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Transparency
Credential Engine develops its data standards through open, inclusive, and transparent processes

October 17th, 2024
Welcome to Transparency, Credential Engine’s monthly newsletter. As the leaves turn and the days grow shorter, we welcome the Fall months. Enjoy reading about our recent publishing updates, projects Credential Engine is working on, and how you can get involved in our work.
        Jump ahead:
> Spotlight
> Updates
> State Connections
> News
> Events

Spotlight.

Publishing to the Credential Registry enables credential transparency by allowing organizations to share credential and skill data, making it easier for employers to identify qualified candidates, promoting interoperability amongst systems, and enhancing global mobility, ultimately supporting lifelong learning and contributing to a stronger workforce. 

The Credential Registry serves as an open repository for detailed information about various credentials, including degrees, certifications, licenses, and more. By contributing data to the Credential Registry, institutions, employers, and learners can benefit from a comprehensive and open standard source of information. The Credential Registry currently holds data on nearly 80,000 credentials, 3,700+ organizations, 5,000+ competency frameworks, 102,000+ competencies, 23,000+ learning/training opportunities, 19,000+ transfer values, 4,200+ outcomes, and 5,800+ quality assurance actions. Access to accurate and up-to-date information on credentials and skills empowers individuals to explore diverse options, understand the value of different credentials, and align their educational pursuits with their career goals. 

For example, recently the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA) published 74 Certifications and Micro-credentials to the Credential Registry. These certifications and credentials can be added to collections of recognized credentials, demonstrating the value of having these data points in a linked open data format.  

"There are lots of certifications and credentials but SACA certifications and micro-credentials are different in that they certify competencies and connected systems in Industry 4.0 technologies. SACA credentials are published to the Credential Registry in linked open data because it provides transparent and equitable access to all credentials, benefiting those who have been issued or considering SACA credentials” -Jim Wall, Executive Director, SACA

Increasingly, our partners are interested in building collections - or connecting to - credentials that they don’t own, issue, or offer to show learners the full pathways of learning opportunities that they can pursue. This makes linked open and interoperable data from national and global credential providers so valuable. We encourage all certification providers to publish to the Credential Registry, which will provide rich data on knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform specific tasks or occupations, supporting the learn-to-work pipeline. To get involved, please visit our Publish Certifications to Empower Learners with Data page for more information on how to get started.

One of our long-standing state partners, Indiana, has recently published the college credit and course equivalencies for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams, and the Core Transfer Library (CTL), totaling over 4,000 transfer values. Additionally, Ivy Tech Community College published all of its courses to the Credential Registry, demonstrating the value of higher education institutions and states working together to make their state data open and accessible. 

"Indiana has a long history of legislative mandates pertaining to transfer of credit, including a more recent one to publish course descriptions and learning outcomes for dual credit courses taught in support of the Indiana College Core, 30 credits of general education courses fully transferable to all public and some independent institutions. Publishing this transfer value information to the Registry, along with AP, CLEP, IB, and Cambridge course equivalencies, will greatly help students to make informed decisions about postsecondary pathways.” - Ken Sauer, Senior Advisor to the Commissioner, Indiana Commission for Higher Education

When states and organizations alike make their data available and transparent, learners, employers, institutions, policymakers, and more can make better-informed decisions that ultimately allow ecosystems to thrive and grow. 

Contact us at [email protected] to learn more and get involved.

Updates.

Groningen Declaration Network Welcomes Credential Engine as New Signatory: Credential Engine has joined the Groningen Declaration Network, a global collaborative effort aimed at enhancing global mobility and transparency in credentialing. This partnership underscores a shared commitment to improving the recognition of qualifications across borders, making it easier for individuals to access educational and professional opportunities worldwide. By aligning with the network's goals, Credential Engine aims to contribute to a more interconnected credentialing landscape that supports lifelong learning and workforce development around the world. Learn more here
 

Join us for the Launch of the CTDL Vendor Assessment Tool (CTDL-VAT): In today's emerging and fast-evolving credentialing and skills ecosystems, ensuring transparency and consistency in vendor selection is critical for organizations leveraging Credential Engine's CTDL and Credential Registry. The new CTDL-VAT is designed to address these needs by providing an open standard tool for evaluating vendors’ capabilities in supporting credential transparency.

With this tool, buyers can mitigate decision risks and confidently engage vendors that meet their unique needs, while vendors can better differentiate their offerings by showcasing how they support credential and skill transparency.

We invite you to our launch webinar on November 7th at 2 PM EST to learn more about how this tool works, its customization options, and why it's a valuable asset for both buyers and vendors in the marketplace.

Register for the webinar here!

Can’t attend? No problem! The recording and all resources will be available on our website after the event.

State Connections.

Credential Engine Contributes to the SkillsFWD Initiative in Indiana: Credential Engine is partnering with Western Governors University (WGU) and others on the SkillsFWD initiative “Scaling a Statewide LER Ecosystem in Indiana to Advance Skills-Based Hiring and Economic Mobility for All Hoosiers.” As part of this effort, Credential Engine will be vital in advancing short- and long-term goals for robust, extensible, and scalable data in the Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL). This data will support Learning and Employment Records (LERs) for all ecosystem stakeholders, including learners, veterans, education and training providers, and employers. 

News.

  1. Credential Engine Becomes a GDN Signatory – Groningen Declaration Network
  2. Strada 2024 Public Policy Agenda
  3. Inside Higher Ed: Enhancing learning mobility through credential transparency
  4. Non-Degree Credentials Are Great Tools, But Some Need Sharpening (forbes.com)

Events.

CBExchange 2024 Conference
November 11-14, Colorado Springs, CO. This year's conference brings together those invested in a shift to a skills-based system, making CBExchange the event for change-makers committed to driving these transformations. Credential Engine will be presenting at “Power Hour, Quality in CBE” which covers themes of quality in competency-based education programs, showcasing unique models or perspectives. In addition, the session “Creating Credential and Skill Transparency with CTDL for Equitable Learning and Employment Records,” will outline JFF's roadmap for creating a more efficient and equitable workforce credential marketplace, highlighting Credential Engine’s role in providing credential transparency and showcasing skills-based workforce development examples, such as badges for veterans transitioning into manufacturing careers.

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