Microcredentials as a mechanism for developing human capital in postgraduate education in New Zealand

Micro-credentials have been widely adopted across multiple levels of learning, but their contribution to the development of human capital for postgraduate learners in specific contexts remains under-examined. This qualitative exploratory study investigated the motivations, experiences, and outcomes of ten postgraduate students who had completed at least one micro-credential as part of a larger learning journey at a single New Zealand tertiary institution. Semi-structured interviews were thematically analysed using human capital theory as an interpretive lens. Findings suggest that postgraduate micro-credentials can support confidence, efficacy, and professional productivity, helping learners transition into and through advanced study while applying new learning in their workplaces. A contextualised application of human-capital theory is used to capture the iterative and practice-embedded nature of postgraduate micro-credential learning. The results suggest how micro-credentials may contribute to human capital development in this and related contexts.