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Obtaining a microcredential during college is becoming more advantageous. A recent survey indicates that 68% of employers said that if they were to rank a job candidate by their credentials, they would most prefer someone who holds both a college degree and a microcredential.

Employers want grads exposed to diverse viewpoints American Association of Colleges and Universities report finds employers see value in degrees and favor graduates who’ve been exposed to a wide range of viewpoints.

With certificates issued by many different types of organizations, the challenge for consumers of certificates is differentiating which certificates signify that the certification holder met learning outcomes versus just completed the education or training.
https://wcred.link/TheRoleOfCertificates

Happening today, from 1:00-3:00 pm ET: an ANSI-Workcred-Columbia listening session on the U.S. Government National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology (USG NSSCET) and fostering the next generation of standards professionals

There’s still time to register for remote attendance! https://register.ansi.org/columbia_usnss_listening_session_2023

In accordance with the implementation of the USG NSSCET, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and U.S. government participants are listening to various stakeholder communities—and seeking input through a Request for Information. Today’s listening session on the USG NSSCET will focus on building standards awareness and fostering a standards-literate workforce.

https://register.ansi.org/columbia_usnss_listening_session_2023

One of many factors that is increasingly driving individuals to seek out non-degree or alternative credentials is the cost in terms of time and money. Certifications tend to be relatively low in costs and available simultaneously to entry-level and experienced workers, which makes them appealing to more of the workforce.

Four Advantages of Certifications as Alternative Credentials Learn more about certifications as an alternative credential for workers looking to reskill in advance of a career change

Karen Elzey, associate executive director of Workcred, speaks with Susan Farago, talent development at Salesforce, in this latest episode of our Expert Series to highlight how to gain and grow technical skills. Salesforce offers more than 40 certifications ranging from the entry level associate certification to the very advanced Certified Technical Architect.

Workcred Expert Series: Increasing Demand for Cloud, Data, and Software Skills Karen Elzey, associate executive director of Workcred, speaks with Susan Farago, talent development at Salesforce, in this episode to examine how Salesforce ...

In today’s world, it is critical that the learner attain credentials that clearly demonstrate competencies, providing learners with the ability to better their socioeconomic position. What is needed is for knowledge to intersect with relevant job skills, ensuring competencies attained align with employer-identified needs for the workforce.

Elevating Higher Education: Imperatives for Relevance and Excellence The institutions that survive in this rapidly changing and competitive post-pandemic world of education will be the ones that innovate to meet student and industry needs.

Which credentials do manufacturers and workers value the most? Credentials help validate workers' skills and competencies and communicate these skills to potential employers in a portable, transparent way. Find out more in Workcred’s report: "Examining the Return on Investment of Manufacturing Credentials"

The Use and Value of Manufacturing Credentials to Workers and Employers Workcred is actively seeking partnerships that are focused on improving the U.S. credentialing system.

Students want that provides opportunities to explore their personal development and create greater career certainty. We're calling on institutions to focus on outcomes beyond completion to create .

Learn More Strada Education Foundation

Success Beyond Completion: How Can We Best Measure Student Outcomes? Over the past 80 years, our nation has made great strides in improving access to college, and then ensuring that many more students could complete a college degree.

Did you know that certificates are issued not just by education institutions, but also employers, training providers, labor unions, government agencies, & industry associations? Find out more and debunk other common certificate myths in our blog.

Fact or Fiction? Five Myths about Certificates - Workcred Point of View Certificates play a vital role in today’s skills-based economy for employers and job-seekers, but there are many misconceptions about them.

Learners are looking to digital credentials as a way to help them gain new skills and meet the demands of employers in an ever-changing world. To stay current, continual learning throughout one’s lifetime is becoming more and more important. While a degree is one avenue to take towards securing employment and building a high-quality life, there are other paths as well, and continual learning is important for degree and non-degree earners alike.

Innovative Credentials Are a Win for Learners In 2014, researchers from the Center for Creative Leadership and Teachers College, Columbia University released a white paper on Learning Agility. They found that learning agility - the willingness and ability to continue to learn throughout one’s entire life – is one of the best indicators that...

would like to express our gratitude to our board and council members, funders, partners, and the credentialing community. Together, we are building a better system. wcred.link

Can Microcredentials Bring Stop-Outs Back to College? A swath of learners who left college before earning a degree say microcredentials and credit for prior learning could entice them back to college, according to a recent survey.

