills, CPD and Micro-credentials

The Idea

This proposal sets out the development of a university-wide framework to support a more coherent and strategic approach to skills development, continuing professional development (CPD), and micro credentials at Keele University. The idea aligns closely with Keele's mission to make a difference in society through innovative, high-quality education that benefits individuals, communities and the wider economy (Keele University, 2024). 

For the purposes of this proposal: 

• CPD refers to structured professional learning designed to update or enhance knowledge and skills, such as leadership development programmes, clinical updates, or professional short courses. 
• Micro-credentials are smaller, assessed learning experiences that formally recognise achievement in specific skills or competencies and may contribute towards larger qualifications. 

Examples might include a digital leadership micro-credential, a project management badge, a sustainability skills programme, or a credit-bearing module contributing towards a larger award. 

The framework would support multiple learner groups, including: 

• Existing Keele students 
• University staff seeking professional development and career progression 
• Alumni 
• Regional employers and their workforces 
• Members of the wider community seeking flexible lifelong learning opportunities 
• Further education colleges and training providers. 

An important feature of the framework would be the potential for mixed learner cohorts where appropriate. Bringing together students, university staff, alumni and employer-sponsored learners could create valuable opportunities for peer learning, professional networking and knowledge exchange while maximising the viability of provision. 

National evidence highlights the scale of the skills challenge facing employers and education providers. The UK Employer Skills Survey 2024 reported that more than 1.2 million employees are not fully proficient in their current roles, while over a quarter of vacancies remain hard to fill because of skills shortages. At the same time, employer investment in workforce development continues to decline, increasing the importance of accessible and flexible opportunities for upskilling and reskilling (Department for Education, 2025). 

Locally, the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) identifies persistent skills gaps in priority sectors including advanced manufacturing, health and social care, construction and digital skills, and calls for stronger alignment between education providers and employer need (Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, 2025). The Staffordshire Employment and Skills Strategy similarly highlights the importance of improving workforce skills and supporting lifelong learning to drive regional productivity and inclusive growth (Staffordshire County Council, 2026). 

This proposal focuses on developing a shared framework that establishes common principles and language for skills, CPD and micro credentials while respecting disciplinary diversity and innovation. The framework would also explore how Keele's provision could align with opportunities presented by the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (Department for Education, 2026), including credit-bearing modular provision at Levels 4-6. Over time, this framework could provide the strategic foundations for more coordinated institutional approaches to skills development and lifelong learning, informed by international thinking on flexible learning and micro credentials (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2023). 

Keele is already developing expertise in this area through initiatives such as the Leadership in the Green Economy Skills Bootcamp and its growing apprenticeship provision. These activities have developed institutional capability in employer engagement, flexible curriculum design, workplace learning and skills-based assessment. Expertise developed through apprenticeship delivery also provides valuable experience in employer engagement, flexible learning design, workplace assessment and skills-focused curriculum development. A strategic framework would build on these strengths, enabling the University to better connect apprenticeships, CPD, micro-credentials and credit-bearing provision into coherent lifelong learning pathways. 

The framework is not intended to create entirely new activity. Rather, it would provide a mechanism for aligning, connecting and scaling successful initiatives already operating across the University 

A key objective of the exploratory phase would be to identify an appropriate institutional governance model. This may involve central coordination through a small cross-university steering group with representation from academic schools, apprenticeship provision, CPD activity, employer engagement and lifelong learning. Academic delivery would remain within schools and faculties, while the framework would provide common standards, pathways and quality principles.

Why This Idea Should Be Considered

This idea responds directly to national and regional skills priorities. Employer investment in training continues to fall, placing increasing responsibility on education providers to support workforce development and lifelong learning (Department for Education, 2025). 

Recent confirmation of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement further increases the strategic importance of flexible, credit-bearing learning pathways. From 2027, learners will be able to access funding for approved modules and qualifications, creating new opportunities for universities to support learners throughout their careers through modular and skills-focused provision (Department for Education, 2026). 

Developing a coherent framework would strengthen Keele's response to these challenges while reinforcing its civic mission, regional leadership role, and contribution to economic growth and social mobility (Keele University, 2024; Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, 2025). Development of the framework would involve engagement with key regional stakeholders including NHS partners, local authorities, industry representatives, FE colleges and business networks to ensure provision reflects current and emerging workforce priorities. 

The framework could also support clearer progression routes between further education, apprenticeships, micro-credentials, CPD and higher education qualifications, creating more flexible lifelong learning pathways for learners and employers. This engagement could be facilitated through existing structures and partnerships, including the LSIP network, NHS partnerships, business networks, apprenticeship employer boards and collaborative relationships with further education colleges. These forums would provide ongoing insight into employer demand and emerging skills needs.  

Employer and partner engagement could be facilitated through existing networks including NHS partnerships, Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) structures, apprenticeship employer boards, business networks, local authorities and collaborative relationships with further education colleges. These partnerships would help identify priority skills needs, validate proposed learning pathways and ensure provision remains responsive to regional demand.

