Credential Engine, in partnership with the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness, has produced a series of national reports (“Counting U.S. Postsecondary and Secondary Credentials”) that have become the authoritative accounts of the credentialing landscape in the United States. We are now able to prepare customized, state-specific reports that will bring greater insights into the credential landscape within states. These reports will provide an inventory of credentials offered by in-state providers, with breakdowns by occupation and industry, as well as attainment rates and earnings by key demographics where available. These reports are intended to help state leaders take stock of their existing credential ecosystem, lay the groundwork for a more transparent credential landscape, benchmark with other states, guide investments in education and training, get further insights into progress toward advancement goals, and help push policy goals forward. Read the full prospectus.

New Policy Brief—Credential Transparency: An Essential Part of Attaining State Goals

Our nation is confronted with the daunting task of rebuilding the economy and creating opportunities for individuals who have been impacted by health and equity crises. Achieving this will require a system that gives policymakers, education and training providers, and opportunity seekers access to data systems that make information about credentials more searchable, comparable, and actionable — what we call credential transparency. Our latest Policy Brief outlines the actions state policymakers can take to make credential transparency part of their state’s education, workforce, and economic development strategies. It showcases the ways credential transparency connects to and augments current state policy priorities; provides examples of specific state policies that support credential transparency; highlights opportunities and actions state leaders can take; and suggests actions and funding streams to support credential transparency. Read the Policy Brief.

Alabama Credential Registry: Alabama recently launched the Alabama Credential Registry in partnership with Credential Engine, Lumina Foundation, the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, and the Alabama Workforce Council. The Alabama Credential Registry is part of a larger strategy to bolster the state’s talent development system. It will enable employers and education and training providers to publish all the certificates, licenses, traditional degrees, and non-degree credentials offered in Alabama. Registry information will also help signal to employers that a worker or student possesses the requisite skills for a job. Read the full press release.

 

Credential Engine Will Help Advance the Kauffman Foundation’s Vision for Real World Learning in Kansas City: Credential Engine will help map the credential landscape in Kansas City and move the region toward credential transparency in support of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s vision for Real World Learning—a Kansas City community initiative to help prepare the region, students, and employers for the future. Bringing credential transparency to the Kansas City region is especially meaningful because the local economy spans two states and six counties with disparate data collection methods and no common schema to describe credentials, competencies, and skills. For example, there are almost 20,000 credentials across Kansas and Missouri—including diplomas, certificates, apprenticeships, licenses, and degrees. Without a standard way to understand, compare, and connect credential data, it is nearly impossible for leaders to understand the credential landscape and people cannot navigate their options effectively and efficiently. Credential Engine will help create a more transparent system that places credential information at the hands of leaders, learners, workers, credential providers, and employers. Read more.


A New Brief on Career Pathways: Like helpful transit maps that lay out relevant destinations, routes, and connection points, career pathways help everyone identify career goals and form career plans based on sequences of required credentials, competencies, jobs, courses, and more. A Pathways Action Team from the Midwest Credential Transparency Alliance found 692 different career pathways across the Midwest. While progress towards creating more pathways is occurring at multiple levels across the region, the emerging challenge is to ensure that these pathways are consistently articulated, well connected, and supported by policies, practices, communications, and role responsibilities. To help guide these developments, the action team articulated a pathway maturity model for the Midwest region which includes a set of general recommendations and actions the Pathways Action Team will undertake. Read more.

The New Credential Finder: We invite you to visit the new Credential Finder and uncover the types of tools made possible by credential transparency. The Credential Finder is a web-based application that allows users to search, find, and compare credential information. While fully functional, the Credential Finder is intended to serve as an inspiration for the types of custom applications that organizations, institutions, and agencies can develop. The goal for these tools is to make it easy for people—learners, workers, educators, providers, employers, etc—to find and act upon the various credential opportunities available to them. If you are familiar with the Credential Finder or have viewed it in the past, we have an overview page detailing the updates and new navigation features. After exploring the new Credential Finder, please consider sharing your feedback with us so we may continue to improve. View the recording of the New Credential Finder Launch Webinar.

Call for Participation—Credential Approval Lists Task Group: You are invited to join our new Credential Approval Lists Task Group (CALTG). The work of this task group supports the goals of Credential Engine’s state partners and other agencies and organizations who are working to improve the education and training data ecosystem. The CALTG is for subject matter experts who oversee, regulate, review, use, report on, or apply for state education and training funding. For example, ETPL administrators, training providers who are approved or want to be approved for state funding, state leaders who develop “Industry Recognized Credentials” lists, and others. We also welcome federal representatives who oversee relevant federal regulations. The CALTG will hold its first meeting on October 27, 2021, via Zoom, and will meet no more than six times, every other week for one hour, and conclude in January 2022. Learn more about the task group or sign up today.