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

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Transparency
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August 17th, 2022
Welcome to the August 2022 edition of Transparency, Credential Engine’s monthly newsletter. Since 2016, Credential Engine has pioneered mapping the credential landscape with clear and consistent information, fueling the creation of resources that empower people to find the pathways that are best for them. We envision a future where millions of people worldwide have access to information about credentials that opens their eyes to the full range of opportunities for learning, advancement, and meaningful careers.

On December 5th, Credential Engine will be celebrating its five-year anniversary and acknowledging all that has been achieved with our many partners. Together, and through open collaboration, we have done so much in those five years and do not expect to stop anytime soon! Save the date to attend our virtual celebration on December 5th, 1-4 pm ET.
Jump ahead:

> Spotlight (#Spotlight)
> Updates (#Updates)
> Policy Corner (#Policy)
> State Connections (#State)
> Technology & Support (#Technology)
> News (#News)
> Events (#Events)


** Spotlight.
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Did you know that the Credential Registry and the CTDL fully support the transparency of competencies and skills for the benefit of learners and employers, and the creation of skill pathways between credentials and job requirements? The Registry currently houses 973 competency frameworks including over 53,000 competencies spanning education, training, and employment.

An example of the importance of Credential Engine’s work is that the U.S. Department of Labor currently has 34 ([link removed](s)&keywords=ce-00efc2bd-d322-4242-a7fd-4a9783d99e54&filterparameters=%7B%22n%22:%22organizationroles%22,%22aid%22:686,%22rid%22:[6,7]%7D) [link removed](s)&keywords=ce-00efc2bd-d322-4242-a7fd-4a9783d99e54&filterparameters=%7B%22n%22:%22organizationroles%22,%22aid%22:686,%22rid%22:[6,7]%7Dcompetency frameworks
([link removed](s)&keywords=ce-00efc2bd-d322-4242-a7fd-4a9783d99e54&filterparameters=%7B%22n%22:%22organizationroles%22,%22aid%22:686,%22rid%22:[6,7]%7D) published as CTDL that are ingested to the Registry as linked open data. This includes Industry Competency Models and O*NET® competencies. The DOL competency models provide nationally recognized grounding for defining the knowledge, skills, abilities, tasks, and work activities in specific occupations and work roles, as well as cross-functional skills and foundational competencies mapped to multiple occupations.

Another example is that Credential Engine has worked closely with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) to publish their Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge ([link removed]) (SHRM BASK) competency framework to the Credential Registry. The SHRM BASK describes the HR field and defines the content areas of SHRM’s certification examinations: the SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP®) ([link removed]) exam for HR professionals in operational roles and the SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP®) ([link removed]) exam for senior-level HR professionals in strategic roles. Having the SHRM BASK framework ([link removed]) in the Registry makes these important competencies publicly available as linked open data, enabling educators,
apprenticeship providers, and others to connect them to other data.

If you are interested in learning more about Credential Engine or how you can upload your competency data to the Credential Registry, please do not hesitate to reach out.


** Updates.
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Invitation to attend Credential Engine’s Third Open Meeting of its Equity Advisory Council: Credential Engine invites you to join its Equity Advisory Council on Wednesday, September 14th at 1 pm ET to participate in the next open meeting on the Council on Credential Transparency & Equitable Pathways, Transfer, and Recognition of Learning ([link removed]) . The focus of this meeting is to review and have a focused conversation around the data points related to inputs and outputs that support equitable pathways, equitable transfer, and recognition of prior learning, as discussed in the Council’s last open meeting. ([link removed]) Interested in participating? Register today! ([link removed])

Credential Engine’s Support of the U.S. Navy Continues: Over the past four years, Credential Engine has been working closely with the United States Navy on a project that helps the Navy use CTDL to better align and link tasks to jobs, training, and other information in structured pathways. Credential Engine’s technologies are foundational to transparency of credentials, competencies, and job requirements. Linking learning to work illuminates pathways to success, whether in the public, private, or military sectors.

New Advisory Groups Launched: Credential Engine recently revamped and relaunched two of its Advisory Groups ([link removed]) . Over the past few months, Credential Engine staff have been working to design and introduce the new Occupational Licensing Advisory Group ([link removed]) (OLAG) and EdTech Advisory Group ([link removed]) (EAG). All of Credential Engine’s Advisory Groups are open, and we welcome all interested parties to contribute their expertise.

The purpose of the OLAG is to understand where and how occupational licensing data is stored and used, define use cases for occupational licensing data, and build better and more streamlined approaches for publishing license data (directly) to the Registry. If you are interested in joining this Advisory Group, you cansign up for the OLAG here ([link removed]) .

The purpose of the EAG is to advance credential transparency by focusing on how educational technology products can be used to publish data to the Credential Registry. Ultimately, all educational credentials should utilize a common schema and linked open data to meet the needs of all stakeholders. If you are interested in joining this Advisory Group, you can sign up for the EAG here ([link removed]) .


