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Transparency
Credential Engine develops its data standards through open, inclusive, and transparent processes
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October 16th, 2025
Welcome to Transparency, Credential Engine’s monthly newsletter! This month, our staff had the pleasure of gathering in Washington, D.C. for our annual retreat, bringing together team members from across the country. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect, share ideas, and reflect on the work we’re doing to make credentials and skills more transparent, accessible, and meaningful. Keep reading to learn more about our latest initiatives, insights, and updates from across the credentialing ecosystem.

Credential Finder Numbers ([link removed]) : 106,624 Credentials, 14,952 Organizations, 48,174 Learning/Training Opportunities, 12,488 Competency Frameworks, 231,707 Competencies, and more! We encourage readers to explore the Credential Finder and learn more about the data in the Credential Registry.
Jump ahead:

> U (#Policy) pdates (#Updates)
> Policy Corner (#Policy)
> Partnerships (#State)
> Events (#Events)


** Updates.
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Coming soon! 2025 Counting Credentials Report: Credential Engine will release a new Counting Credentials report in December 2025 with updated data on the United States credential count, along with new insights about what this means for learners, employers, and the economy. Stay connected ([link removed]) to receive the report on release day.

Credential Engine Extends Its Commitment to The GDN Network: Credential Engine is proud to extend its commitment to global credential transparency by becoming a Patron of the Groningen Declaration Network ([link removed]) (The GDN Network). Through ongoing collaboration with The GDN Network, including the Conversation Series ([link removed]) on transparency and interoperability and a pilot to publish international Qualifications Frameworks ([link removed]) , this partnership continues advancing shared goals for accessible, connected learning. We’re honored to support a network that empowers learners worldwide through education, knowledge exchange, and mobility.

2025 State of Credentialing Report: Accredible’s 2025 State of Credentialing Report ([link removed]) , featuring insights from 500+ employers, 175+ issuers, and ecosystem partners, offers an evidence-based roadmap to strengthen employer trust, increase visibility, and drive impact across credentialing initiatives. With 91% of employers seeking digital credentials but only 46% regularly seeing them, the report highlights a key opportunity to close this gap. Credential Engine valued the opportunity to share our perspective and contribute to this important work. Check it out to see what’s shaping the future of trusted, transparent credentials.

WGU Launches Achievement Wallet: The Western Governors University (WGU) ([link removed]) Achievement Wallet is a powerful step toward making skills visible and portable, helping more than half a million learners showcase the knowledge and abilities they’ve gained at WGU in ways that employers and others can understand and trust. Credential Engine is proud to support ([link removed]) this initiative in partnership with WGU and iQ4 ([link removed]) . By leveraging the Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL) data in the Credential Registry, WGU can issue course-level achievements that highlight the rich skills within each credential, creating greater transparency and alignment between learning and work.

This effort not only benefits WGU learners but also demonstrates how collaboration across institutions, technology partners, and open standards can unlock new opportunities for learners, employers, and the broader ecosystem. Learn more! ([link removed])

OECD Report Highlights the Value of Credential Transparency: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Education at a Glance 2025 ([link removed]) report underscores the importance of making credentials more transparent, ensuring certificates and associate degrees reflect the skills that employers need. By improving visibility and trust in these credentials, learners, employers, and education providers can make better-informed decisions and reduce skill mismatches. Credential transparency helps connect learning and work, strengthening pathways for all learners.


** Policy Corner.
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Promoting Credential Transparency in U.S. Department of Education Grants: The U.S. Department of Education has proposed a new grant priority for its discretionary grants. The proposal calls for ([link removed]) grantees to “Support the development of talent marketplaces (including credential registries, skills-based job description generators, and learning and employment records) that connect employers, students, and jobseekers by converting job descriptions and learning assertions into discrete, industry-recognized competencies.” Credential Engine supports this priority and encourages the inclusion of credential transparency, ensuring that information about skills and competencies is public, accessible, and actionable. Using structured, open, linked, and interoperable (SOLID) data standards like the CTDL can help learners, employers, and education providers make informed decisions and strengthen workforce development.


** Partnerships.
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[link removed] Arkansas LAUNCH Connects Skills and Competencies to Careers with CTDL: Join us on October 29th at 1 PM ET for a Solution Spotlight Webinar ([link removed]) on how Arkansas LAUNCH ([link removed]) , a free, skills-based platform, uses CTDL data to connect skills, competencies, and career pathways. This webinar offers valuable lessons for states, institutions, and providers seeking to leverage structured credential data to empower learners and align with workforce needs. Don’t miss this chance to see CTDL in action and learn how data transparency fuels more opportunity. Register today! ([link removed]) Learn more about this opportunity here ([link removed]) .

Maryland Publishes Public Service Job Data to the Credential Registry: The State of Maryland has taken a significant step toward increasing transparency and interoperability by publishing its public service job definitions to the Credential Registry, now accessible through the Credential Finder ([link removed]) . By doing so, Maryland has made detailed information about occupations, job titles, descriptions, tasks, competencies, and job requirements available in a machine-readable and interlinked format, enabling employers, credentialing bodies, researchers, and career tools to integrate, crosswalk, and reuse these data more effectively.

All public agencies and private employers are encouraged to follow Maryland’s lead. Publishing your own job definitions, credentials, skill relationships, and career pathways to the Credential Registry can greatly enhance interoperability and visibility. For guidance, see the Education to Work Classes ([link removed]) section of the CTDL Handbook. If your organization has questions or would like support, Credential Engine is ready to help you publish your information so others can discover and put your data to work.

New York State Makes Workforce Credentials Transparent in the Credential Registry: For the past five years, Credential Engine has worked with partners in New York to publish credentials funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Education Stabilization Fund – Reimagine Workforce Preparation grant program. Led by the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL), in partnership with Empire State Development Corporation (ESD), and the State and City Universities of New York (SUNY and CUNY), the project ensured all credentials developed under the grant were made publicly accessible as CTDL linked open data in the Credential Registry. With the grant period having come to a close, information about more than 230 credentials and their providers has been added to the Credential Registry. Credential Engine will continue to provide technical assistance to organizations in New York to maintain and expand their transparently available credential information.


** Events.
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The GDN Network Annual Meeting ([link removed])

Oslo, Norway. October 29-31, 2025. This conference brings together organizations that participate in the GDN Network ([link removed]) and gather at the GDN Annual Meeting to share, learn, and lead discussions on developing capabilities, policies, and technical platforms to enhance data exchange and credential portability, thereby supporting citizen and learner mobility. Credential Engine will be presenting on numerous topics, including our pilot work with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).

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