Field Analysis Breakdown
The following strategies can help you determine which incremental credentials to develop.
- Take an inventory of the existing credentials in your field. For examples, see those showcased on this website or search credentials at Credential Engine’s Credential Registry. As you review credentials, ask these questions:
- Are they being offered within higher education, industry, or other organizations?
- What types of credentials are they? What learning are they documenting?
- How do learners progress along a pathway with these credentials?
- How are non-college credentials and college credentials being aligned and integrated?
- If in higher education, how do the non-credit and credentials align and stack?
- Map out a credentialing pathway for a field.
- What are some credentialing pathways for this field?
- Which credentials make up this pathway?
- How do existing credentials help learners along that pathway?
- For what jobs do learners qualify at each level of the pathway?
- How does this pathway connect to other pathways?
- Identify gaps in the pathways you have identified.
- Is there a credential in the pathway that lacks an obvious predecessor or next step?
- What types of prerequisite knowledge and skills are missing from one credential to the next?
- What other types of credentials would support learners on this pathway?
- What are some related credentials that would augment these credentials?
- What could be some next steps that expand on existing credentials?
- In what ways could your organization develop and/or support these newer credentials?
- Identify market demand for the existing and potentially new credentials.
- What are projected growth areas for this field?
- Which areas have employment gaps?
- How can entry-level or transition credentials boost the availability of qualified employees in areas of need or projected growth?
- How can you work with industry partners to pinpoint gap areas and identify new credentialing needs and opportunities?
- How can these new credentials be aligned to existing job areas?
