Just as states are forced to address shifting labor market demands, they are under increased obligation to identify, fund, and deliver high quality credentials. Yet the tools and approaches typically used to make these determinations are insufficient to meet the need at any one time, let alone keep current. More than ever, credential transparency and an ability to make informed decisions about the value of credentials through comparative analysis is essential. Credential Engine can support states in designing and implementing practices and policies that improve information about—and access to—transparent and open credential and competency information.

Credential Engine is a public service non-profit whose mission is to create credential transparency, reveal the credential marketplace, increase credential literacy, and empower everyone to make more informed decisions about the value of credentials. In order to bring transparency to all credentials, Credential Engine maintains a web-based Credential Registry to house comprehensive information on all credentials (from diplomas, badges, and certificates to certifications, licenses, and degrees of all types and levels), develops common languages to describe and compare credential and competency information, and provides a platform to support applications that utilize the Registry’s data to create and offer solutions for learners, employers, workers, and educators.

Using these tools and services, Credential Engine can provide technical assistance to states through a number ways:

Develop Use Cases Supported Through Credential and Competency Transparency

  • By using common credentialing and competency languages within the Credential Registry, Credential Engine supports states in developing use cases for credential data. Examples include cases that:
    • Benefit targeted audiences including:
      • Jobs seekers and students;
      • Employers; § Education/Training and Credentialing Providers;
      • and § Government. o Identify and evaluate credentials and competencies that support career pathways, including in high-demand industries and occupations.
      • Determine credential value based on factors such as wages and state employment data.

Develop Policies and Procedures

  • To assist states with providing policy and guidance to credentialing providers, government agencies, and other state system participants, Credential Engine can provide resources that:
    • Educate policymakers on the importance of credential data transparency.
    • Advise the development of policies and procedures to maintain credential transparency to benefit state education, workforce development, and economic development systems.
    • Guide credential issuers and third-party data management vendors as they implement Credential Engine technologies.
    • Recommend support resources for data system integration and maintenance.
    • Provide connections to vendors to explore potential data applications for customized needs

Identify Challenges and Solutions to Credential and Competency Transparency

  • Through data transparency, states will be better equipped to meet the challenges of the future of work and education. Credential Engine can support state planning efforts by offering technical assistance to:
    • Conduct assessment of current state systems that could be sources of credential and competency information.
    • Develop opportunities to publish credential and competency information to the Credential Registry in ways that provide employers, workers, students, policymakers, and the general public better access to data.
    • Identify best practices and latest trends in credential transparency.

Map Credential Data

  • The Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL), allows credentials to be defined in uniform manner to maximize transparency and comparability. By utilizing the CTDL, Credential Engine can help states:
    • Map existing credential information and data to the CTDL enabling system interoperability, comparison, and more efficient search and discovery of credential and competency information.
    • Review credential data resources to identify what additional credential information can be added to advance transparency.
    • Better understand critical credential data points such as cost, time to completion, and competencies.

Integrate Data Across Applications and Systems

  • In order to most efficiently and effectively use credential data, Credential Engine provides services to:
    • Develop best practices around collecting, storing, integrating and managing credential data.
    • Evaluate current systems and strategize how to transform and integrate them to improve inter-system linkages, translations, and communications.

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Tags: State Partners & Policymakers
Other Resources

Credential Transparency Self-Assessment

This self-assessment tool provides an overview of the specific steps laid out in the “Making Sense of Credentials: A State Roadmap and Action Guide for Transparency” report that state leaders can take to help integrate a common data infrastructure into their statewide education systems and to build a public, open marketplace for information about credentials for learners, workers, employers, and others to make informed decisions about credentials and pathways.

Other Resources

Credential Transparency Self-Assessment

This self-assessment tool provides an overview of the specific steps laid out in the “Making Sense of Credentials: A State Roadmap and Action Guide for Transparency” report that state leaders can take to help integrate a common data infrastructure into their statewide education systems and to build a public, open marketplace for information about credentials for learners, workers, employers, and others to make informed decisions about credentials and pathways.

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