Ascendia, one of the leading Romanian developers of digital educational solutions, recently participated in the Thessaloniki meeting between the EMPASS consortium and the European Center for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), dedicated to exploring the future of vocational education and training (VET), with a focus on microcredits and their impact on the labor market.
Jürgen Siebel, Executive Director of CEDEFOP, emphasized the importance of improving employability skills through microcredits, their role in advancing learning and their role in vocational purposes. The main focus is on microcredentials and social inclusion among disadvantaged learners and workers. "Digital credentialing in Europe and beyond is advancing, and recent developments indicate that microcredentials will play an even more important role in the years to come."
Anastasia Pouliou, expert on future VET qualifications and accreditation, presented CEDEFOP's work on microcredentials, the importance of transversal skills and competences and the main results of the labor market analysis carried out. Anastasia Pouliou highlighted the need to explore the diversity of non-formal microcredentials; the role and importance of quality assurance and recognition, discussing best practices, implementation challenges and future policy directions.
Representatives of the EMPASS consortium presented their work in the education sector and the impact of microcredit at national level. An interesting discussion followed, focusing on the main challenges related to the implementation and recognition of microcredit.
Cosmin Mălureanu - CEO Ascendia
Cosmin Mălureanu, CEO of Ascendia, emphasized the importance of involving the private sector in the development and uptake of educational microcredit. In an increasingly dynamic labor market, close collaboration between educational institutions, companies and authorities becomes essential. Through EMPASS, Ascendia is actively contributing to the development of innovative and flexible tools capable of increasing young people's real chances on the labor market and providing employers with the certainty of clear and relevant skills.
Joanna Andrzejewska, Head of Programs at JA Europe, presented the EmPass microcredit, highlighting its structure, relevance and potential scalability. She emphasized the importance of co-creation and industry involvement to ensure that it brings real value for learners and future employees. The emphasis on involving all key stakeholders: employers, VET institutions and learners, has been present in the creation of the assessment from the outset, serving as a critical community for its validation and adoption.
This collaborative meeting marks an important step in aligning European education initiatives to the dynamic needs of the labor market, with a focus on youth empowerment, innovation, flexibility and lifelong learning. The EMPASS Consortium recognizes the fundamental role of CEDEFOP in advancing the understanding, implementation and recognition of microcredit in the Member States and sees it as a potential partner in this process.
About Ascendia
Ascendia develops innovative e-learning solutions for various domains such as education, corporate training, healthcare and entertainment. Ascendia's products include LIVRESQ, an e-learning content creation tool, and CoffeeLMS, a learning management system (LMS) for enterprises. Ascendia has been listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange since 2016 (symbol "ASC„).
About the EMPASS project
The EMPASS project is coordinated by JA Europe, Europe's largest provider of entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial health education programs. The project, whose full title is Employment Skills Pass, a Quality Standard for Faster Transition from Education to Employment, is funded by the European Union (EU) under the Erasmus+ Forward Looking program and aims to equip young people with the tools and skills they need to thrive in today's dynamic job market. Its core product, the EmPass microcredit, targets young professionals and students in vocational education and training (VET), with a clear mission to increase employability and promote career readiness. This innovative program was developed through collaboration between leading institutions, educators and industry experts. The consortium is made up of JA Spain, JA Romania, JA Greece, Zurich Insurance Group, IEDT, IME GSEVEE, IN.E, Ascendia, CEVM, IDS, Manpower Group, Accenture and Worldskills Romania.
About JA Europe
JA Europe is Europe's largest and leading organization dedicated to inspiring and equipping young people to succeed. For over 100 years, JA Worldwide has provided practical and experiential learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial health. In the last school year, JA Europe's network in more than 40 countries provided young people with nearly 7 million learning experiences in online, in-person and blended formats, the organization delivered 95,581 teaching experiences and 86,533 volunteering and mentoring experiences. In 2025, JA Worldwide was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, its fourth nomination in four years.
