making a market for competency-based credentials: an overview
DESCRIPTION
What is competency based credentialing and why is it important? What is the current state of play in competency based credentialing? How do we define "quality" credentials? What can educators, employers, and public policy makers do to make a market for competency based credentials?TRANSCRIPT
Making a Market for Competency-Based Credentials: An Overview
1
First in a series of three webinars:Webinar 2: Effective Employer Engagement Oct. 8th
Webinar 3: What Can Colleges Do?Nov. 5th
2
All Attendees are muted. To be unmuted, you will need to have entered your PIN.
Please don’t put call on “hold”!
Bad connection? Hang up and dial back in
Ask ?s in Question box, “Raise Hand” to speak
Technical Support: 888-259-8414, ext. 1
958-020-546
Enter the Audio PIN shown on
your screen!Raise/lower your hand
Send comments and ask
questions here!
(646) 307-1716
Today’s Presenters
Larry Good, CSW Roy Swift, ANSI Nancy Laprade, CSW
ModeratorMelodee Mabbitt, CSW
Upcoming Report
Making a Market for Competency-Based Credentials
Thanks to the Surdna Foundation for their support of this important work
Poll questionWhat kind of organization do you represent?1. Educational institution2. Public policy3. Business/ professional organization4. CBO5. Business and Industry6. Government7. Other
What is a competency-based credential?
Accurately assures competencies, based on skills and knowledge of the holder
Awarded based on demonstration of those competencies“what students should know and be able to do”
Aligns with specific industry standards and founded on the skills/competencies needed by employers
Context … the Big Picture Post-secondary credentials are crucial to
employment success
Complex, fast-changing labor markets – workers need to be able to adapt quickly
Credentialing in the U.S. today is chaotic Hard to navigate Lacks common language Lacks quality assurance
Our Premise… The U.S. desperately needs a more coherent
competency based credentialing system to ensure that both businesses and job seekers get the most out of post-secondary training
The System needs to recognize learning acquired through educational institutions and other non education and training providers (especially “non-credit”) Both formal and informal Other prior learning
Why is this work important? Replaces seat-time (as a proxy for learning) with
competency-based curriculum and credentials that are based on learning outcomes
Provides more precise information about job requirements and worker skills (including academic and employability/soft skills)
Why is this work important?For employers…
Better informs hiring, deployment and promotion decisions Ensures relevant educational programming to meet their
needs Provides ROI in hiring, retention and performance
For students/workers… Helps them better navigate career pathways and provides
proof of their skills and knowledge
For educators… Helps them align their curricula with industry requirements
What is the current state of play in competency-based credentialing?
1. Varying levels of usage by various industries – along a continuum
2. Widely used credentials have strong employer backing
3. Inconsistent quality
What is the current state of play in competency-based credentialing?
4. Portability and transparency -- key challenges
5. Promising models of stackable systems
6. Employers looking for “cross-functional” skills and “systems-thinking”
What is the current state of play in competency-based credentialing?
7. Barriers to bringing to scale
8. No comprehensive policy framework
Current State of Play… What does this mean in a nutshell?
Competency-based credentialing as a concept resonates widely
Large-scale adoption and use needs: Transparency (common language, registries) Interoperability (quality assurance, data infrastructure) Making the Return on Investment clear to employers,
job seekers, and educators
Building the Market: Five Key Elements
Ensuring Quality Expanding use by workers/students
Expanding use by employers
Expanding use by educators
Creating an infrastructure to
help the credentials’ market flourish
16
Ensuring QualityEnsuring an on-going systematic interface with
stakeholders and the evolving body of knowledge Maintaining Validity
Creation and use of validated assessment instruments to measure competencies Competency Based Education Certificates Informal Learning Certifications
Ensuring QualityCurrent lack of oversight mechanisms in the higher education system
Accreditation focused primarily on the “degree” Need for more emphasis on “outcomes” rather
than process Education/Learning is often occurs outside
traditional educational institutions Professional societies Work site – contextual learning – worker learner
Building the Market: Five Key Elements
Ensuring QualityExpanding use by workers/students
Expanding use by employers
Expanding use by educators
Creating an infrastructure to
help the credentials’ market flourish
Expanding Use by Workers/Students
Show the link between credentials and employment
Accelerate stackability and bundling to support career pathways
Integrate “employability skills” (foundational) into credentials Workplace competencies Academic competencies Personal effectiveness competencies
21
Building the Market: Five Key Elements
Ensuring QualityExpanding use by workers/students
Expanding use by employers
Expanding use by educators
Creating an infrastructure to
help the credentials’ market flourish
Expanding Use by Employers
Goal: Employers must view credentials as meaningful to their competiveness and bottom line and use them for hiring Document ROI Involve all levels of employees within participating
firms Involve industry associations and consortia Use sector partnerships to expand efforts
Building the Market: Five Key Elements
Ensuring QualityExpanding use by workers/students
Expanding use by employers
Expanding use by educators
Creating an infrastructure to
help the credentials’ market flourish
Expanding Use by Educators Engage employers as full partners Utilize methodologies to ensure that all key
competencies related to job tasks and employability/ soft skills are identified
Work with sector partnerships Meet students where they are Provide opportunities for applied learning
experiences Focus on credential related outcomes
Building the Market: Five Key Elements
Ensuring QualityExpanding use by workers/students
Expanding use by employers
Expanding use by educators
Creating an infrastructure to
help the credentials’ market flourish
Creating an infrastructure to help the credentials market flourish
Shared language Quality assurance Consumer information
Creating an infrastructure to help the credentials market flourish
Policy changes (institutional, state, accreditors, Federal)
Alignment of efforts Bottom-up and top-down strategies Maximize the use of technology
Poll: What area of this work is most important/relevant to you and your work?
Ensuring the quality of credentials The role of employer engagement How do educators need to change the way they
develop curriculum and credentials? How do we determine ROI? Enhancing stackability and portability The role of credentials in career navigation/ career
pathways Policy framework including use of data/metrics
Closing ThoughtsCompetency-based credentials can be a game
changer Reduce duration of job transitions for workers Increase productivity of employers Strengthen U.S. competitiveness
What’s needed? A collaborative effort of many to build the needed infrastructure and to grow the market to scale
Build on what already is working
Questions?
Next Webinar Making a Market for Competency-Based Credentials: Effective Employer Engagement
October 8- 1:00 – 2:15 ETPresenters:
Brent Weil, Senior Vice President, Manufacturing Institute, NAM
Troy Nutter, Manager, Operational Training, Puget Sound Energy
Keith Bird, CSW