Credential Engine, a national nonprofit organization working toward a future where people have access to information about credentials that opens their eyes to the full range of opportunities for learning, advancement, and meaningful careers, has received a new grant from Walmart. The funding will support essential work to ensure that emerging Learning and Employment Records (LERs) in several states integrate in-depth information about the credentials, competencies, outcomes, pathways and more to maximize their value to learners, workers, employers and others.
LERs are secure, digital and shareable collections of an individual’s learning and work experiences that aim to help people better pursue education and employment opportunities. In today’s employment landscape full of changing skill requirements, LERs will be an essential tool for people and the economy. The promise of LERs includes the integration of rich credential and competency information to help map pathways to further education and employment. Credential Engine technologies, such as the Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL) which provides a common language to understand credentials and their associated skills regardless of provider, create greater alignment between LERs and learning and employment opportunities.
“As the labor market evolves to value and operate based on skills across all forms of learning and experience, the ability of individuals to capture and share their knowledge, skills and abilities through all the credentials they’ve earned is critical. LERs are a critical part of this evolution, and the inclusion of credential and competency data in CTDL is essential,” says Sean Murphy, Senior Manager, Opportunity at Walmart.
“Credential Engine is in a unique position to help make LERs more impactful. Not only is our Credential Transparency Description Language the piece of the puzzle capable of bridging how education and work talk about skills, but we also have existing partnerships with states and organizations already working on LER development and implementation. Now we can bring it all together and take a deep dive into integrating rich credential and competency data to achieve the promise of LERs,” says Scott Cheney, CEO of Credential Engine.
Credential Engine will work with a handful of states to integrate rich credential and competency data into LER pilots and prototypes to improve the ability of individuals to move along their desired pathways to employment. This initiative will inform various stakeholders — such as state agencies, credential and training providers and employers — on how to use CTDL to align their various data networks and create linkages between credentials and the workplace, all in service of creating better end-user tools like LERs.
If you have any questions about the work being supported through this grant or want to engage with Credential Engine, please contact scheney@credentialengine.org or deverhart@credentialengine.org.
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About Credential Engine:
Credential Engine is a non-profit whose mission is to map 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. Credential Engine has partnerships in 27 states and regions, and across 2 regional consortia of states. Learn more at www.credenginedev.wpengine.com.
About Walmart.org:
Walmart.org represents the philanthropic efforts of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation. By focusing where the business has unique strengths, Walmart.org works to tackle key social and environmental issues and collaborate with others to spark long-lasting systemic change. Walmart has stores in 24 countries, employs more than 2.2 million associates and does business with thousands of suppliers who, in turn, employ millions of people. Walmart.org is helping people live better by supporting programs to accelerate upward job mobility for frontline workers, advance equity, address hunger, build inclusive economic opportunity for people in supply chains, protect and restore nature, reduce waste and emissions, and build strong communities where Walmart operates. To learn more, visit www.walmart.org or connect on Twitter @Walmartorg.