Can microcredentials bring learners back to college? A swath of learners who left college before earning a degree say microcredentials and credit for prior learning could entice them back to college, according to a new survey.

The construction industry is the ultimate team sport, requiring commitment, skills, and manual labor to build a quality project safely, but where do credentials fit in? The latest episode of RVN Television's Morning Coffee Expert Series, featuring & , looks at how credentials add value to the construction industry, and how they can open horizons for millions of craft professionals.

Building Quality Construction Professionals with Credentials: Access the Latest Episode of the Workcred Expert Series The latest episode of RVN Television's Morning Coffee Expert Series, featuring Dr. Roy Swift, executive director of Workcred, and guest Boyd Worsham, president and CEO of the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), looks at how credentials add value to the construction indus...

Issuers of assessment-based certificates and certificates of achievement have opportunities to develop their programs based on national standards and become accredited. These qualities all serve to highlight the benefits of these types of certificates as a credential that signifies the knowledge and/or skills of the holder, which is valuable both to the individual and the employer.
https://wcred.link/TheRoleOfCertificates

A new survey finds young people are interested in pursuing pathways beyond four-year degrees. Younger adults are looking for opportunities to learn and grow. Nondegree pathways—including certification programs, boot camps, apprenticeships, and other competency-based learning credentials—can be a solution, bridging employer needs with student interests.

High schoolers skip college to gain job experience Nondegree pathways are growing in popularity among high school graduates. A new report reveals a gap between students’ knowledge of available opportunities beyond a four-year degree and their interest in skills-based learning.

In this latest episode of the Workcred expert series, Workcred's Roy Swift is joined by Boyd Worsham, President & CEO of NCCER to highlight what kind of jobs and credentials are available in the construction industry. NCCER is the leading provider of construction education for industry and career and technical education programs.

Workcred Expert Series: Construction and Maintenance Craft Professionals In this latest episode of the Workcred expert series, Workcred's Roy Swift is joined by Boyd Worsham, President and CEO of the National Center for Construct...

Workcred and partners shared information about the soon-to-be published “Standard Practice for Competency-based Workplace Learning Programs” standard during the annual CAEL conference this week. Creating a workplace learning standard will formalize this important form of preparation and will help meet the need for continual learning to up-skill and re-skill the workplace.

Publications and Events: Presentations Workcred events and webinars

Last week, Workcred joined as a promotional partner and presenter on and pathways at “Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education Promotional Partners,” a conference hosted by UPCEA and AACRAO that explored new trends and models in alternative credentials, particularly at the institutional level.

Credential Innovation in Higher Education: Workcred Joined as Partner, Presenter at Joint UPCEA and AACRAO Conference Credential Innovation in Higher Education: Workcred Joined as Partner, Presenter at Joint UPCEA and AACRAO Conference 11/08/2023 Workcred joined as a promotional partner and presenter on microcredentials and Certification+Degree pathways at “Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education,....

Many misconceptions about certificates persist among employers and can hold employees back from obtaining valuable credentials to increase their knowledge and boost their desirability to employers. Check out our blog to help overcome some of these misconceptions

Fact or Fiction? Five Myths about Certificates - Workcred Point of View Certificates play a vital role in today’s skills-based economy for employers and job-seekers, but there are many misconceptions about them.

Increasingly, colleges and employers are looking for strategies that will allow them to adopt skills-based learning and assessment. But to be effective, the courses and assessments need to be built on meaningful, verifiable learning practices that actively help students learn the content they are supposed to be mastering.

The pedagogy behind skills-based assessment - eCampus News Microcredentials are increasing, but to be valid, they need to be based on sound practices such as skills-based learning and assessment.

Quality assurance about the different aspects of degrees & certifications are critical to changing the perceptions about non-degree credentials, & how when combined with degree programs can increase the employability & marketability of college graduates.

workcred.org

Don’t miss out on how Workcred, the Higher Learning Commission, the League for Innovation in the Community College, and Kirkwood Community College are launching Certification and Degree (C+D) Pathways.