How We Would Implement This Idea

Initial activity would involve reviewing existing provision and relevant national and international guidance on micro credentials, lifelong learning and modular education (OECD, 2023), alongside targeted engagement with academic and professional staff, students and local partners. 

The exploratory phase would focus primarily on reviewing existing provision and identifying opportunities to better coordinate and recognise activity already taking place across the University. This would minimise initial resource requirements while providing evidence to inform any future investment decisions. Longer-term implementation would be informed by business planning processes and external opportunities such as employer partnerships, Lifelong Learning Entitlement funding and potential collaborative bids. 

The review phase would explicitly map existing apprenticeship provision, Skills Bootcamps, CPD programmes, short courses and micro-credential activity to identify opportunities for alignment, progression and shared infrastructure. 

A key output of the exploratory phase would be the identification of an appropriate governance model for skills, CPD and micro-credential activity. Rather than creating a new delivery unit, the framework would seek to coordinate existing activity through a cross-university steering group involving academic schools, professional services, apprenticeship provision, employer engagement teams and learning and teaching specialists. Academic ownership of content would remain within Schools, while the framework would provide common principles, quality standards and learner pathways. 

Key Questions for Exploration 

• Which learner groups are most likely to engage with LLE-funded provision? 
• What governance model would best support a university-wide framework? 
• Which regional skills priorities offer the greatest opportunity for impact? 
• How can existing CPD, apprenticeship and micro-credential activity be connected into coherent learner pathways? 
• What level of employer demand exists for credit-bearing modular provision? 

Evidence from the LSIP and regional employment and skills strategies would inform the framework design (Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, 2025; Staffordshire County Council, 2026). The framework could then be tested through small-scale pilots, such as a skills-aligned micro credential, structured CPD pathway or credit-bearing module designed to support future engagement with Lifelong Learning Entitlement funding arrangements (Department for Education, 2026). This would enable the University to assess impact and institutional readiness before considering wider adoption. 

Initial pilots could be developed collaboratively with strategic partners such as NHS organisations to test demand, evaluate impact and refine implementation approaches before wider rollout. 

Potential pilots would be selected against identified regional skills priorities, employer demand and emerging Lifelong Learning Entitlement opportunities. Initial pilots might include: 

• Digital and AI skills for healthcare professionals 
• Leadership and management pathways for NHS staff 
• Project management and change leadership programmes linked to regional workforce priorities 

Phase 1 – Discovery 

• Audit existing CPD, short courses and skills provision. 
• Review LLE requirements. 
• Map regional skills priorities. 
• Engage employers and community stakeholders. 

Phase 2 – Framework Design 

• Develop common definitions. 
• Create principles for quality assurance. 
• Identify recognition and credit arrangements. 
• Establish pathways between CPD, micro-credentials and awards. 

Phase 3 – Pilot Activity 

• Trial one or two micro-credentials. 
• Pilot employer-sponsored CPD. 
• Evaluate learner and employer demand. 
• Assess operational readiness. 

Existing activity, including the Leadership in the Green Economy Skills Bootcamp, would provide valuable learning and evidence to inform framework development. Insights from programme design, employer engagement, learner recruitment and evaluation could help shape future approaches to skills-focused and modular provision.

What Success Would Look Like

Success would be reflected in the adoption of a shared framework that supports clearer learner pathways, improved coherence across skills and CPD activity, and stronger alignment with regional and national skills priorities.

In the medium term, success would include pilot activity that demonstrably responds to employer-identified skills gaps within Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire (Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, 2025).

In the longer term, success would see Keele better positioned to support lifelong learning, strengthen partnerships with employers and communities, and develop more visible, coordinated approaches to skills development that contribute meaningfully to social and economic impact (Keele University, 2024; OECD, 2023). Success would also include establishing foundations that enable Keele to respond effectively to emerging modular learning and funding opportunities through the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (Department for Education, 2026). 

Reference List 

Department for Education. (2025). Employer skills survey 2024. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/employer-skills-survey-2024  

Department for Education. (2026, May 29). Lifelong learning entitlement: What it is and how it will work. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lifelong-learning-entitlement-lle-overview/lifelong-learning-entitlement-overview  

Keele University. (2024). Strategic plan and mission. https://www.keele.ac.uk/about/strategicplanandmission/  

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2023). Micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/micro-credentials-for-lifelong-learning-and-employability_9c4b7b68-en.html  

Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce. (2025). Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP): Progress report. Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce. https://staffordshirechambers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/LSIP-Progress-Report-June-2025-Stoke-on-Trent-and-Staffordshire-Interim-3.0.pdf  

Staffordshire County Council. (2026). Employment and skills strategy 2023-2030. Staffordshire County Council. https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/business/policies-and-strategies/employment-and-skills-strategy