See what's new with Credential Engine in "Transparency" our monthly newsletter.

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Transparency
Credential Engine develops its data standards through open, inclusive, and transparent processes
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February 15th, 2024
Welcome to Transparency, Credential Engine’s monthly newsletter! We are excited to announce and provide insight into one of our current projects that has a global impact. The Global Micro-Credential Schema Mapping Project is the culmination of partners, subject matter experts, and Credential Engine staff coming together to streamline the understanding and comparison of micro-credentials from around the world. Learn more about this project below!
Jump ahead:
> Spotlight (#Spotlight)
> Updates (#State)
> Technology & Support (#Technology)
> News (#News)
> Events (#Events)


** Spotlight.
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Credential Engine’s Global Micro-Credential Schema Mapping Project

Last year, Credential Engine’s Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL) Advisory Group identified micro-credential mapping as a valuable tool to provide transparency across many different ways of defining micro-credentials around the world. This year, we have initiated the Global Micro-Credential Schema Mapping Project aimed at aligning various schema definitions to help facilitate understanding and comparison of micro-credentials. This project was created with the intention of addressing the confusion around micro-credentials, by taking different schemas for defining micro-credentials and lining them up against each other so that they can be compared.

Micro-credentials can be valuable, stackable, interoperable records of achievements that are more flexible than degrees, but without a way to clearly define those credentials, people lose out on opportunities. And with the increasing emergence of different micro-credential frameworks, it is important to be able to transparently compare them. Schema mapping can make sense of the similarities and differences among different definitions for micro-credentials in different regions of the world.

Through this project, Credential Engine’s Advisory Group is mapping 5+ different micro-credential data schemas from around the world. Credential Engine’s Data Ecosystem Schema Mapper (DESM) tool, developed in collaboration with the T3 Innovation Network, provides a way to create, edit, maintain, and view crosswalks between data schemas. To see mapping progress via DESM ([link removed]) , select “Micro-Credential Mapping” and “Select. Use the “Assertion,” “Micro-credential Claimed,” “Micro-credential Specification,” “Issuer”, and “Owner/Offeror” tabs at the top of the page.

The benefits of schema mapping for micro-credentials include aiding transferability of micro-credentials across jurisdictions, providing guidance for policymakers, and promoting credit recognition for international admissions. Understanding regional differences, establishing shared language, and quantifying compatibility are essential for enhancing global portability and fostering collaboration among different credentialing systems.
To learn more about the Global Micro-Credential Schema Mapping Project and participate in mapping additional micro-credential schemas, contact us at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .


** Updates.
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Credential Engine Stands Up Metrics Task Group: Transparent education and employment outcomes metrics empower people to make informed decisions about education and career paths. Credential Engine is hosting a targeted Task Group focusing on the metrics used in determining outcomes in credentialing ecosystems to further expand and refine the CTDL terms available to describe them. By participating in the CTDL Education and Employment Outcomes Metrics Task Group, you’ll play a vital role in improving how the CTDL meets the evolving needs of credential transparency. This Task Group will focus on education and employment-related outcomes metrics, sets of numeric values that can be described with CTDL Quantitative Data (QData) ([link removed]) . Learn more about this opportunity here ([link removed]) and sign up here
([link removed]) today!

Making Navy Workforce Information Visible: Credential Engine has supported the U.S. Navy in a workforce development digital transformation initiative for the past three years. The initial goal was to provide a scalable workforce development tool to accommodate workforce information related to over 70 occupational fields. This work has expanded to include data integration across multiple data silos sources.

The project proved that performance and training tasks can be linked, and the data can provide decision-makers with valuable insights, such as determining budget requirements. The tool cut the government’s review time of proposed occupational field reports from weeks to minutes and provided a more extensive review of the proposed occupational field reports. In addition, the tool has been used in multiple budget discussions and identified potential training funding savings by identifying training course requirement duplications across the enterprise. Credential Engine's future potential Navy projects are to provide the Navy with the capability to improve the visibility and accessibility of training-related information utilizing CTDL and publishing to the Credential Registry.

Attend Upcoming Webinar on CTDL Rubrics: Rubrics enable clear assessment of skill levels for assessing learning outcomes and evaluating job performance, providing transparent information about what a person knows and can do. Credential Engine is hosting a webinar for the public on February 29th at 1:00 pm ET that will cover recent updates to the CTDL and the Credential Registry publishing system focused on rubrics. During this webinar, we will provide an overview of the value of assessing skills with CTDL rubrics, explain the CTDL rubric terms implemented in September 2023, demonstrate and provide step-by-step instructions for publishing rubrics to the Credential Registry, and cover options for consuming rubric data from the Registry. If you are interested in attending, register today! ([link removed]) Learn more about this webinar opportunity here ([link removed])
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** Technology & Support.
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Last Chance To Provide Input on Proposed CTDL Certificates Terms: Credential Engine follows a process to make updates to the CTDL which allows for a feedback period for those updates. The most recent proposed updates are to clarify the diverse marketplace of certificates by providing more extensive credential type definitions in order to help people make informed decisions. The CTDL Certificates terms updates are part of an open process designed to facilitate organized changes to CTDL Linked Open Data. If you are interested in learning more, click here ([link removed]) . If you are interested in providing feedback, please use any of the following options by February 16th:
1. Comment directly in theDraft CTDL Certificates Terms Proposal V 3.1 January 12, 2023 ([link removed]) (To add your feedback, highlight the applicable text and right-click, then select “+Comment,” type your feedback, and hit the blue Comment button to save.
2. Add comments toGitHub Issue #914: Certificates Task Group Proposal ([link removed]) .
3. Email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .


** News.
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New Blog out on Skills-Based Hiring & Life of a Credential: SkillRise takes a deep dive into skills-based hiring (SBH) and the life of the credential in their new blog ([link removed]) . This blog explores what SBH can mean for students, educators, and companies and looks at what digital credentials are and why the tools highlighted, like Credential Engine's suite of technology, could be instrumental in creating a more inclusive workforce system for everyone.


** Events.
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Mapping State Progress and Opportunities to Advance Data and Reporting on Non-Degree Learning, Credentials, and Career Pathways

(February 14th-15th, Houston, TX) - Credential Engine is participating in the Mapping State Progress and Opportunities to Advance Data and Reporting on Non-Degree Learning, Credentials, and Career Pathways convening hosted by the National Skills Coalition. This event brings together a mix of postsecondary, workforce, data, and policy advocacy stakeholders to examine states' investments in non-degree credentials and programs and to unpack what it will take to enhance their ability to understand and report on quality, outcomes, and impact.

NISTS Annual Conference

(February 21st-23rd, St. Louis, MO) - Credential Engine will be in attendance at this year's NISTS Conference ([link removed]) . This conference will cover improving transfer and understanding the complexities around the transfer journey. This event will bring professionals from all levels and sectors of higher education together and reflect on best practices, emerging trends, and forward-thinking solutions.

2024 Digital Credentials Summit
(March 4-6, New Orleans, LA) - Credential Engine will be presenting at this year's 1EdTech Digital Credentials Summit ([link removed]) . This conference brings together education leaders, employers, and edtech innovators who are working towards creating a better future for all learners. Credential Engine will be speaking at the “Data Collab for a Skills-Based Economy: Impact of Non-Degree Credentials” session that will showcase efforts between the Education Design Lab, Credential Engine, the National Student Clearinghouse, Brighthive, Rutgers Education & Employment Research Center (EERC), and Georgetown University researchers. We will also be presenting with our partners on our Global Micro-Credential Mapping Project and harmonization across different frameworks, including the new 1EdTech TrustEd Microcredential Framework.

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