Enhancing the quality of continuing education in Estonia 

There are approximately 1,400 continuing education providers operating in the Estonian market today. HAKA is committed to assessing and enhancing the quality in the continuing education sector, guided by European values and quality standards, including the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). Through quality assessments, HAKA supports the development of trustworthy and high-quality continuing education in Estonia. As a result of quality assessments, learners, employers and organsations are able to make informed and reliable choices when commissioning training.   

The main tool in quality assessment is conducting ESG-based quality assessment of curriculum groups of continuing education providers, including both formal education institutions and private providers. The assessment examines the quality of curricula and the learning delivered on their basis, as well as the provider’s capacity to offer high-quality learning in a sustainable manner. A positive assessment result serves as a basis for applying for an activity licence and for registering micro-credential programmes. The delivery of micro-credentials is regulated by the Adult Education Act since May 2025.

Supporting providers and partners 

In addition to assessment, HAKA supports training providers through various quality enhancement activities, e.g, organising workshops and preparing practical guidance materials. These activities help providers design outcome-based curricula and prepare for assessment. 

International cooperation  

HAKA has the capacity and experience to carry out quality assessments of cross-border study programmes incl. micro-credential studies. Through international cooperation, we bring international expertise to Estonia and share the Estonian experience in quality assessment and the development of micro-credentials with other countries.

Micro‑credentials have increasingly come into focus in recent years. We contribute to the quality assurance and development of international and jointly developed micro-credentials, e.g., through the EuroTeQ Micro-credentials project. We also support partners in other countries, such as Ukraine or Mongolia within the framework of DOMANI project, by helping to build and improve quality assurance systems for micro‑credentials. This includes enhancing institutional capacity, encouraging flexible and inclusive learning opportunities, and ensuring that micro‑credential provision is trustworthy and aligned with international standards.

The project is funded by the European Social Fund and the Ministry of Education and Research funded program for 2014-2020. 1.06.002.02.15-0003 “Promotion of Adult Education and Enhancement of Learning Opportunities” under the activity 6.5 “Improving the Quality of Continuing Education for Adults”.