Abstract
Microcredentials have emerged globally as a principal policy instrument for promoting lifelong learning, upskilling, and flexible workforce transitions. While international bodies have advanced high-level definitions and guidelines, national higher education systems diverge significantly in how microcredentials are integrated into existing regulatory, quality assurance, and qualifications frameworks. This comparative study examines the policy coherence and implementation gaps within the national microcredential architectures of Ireland and New Zealand—two early adopters that established formal, system-wide approaches within small, highly centralized tertiary education ecosystems. Utilizing a qualitative comparative policy analysis informed by document analysis of national strategy documents and semi-structured interviews with 18 higher education policy actors and institutional leaders, the article investigates the degree of alignment across national qualification frameworks, quality assurance mechanisms, institutional operations, and labor market valuation. Findings reveal that while both jurisdictions exhibit high vertical coherence in initial policy formulation through bodies such as Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), both experience marked horizontal implementation gaps. These frictions materialize in administrative bottlenecks during institutional course approval, pervasive ambiguities regarding credit stackability toward complete awards, and uneven employer recognition. The article concludes with an integrated governance framework designed to bridge the policy-practice divide, offering transferable insights for higher education policymakers seeking to balance agile credentialing with academic rigor and regulatory integrity.
