Support from Walmart will help expand open, interoperable credential and skills data across states and regions, supporting skills-based hiring and career navigation.
Washington, D.C., [September 9th, 2026] – Credential Engine, a nonprofit dedicated to making credential and skills data transparent, comparable, and actionable, today announces funding from Walmart to strengthen the infrastructure that powers credential and skills data. The funding will support Credential Engine’s efforts to strengthen the Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL) and expand access to structured, open, linked, interoperable, and durable data. This includes deepening credential and skills data in Arkansas as an example that can offer learnings for other states building credential registries, building regional capacity for talent marketplaces, and coordinating with national partners on shared standards.
Across education and workforce systems, critical data about credentials, skills, jobs, and career pathways remains fragmented and difficult to use at scale. This limits mobility for learners and workers, constrains employers’ ability to identify and verify skills, and makes it harder for states, institutions, and technology providers to build connected pathways. Closing this gap is essential to ensuring that skills-based hiring and career navigation tools can work as intended.
“People shouldn’t need to be experts to understand which skills they have, what training they may need, or what opportunities are available to them,” said Patti Constantakis of Walmart. “We’re proud to support Credential Engine’s work to make that information easier to find and use, so more people can make informed choices about their education, careers and futures.”
“Arkansas is showing what’s possible when a state commits to making credential and skills data open, structured, and interoperable,” said Scott Cheney, CEO at Credential Engine. “With Walmart’s support, we will continue building out a comprehensive credential and skills registry for Arkansas, and support the use of these data for the benefit of all Arkansans.”
Ultimately, this work supports a future where learners and workers can find and use clear, trusted information about the credentials and skills relevant to their goals. As education and workforce systems become more connected across platforms, institutions, and states, trusted credential and skills data can help make pathways to opportunity easier to understand, navigate, and act on.
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About Credential Engine: Credential Engine is a nonprofit whose mission is to map the credentials, qualifications, and skills landscape with clear information, fueling the creation of resources that empower people to discover and pursue the learning and career pathways that are best for them. Credential Engine provides a suite of web-based services that creates, for the first time, a centralized Credential Registry to house up-to-date information about all credentials, the Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL), a common description language to enable credential comparability, and a platform to support customized applications to search and retrieve information about credentials. Learn more: credentialengine.org.