** Policy Corner.
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[link removed] Credit for Prior Learning Recently Released Toolkit: Credential Engine’s Director of Programs, Emilie Rafal, participated in Advance CTE and Education Strategy Group’s Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) Shared Solutions Workgroup to provide insights for their new resource. Embedding CPL in Career Pathways Policy Benchmark Tool ([link removed]) is an impressive step-by-step assessment and planning guide for states, systems, and institutions to ensure that each learner’s skills are fully counted. Transparency and the use of linked open data, via the CTDL, are integral aspects of credit for prior learning policies, and this toolkit will help leaders equitably and effectively implement different methods of CPL.


** State Connections.
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Snapshots From the Roadmap: Each month, Credential Engine and our state partners meet to discuss updates and share experiences with fellow states around credential transparency. A resource for these states to follow and articulate their progress toward credential transparency is the State Roadmap and Action Guide for transparency ([link removed]) , which highlights the steps for state policymakers to help take the inefficiencies out of the labor marketplace and provide more efficient and equitable access to actionable information through the prioritization of credential transparency.

Most recently, two of Credential Engine's state partners, Connecticut ([link removed]) andNorth Dakota ([link removed]) , presented at the STATS-DC Conference along with Credential Engine staff to talk about their progress towards credential transparency. We have provided a highlight of their work and progress on the roadmap below:
* North Dakota developed a “North Dakota Achievement Wallet” which leverages blockchain technology where eTranscripts and badges are used to articulate degree, credential, and career pathways. These learning and employment records (LERs) contain verifiable information about a learner’s achievements across education and training. LERs seamlessly record, verify, transmit, and interpret information among individuals, learning institutions, and businesses. Underpinning LERs is the need for a common language that can describe the skills and competencies of credentials. The CTDL allows credential and skill data to be public, open, and humanly and machine-readable. An example of this is Bismarck State College’s Cybersecurity and Information Technology credential ([link removed]) that’s published to the Credential Registry. CTDL is machine-readable, so this credential is connected to a larger source of rich information to
build the learn and work ecosystem that North Dakota aspires to create for residents and businesses. Read more about North Dakota’s work with Credential Engine here ([link removed]) .
* Connecticut is leveraging the Registry and CTDL to advance the desire of state leaders to define high-value credential pathways, link higher education and workforce development system data, and create applications for end users, such as students and families, counselors, advisors, and policymakers. The inclusion of Connecticut’s credentials into the Registry allows employers to assess credentials and their competencies. That will allow them to expand their view of credentials to a wider range of providers and make more informed hiring decisions. By reviewing credential offerings within an institution and across systems at secondary and post-secondary education and training levels, institution leaders throughout the state also can make more informed choices about course offerings, competencies, and delivery models. Finally, the Registry data will inform the public policy decisions of state agencies regarding workforce development, career pathways, and strategies to meet credential
attainment goals. Read more about Connecticut’s work with Credential Engine here ([link removed]) .


** Technology & Support.
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Open Skills Network June Showcase: During the June OSN Showcase, Jeanne Kitchens, Credential Engine’s Chief Technology Services Officer, presented on Rich Skill Descriptors (RSDs) and how CTDL enables RSDs to have linked open data available for anyone to utilize in their systems and to contextualize those RSDs. Additionally, Kitchens walked through the process of how to include RSDs in the Credential Registry by use of the CTDL. If you are interested in learning more, please view the OSN recording here ([link removed]) .

Updates to Credential Engines “Name Space” Policy: Credential Engine’s technical team made updates and clarifications to the Borrowed Terms in CTDL ([link removed]) section of the Name Space policy. “Effective July 18th, Credential Engine, where possible, adopts terms from other well known and widely implemented RDF vocabularies. Doing so comes with responsibilities: firstly, to acknowledge where CTDL has benefitted from other people's work; secondly, not to damage the beneficial interoperability that reuse provides. To meet these responsibilities, CTDL uses the hierarchy of approaches provided by RDF for adopting terms from other vocabularies that range from ‘use as-is’ through acknowledgment that one term was used as inspiration for another.”


** News.
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SXSW EDU: Vote today on the SXSW EDU panels, including the "Equitable Pathways & Learning Employment Records" ([link removed]) panel that would feature Credential Engine’s Director of Programs, Emilie Rafal alongside Digital Promise and Jobs for the Future. They will explore how LERs can better use linked open data to make the meaning and context of credentials clear, transparent, and easy to understand. Vote today ([link removed]) !

Velocity Membership General Assembly: You can now view Deb Everhart’s, Credential Engine’s Chief Strategy Officer, presentation from the Velocity Membership General Assembly on the valuable work of including meaningful CTDL data in Velocity credentials. The event brought together workforce-tech industry leaders to accelerate the adoption of the Velocity Network, unleashing the full potential of the job market with verifiable career credentials. View the presentation here ([link removed]) .


** Events.
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Measuring Job and Credential Quality – The Role of State P-20W Data Systems
September 22, 2022. 2:00 PM ET— Credential Engine’s Strategic and Policy Engagement Manager, Rachel Vilsack, will be presenting virtually at Data Quality Campaign’s Measuring Job and Credential Quality: The Role of State P–20W Data Systems webinar alongside Jobs for the Future and National Skills Coalition. This webinar will highlight the importance of state data systems in measuring program, job, and credential quality. You will get to learn from two leading states that are currently exploring measurements of job and credential quality as they share lessons learned. Register here today! ([link removed])

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