Massive Open Online Courses have become an influential pillar of education and training in the last decade. People around the world use MOOC's to train their already acquired skills or gain new ones through the world wide web. Both educational institutions and official training providers use MOOC's to enhance the standard educational process through online learning. This paper studies the potential usage of (MOOC's) as a part of formal education in Romania, with proper recognition and accreditation from universities, the labor market, and quality assurance institutions. Using existing successful platforms from MIT and Harvard that give such online credentials, the paper focuses on possible implementations in Romania. The exploratory research is based on a qualitative approach using individual interviews at the faculty level in different universities from Romania with teaching staff and students. Given the different profiles and domains of universities, there needs to be a correlation between the demand of the labor market and the offer of these courses and programs. The findings will provide a general point of view on the future of MOOC's in accredited and recognized education and training. Given the advancements being made in the online education sector and digital skills, these courses will become the foundation of lifelong training in the future. Teaching staff and universities need to be aware of the growing need for digital skills that can be acquired and enhanced through e-learning platforms that do not only help learners to graduate but give them the possibility of recognition in terms of accredited certificates.

MOOC, digital skills, labor market, lifelong training