The American Council on Education (ACE) has released a workforce survey created for employers, industry, and workforce representatives of all levels to share perspectives on alternative education credentials. The survey, open until October 31, is part of ACE's Alternative Credit Project, geared to boost acceptance and integration of alternative education credentials across industry, businesses and traditional higher education programs. Dr. Roy Swift, executive director of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-affiliated Workcred and co-director of the Credential Transparency Initiative, contributed to the development of the survey.
According to the ACE, a higher education association, there are over 32 million students who have some college credit but hold no formal academic degree. The ACE Alternative Credit Project—supported by a Bill and Melinda Gates grant—serves to encourage greater acceptance of students' alternative credit. The project represents a solution to a more flexible pathway towards post-secondary education for legions of "non-traditional" students.
Dr. Swift served as a representative to the Competency-Based Education Working Group that developed the survey. The survey covers feedback related to credentials and certification degrees and their perceived value, as well as evaluation of employee communications skills. Employers, industry, and workforce representatives of all levels are encouraged to take the survey. Responses will be used to determine current and future industry demands for knowledge, skills and abilities, and feedback will influence emerging educational programs and to develop new transcripts that communicate more accurately what students know and can achieve with their knowledge.
Take the ACE Survey here.
About Workcred
An affiliate of ANSI, Workcred launched in 2014 and now is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation. Workcred's independence as a legal entity maintains separation from and respects the impartiality of ANSI's accreditation services. Workcred's mission is to strengthen workforce quality by improving the credentialing system, ensuring its ongoing relevance, and preparing employers, workers, educators, and governments to use it effectively.
About Credential Transparency Initiative
Workcred- an affiliate of ANSI and Southern Illinois University (SIU) are leading the Credential Transparency Initiative to create greater coherence, and transparency in the U.S. credentialing marketplace. Funded by Lumina Foundation, the initiative will (1) develop a common terminology for describing key features of credentials; (2) create a voluntary, web-based "registry" for sharing the resulting information; and (3) test practical "app" options to help produce searches that would benefit employers, students, educators and others.