This chapter introduces Volume I: Frameworks, Applications, and Future Directions, the first in a two-volume scholarly collaboration edited by the authors. The chapter establishes the rationale, scope, and timeliness of this collection, responding to rising demand for flexible, skills-based pathways in education and the workforce. It outlines five editorial commitments that shape both volumes: highlight diverse examples and actionable strategies, offer a roadmap for continued evolution, unify a fragmented landscape, center theory-informed approaches, and ensure transferability and relevance. Volume I provides foundational insights through conceptual models, policy perspectives, and frameworks that help readers understand the structures and systems underpinning microcredentialing. Together, these chapters provide a platform for reflection and strategy, positioning readers to engage thoughtfully with the complex and fast-evolving microcredential ecosystem.