2023 Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education | November 1-3, 2023 | Capital Hilton | Washington, DC | UPCEA + AACRAO 2023 Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education | November 1-3, 2023 | Capital Hilton | Washington, DC | UPCEA + AACRAO

Workcred is excited to share our latest news with you. Take a moment to discover what we’ve been up to over the past few months, including our latest publication, Examining the Return on Investment of Manufacturing Credentials, as well as our playbook on Embedding and Aligning Certifications with Academic Programs. Additionally, we have formed several partnerships and have upcoming events where we will engage in discussions on various credentialing topics.

Unpacking the Power of Credentials At Workcred, we talk a lot about the importance of transparency and collaboration when it comes to understanding the value of credentials, but what is the true return on investment of credentials? What do the credentials mean to workers and employers? For starters, we need quality insights and data....

Microcredentials have become an increasingly popular education choice for many learners. These short, skills-focused programs are typically aimed at careers in high-demand sectors such as healthcare, and often create opportunities to build new skills continuously throughout a career and remain relevant in the workplace.

Council Post: Connecting Higher Education To The Workforce Of Tomorrow What steps must colleges and universities take to ensure their essential leadership in preparing America’s next generation for career success?

Next week, Karen Elzey, Workcred’s associate executive director, is participating in a panel discussion alongside colleagues to discuss how the UT System is “Integrating Microcredentials into Undergraduate Experiences” through its partnerships with Workcred and Coursera. This initiative aims to equip learners with the skills, knowledge, and competencies that are highly sought after by employers.

2023 Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education | November 1-3, 2023 | Capital Hilton | Washington, DC | UPCEA + AACRAO 2023 Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education | November 1-3, 2023 | Capital Hilton | Washington, DC | UPCEA + AACRAO

Are there even standards for certificate programs? The answer is yes. There are two standards that are relevant to assessment-based certificate programs and certificates of achievement: the ANSI/ASTM E2659-18 Standard Practice for Certificate Programs (ANSI/ASTM E2659), and ICE 1100: 2019 - Standard for Assessment-Based Certificate Programs (ICE 1100:2019). Both standards provide guidance to certificate issuers about the process to develop and administer certificate programs; establish requirements for both the organization issuing the certificate and the certificate program for which certificates are issued; and provide a foundation for the accreditation of an organization to issue a certificate upon an individual’s successful completion of an education or training program.
https://wcred.link/TheRoleOfCertificates

Since in high-growth, high-wage fields generally require postsecondary , it is making it harder for those without degrees to access these jobs. It's time to think about the purposeful blending of rigorous academics and career-connected learning for all students, not just those in college programs.

Let’s Broaden Our Focus From ‘Go To College’ To ‘Get On A Pathway’ "Pathways" are no longer for the non-college bound; they are for everyone.

Dr. Isabel Cardenas-Navia, Workcred’s Senior Director of Research, is participating in a panel discussion on November 3 alongside colleagues from the Higher Learning Commission, the League for Innovation in the Community College, and Kirkwood Community College to share insights on their experiences in launching Certification and Degree (C+D) Pathways under a grant from ECMC Foundation. These C+D Pathways will provide pathways to the workforce by embedding industry-recognized certifications in IT and health sciences into associate degree coursework.

2023 Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education | November 1-3, 2023 | Capital Hilton | Washington, DC | UPCEA + AACRAO 2023 Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education | November 1-3, 2023 | Capital Hilton | Washington, DC | UPCEA + AACRAO

Did you know? Certificates can be broadly grouped into two categories: certificates of completion or participation, and certificates of achievement. Certificates of completion or participation signify completion of an education or training program, whereas certificates of achievement include an assessment(s) that measure learning objectives or knowledge. https://wcred.link/TheRoleOfCertificates

Workcred's Executive Director, Dr. Roy Swift, joined other experts at the recent National Council for Workforce Education to co-lead a discussion on the role of credentials in improving academic outcomes. “This is an exciting time, but it will require everyone to rethink quality in education and how to identify quality credentials outside of academia settings,” said Dr. Swift.

