Cheney brings unique and broad expertise to the challenges faced in the U.S. credentialing marketplace from more than 25 years of experience in crafting national career and technical education, postsecondary education, and workforce development legislation, including the expansion of apprenticeship programs, and better alignment of workforce and economic development strategies and initiatives in regions around the country.
Credential Engine is being launched with initial support of JPMorgan Chase’s Global Philanthropy and Lumina Foundation.
Chauncy Lennon, Managing Director and Head of Workforce Initiatives, Global Philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase, notes that: “Scott Cheney is an exceptional choice to be Credential Engine’s founding Executive Director. His experience leading the development of national legislation, working on regional workforce and economic development efforts, and partnering with companies through his work at the American Society for Training and Development, the National Alliance of Business, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has produced a unique perspective on the skills and credentialing ecosystem in today’s economy.”
Jamie Merisotis, President and CEO of Lumina Foundation adds: “Scott is both the practical and out-of-the-box thinker needed to lead Credential Engine. He is well experienced in working with a range of stakeholders − the business community; certifying, licensing and standards groups; education and training providers; and policymakers at the federal and state levels.”
Cheney most recently served as Policy Director of Workforce, Economic Development and Pensions for Senator Patty Murray and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Additionally, he was the staff lead on the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and has been staff lead on efforts to reauthorize the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act and to pass legislation to expand registered apprenticeships in the country. Key language and elements in these laws and others were specifically designed to align with other major legislation related to the nation’s postsecondary education and training system (e.g., Trade Adjustment Assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families — TANF, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment & Training — SNAP E&T, and Higher Education Act, Unemployment Insurance). Prior to his work on Capitol Hill, Cheney formed his own consulting firm and worked with a number of states, companies, foundations and think tanks on a host of education, training and employment issues. This built on his prior work at the National Alliance of Business, managing international benchmarking and research programs on companies’ training and development practices in the U.S. and Europe at the American Society for Training and Development; running national programs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and working with foster-care, homeless youth and adult literacy programs.
Cheney has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Carleton College and a master’s in public policy from Georgetown University.
About Credential Engine (www.credenginedev.wpengine.com)
Credential Engine is a 501C3 non-profit organization whose mission is to improve transparency in the credentialing marketplace. Credential Engine pursues this mission by maintaining the open-licensed Credential Registry (CR) and Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL), and promoting an open applications marketplace.
For more information, please contact info@credengine.org.