Credential As You Go is committed to a nationally adopted incremental credentialing ecosystem that improves education and employment outcomes through an array of credentials, including degrees, that document what learners know and can do
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 19, 2022
Ann Arbor, Mich — Credential As You Go today announced a Request for Proposals to enable a cohort of organizations and institutions to support their interests in incremental credentialing by using and testing resources developed by the Credential As You national initiative.
Governors’ offices, state systems of higher education, community colleges, four-year institutions of higher education, and other credentialing organizations such as industry certification bodies have essential roles to play in the transformation of the U.S. degree-centric system to an incremental credentialing system. To assist institutions and organizations interested in engaging in these efforts, Credential As You Go is launching the Credential As You Go/Expansion and Adoption Initiative with the support of a grant from Walmart.
“Through this new project, we will provide tools and resources, technical assistance, and the opportunity to join a growing learning community of institutions and organizations working to improve education and employment outcomes for all learners─ including adult learners,” said Melissa Goldberg, Credential As You Go workforce advisor and director of competencies and credentials at Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (CSW). CSW is part of the three-partner collaborative leading Credential As You Go. Other partners include SUNY Empire State College, and the Program on Skills, Credentials, and Workforce Policy at George Washington University.
“To build an effective skills-based workforce system, those working on the frontlines of changing the system need a range of tools, resources and technical assistance,” said Shannon Rowan, senior manager, opportunity at Walmart. “Credential As You Go’s Expansion and Adoption Initiative provides an opportunity for these institutions and organizations to access these resources as they seek to improve the system for workers and employers alike.”
Credential as You Go will accept applications to join the Expansion and Adoption Initiative through an RFP process detailed at Request for Proposal (RFP).
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About Credential As You Go:
Credential As You Go focuses on building an incremental credentialing system, recognizing that many types of quality credentials (degrees, certificates, industry certifications, licenses, badges, micro-credentials) document an individual’s learning, and credentials are awarded by many types of providers including community and technical colleges, four-year colleges and universities, third-party organizations, employers, military, and state licensing boards.
Credential As You Go has acquired three phases of funding to date. Lumina Foundation funded Phase I, resulting in the Incremental Credential Framework for testing. The Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education funds Phase II (Grant R305T210063), which focuses on rapid prototyping of and research on incremental credentials with a national campaign. An anonymous private donor fund at the Program on Skills, Credentials & Workforce Policy at George Washington University funds the development of the prototype Learn and Work Ecosystem Library. Walmart funds Phase III, which focuses on systems change for expansion and sustainability of incremental credentials. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of Lumina Foundation, Institute of Education Sciences, the U.S. Department of Education, Walmart, or George Washington University.