The credentialing system is evolving rapidly, with multiple stakeholders – including certification bodies, federal and state agencies, and education institutions – working to establish a data infrastructure conducive to providing evidence of certifications outcomes.
This shift reflects the growing demand from employers and policymakers to understand the impact of certifications on employment, wages, career mobility, and education.
Despite their prevalence in the workforce, there is not a complete, centralized source of data on the outcomes or impact of these credentials. While there have been isolated efforts to collect this data by states, as well as self-reported data and
surveys from certification bodies and other credential issuers, outcomes data have historically been fragmented and incomplete.
As the number of certifications continues to grow, individuals, employers, and policymakers are increasingly seeking data that measures the impact for these credentials. The demand for this data will continue to increase,
particularly as states develop and implement policies aimed at ensuring their residents earn credentials that lead to better wages and careers.
To help provide this much-needed information, certification bodies are increasingly partnering with data initiatives. One example is CredLens, a nonprofit affiliate of Strada Education Foundation that links public and private administrative data sources,
and offers tailored data analytics and visualizations on earnings and employment for credential issuers, workforce training providers, funders, and state alliances. The linked article highlights how CredLens is gathering better outcomes data.
VALUE TO CERTIFICATION BODIES
Workcred advocates for certification bodies’ participation in data-linking efforts, as certification bodies can gain significant value from participating in such efforts too. They can gain insight into the impact their certification has on wages and employment, in both the short- and long-term.
Additional information that may also be of value is what other credentials or education a certification holder has earned, what industry sector the certification holder is employed, and whether earning a specific certification leads to greater economic or career mobility is significant.
In addition, states are developing new policies to encourage attainment of and/or restrict access to credentials for secondary and postsecondary education. Some states have "credentials of value" lists, which typically use factors such as
wage outcomes and the cost of earning the credential to determine which credentials are included on the list. Without adequate data, it is difficult to develop policies that could facilitate increased use of certifications or funding to develop new certifications in the United States.
More information about how administrative data can benefit credential issuers is portrayed in the graphic below. Hover over each folder to see more details.
More information about how administrative data can benefit credential issuers is portrayed in the graphic below.
BACKGROUND
Workcred’s focus on using data to understand outcomes has evolved significantly over the past several years. Early efforts, including collaboration between Workcred and the National Student Clearinghouse, helped establish a proof of concept for linking administrative data
from certification bodies with educational attainment and enrollment data from universities, and aggregate wage data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Today, the ecosystem includes multiple stakeholders working to scale these efforts. Workcred’s role continues to be advocating for and highlighting the benefits of certifications bodies’ participation in this work.