UPCEA has partnered with AACRAO to jointly present a new conference focused on the emergent field of alternative credentials. “Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education” will take place Nov. 1-3, 2023, at the Capital Hilton, in Washington, DC. The program is rich with sessions on emerging trends and models of alternative credentials, plus the sharing of valuable insights into innovative models and trends that are transforming higher ed. See the full program and register here. http://bitly.ws/L6rH

Confusingly, there are different types of certificates that serve different purposes. And whether or not someone achieves learning outcomes after earning a certificate is complicated by the fact that not all certificates convey the same type of information about the knowledge and skills of the certificate holder. Check out this issue brief to see more about the purposes of different types of certificates, the national standards for certificate issuers, and the process for accreditation of certificate issuers.
https://wcred.link/TheRoleOfCertificates

Technological advances, such as Learning and Employment Records (LERs), digital credentials, and skills frameworks and/or taxonomies, must be further developed and integrated into existing processes so they are broadly implemented by organizations and used by individuals. Equally important, data from these systems must be linked together with relevant data (e.g., demographics, employment, wages) to understand their impact.

Non-degree Credentials in Engineering: Exemplifying the Promises and Challenges for All Credentials - Workcred Point of View Learn how Workcred examines how non-degree credentials are used within (postsecondary) engineering education and the engineering workforce.

Unlocking potential: Pathways for low-wage workers to quality jobs through apprenticeships – from Burning Glass Institute and sponsored by Multiverse – finds this workforce could move into good jobs by way of apprenticeships. The report identifies “apprentice-able” jobs including IT project managers, computer systems analysts, licensed practical and vocational nurses, and software developers – which, based on 2022 job postings, do not necessarily require a bachelor’s degree.

Apprenticeships are a pathway to advancement for workers in ‘high-churn, low-pay jobs’ A new report – sponsored by Multiverse – notes economic mobility is possible across industries and occupations.

The data available in engineering strongly suggests that (by the numbers) non-degree credentials play as important a role as degrees. In 2019, community colleges awarded 258,000 certificates in science and engineering technologies. This number does not include the additional certificates, certifications, badges, and licenses issued annually by professional societies, certification bodies, state licensure boards, and engineering companies, which is likely in the hundreds of thousands, annually. Read more on our blog:

Non-degree Credentials in Engineering: Exemplifying the Promises and Challenges for All Credentials - Workcred Point of View Learn how Workcred examines how non-degree credentials are used within (postsecondary) engineering education and the engineering workforce.

Certifications offer a potential alternative to degrees that sidestep some of their disadvantages. Certifications are competency-based credentials rather than time-based, allowing many of them to be obtained relatively quickly. This makes them attractive to workers looking to change careers or re-enter the labor market.

Four Advantages of Certifications as Alternative Credentials Learn more about certifications as an alternative credential for workers looking to reskill in advance of a career change

There is surging interest in the development and use of non-degree credentials—such as certifications, certificates, and licenses—in the education and workforce communities, with a significant focus on understanding the value and use of these credentials. One significant challenge when tackling the questions that arise around this topic is the variety of existing credentials. Non-degree credentials vary in structure, scope, purpose, and quality, making it challenging to disentangle the impact of any single credential. Read more on our blog:

Non-degree Credentials in Engineering: Exemplifying the Promises and Challenges for All Credentials - Workcred Point of View Learn how Workcred examines how non-degree credentials are used within (postsecondary) engineering education and the engineering workforce.

One of the benefits for certificate issuers to become accredited is that the documentation related to validity and reliability can be used as evidence in legal cases that involve incidents in which an employee’s competency is in question. Accreditation may also be viewed as a form of quality assurance since the certificate issuer meets a standard that is validated by a third party.
https://wcred.link/TheRoleOfCertificates

A recent Strada survey underscores the need to ensure that community college offerings lead students to sustainable careers and living wages. Helping students better understand the choices they are making while enrolled could also help increase the value of community college.

Survey: Community college goers talk about missed career goals, whether degree was 'worth it' - The Hechinger Report Many community college students enroll with plans to earn an associate degree or transfer to a four-year college and earn a bachelor’s.