At ANSI’s affiliate, Workcred, cultivating quality is at the root of everything we do to build a more integrated and effective U.S. credentialing system. Research and activities are focused on helping stakeholders better understand the quality, value, and effectiveness of credentials, so they can make more informed decisions. Read on for highlights from 2023-2024.
With more than 500,000 certificates, certifications, and licenses offered in the U.S., how do you go about evaluating their quality and effectiveness? Measuring their outcomes is a critical piece of the puzzle! Under a grant from the Strada Education Foundation, Workcred is helping to develop a national data trust that will answer key questions about the employment, economic, and education outcomes associated with earning specific credentials.
Certification bodies of all sizes can contribute, and Workcred is supporting their capacity to participate. The ongoing Workcred Research-to Action Fund educates and provides technical assistance to small certification bodies about the value of sharing data, encouraging their input into this important initiative.
With microcredentials becoming an increasingly popular way for learners to earn a credential focused on a specific skill or set of skills, colleges and universities are exploring how microcredentials can support learners to earn degrees and become more competitive in the workforce.
Workcred is engaging with institutions like the University of Texas to facilitate the adoption of microcredentials, and to develop case studies about their effectiveness as a part of curricula.
Learn more about microcredentials in the article by Isabel Cardenas-Navia, Associate Executive Director of Research at Workcred, “Microcredentials: Credentials at the Speed of Business".
As part of its long-term research to assess how to effectively use credentials to support a competitive manufacturing workforce, Workcred, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), released a 2023 report on Examining the Return on Investment of Manufacturing Credentials.
For the U.S. manufacturing industry in need of talent and those looking to upskill, quality credentials can bolster effectiveness, efficiency, and performance of the labor market and improve the quality of the U.S. workforce. The report identifies how employers and workers value credentials, which credentials they value, and recommendations to support a highly skilled and efficient manufacturing workforce.
There’s more than one route to a successful career—and Workcred and community college partners in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan are creating new career and credential pathways by embedding certifications into associate degree programs. Workcred and its partners recently showcased project findings at the Higher Learning Commission’s Annual Conference. Stay tuned for the publication of upcoming playbooks that will share project outcomes and allow community colleges to replicate these practices!
Workcred and Dallas College joined forces to develop competency-based apprenticeships in healthcare that incorporate industry certifications. The success of this initiative—part of a U.S. Department of Labor grant—has sparked interest throughout the community in creating work-based learning programs that lead to successful employment and livable wages. Based on this successful program, ASTM International created a new American National Standard, ASTM E3416-23, to guide competency-based workplace learning programs.
Read a recent Workcred blog post to learn more about the new ASTM E3416 workplace learning standard and how it dovetails with two existing standards—ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024 and ASTM 2659—to form a quality triangle for credentialing programs.
With the proliferation of new credentials, individuals struggle to determine what credential is right for them, and employers face the challenge of aligning credentials with occupations. Workcred shares knowledge about the value and use of credentials through various media channels—including an ongoing partnership with RVN Television’s Morning Coffee Expert Series. View recent episodes:
Workcred will continue to expand its impact with publications, blogs, presentations, and micro-chats that build support for the collection and analysis of non-degree outcomes data, increase the quality of credentials and credential pathways, and strengthen the development and implementation of quality work-based learning experiences. Keep up with the latest.
