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Credential Engine Launches Platforms and Tools to Promote Credential Transparency
[December 07, 2017]

Credential Engine Launches Platforms and Tools to Promote Credential Transparency


Credential Engine today launched tools and services to pave the way to a new level of transparency for educators, employers, students, and workers looking to navigate the postsecondary credentialing system.

At an event attended by higher education and business leaders, the organization debuted a first-of-its-kind centralized credential data platform called the Credential Registry, a common credentialing language for credential evaluation, a digital application to search for credentialing information, and an Application Programming Interface (API) tool to allow organizations to continuously upload up-to-date information to the Registry.

"This is an important moment in our efforts to bring clarity to the confusing world of credentialing. By releasing these resources today, Credential Engine has set the stage for gathering credentialing information from all types of sources-including degrees, certificates, badges, apprenticeships, licenses, micro credentials, and PhDs-drastically improving credential transparency," said Eleni Papadakis, Chair of the Credential Engine Board and Executive Director of the Washington State Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board.

The launch event also energized the postsecondary education community with the release of a common credentialing language, the Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL). "With the CTDL, higher education providers will be able to track credentialing trends, assess credit transfer issues, and assist students searching for their paths to success in a comprehensive way that has never been offered before," said Dr. Chris Bustamante, President of Rio Salado College and Credential Engine Board Member.

Supporters of Credential Engine are confident that its tools and services will create additional positive ripple effects into workforce development. "Credential Engine is playing an invaluable role in connecting job seekers and students to credentials that mater in the workforce. By making the U.S. landscape of credentials available through an open, interoperable registry, people will better understand what credentials are available to them and the learning that stands behind each of those credentials," said Jamie Merisotis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lumina Foundation.



Business Roundtable used today's event to announce a commitment to promote Credential Engine services to its CEO members, who lead many of the largest companies in the United States.

"Business leaders are always on the lookout for tools to help them recruit and hire the best workforce-and Credential Engine is a powerful tool in that effort," said Wes Bush, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Northrop Grumman (News - Alert) and Chair of the Business Roundtable Education and Workforce Committee. "More than 50 Business Roundtable CEOs have already committed to use Credential Engine's Registry data to meet their employment needs, and we expect many more to join the movement."


Over the next year, Credential Engine will gather credentialing data on a larger scale, work with vendors to develop new applications to leverage that data, and launch international outreach efforts to eventually map the global credential landscape. Already, over 1,500 credentials from more than 170 organizations have been submitted to the Credential Registry. Credential Engine has a goal of 50,000 credentials by the end of 2018 and 100,000 by the close of 2019.

Credential Engine is a non-profit organization dedicated to the mission of promoting transparency and literacy in the credential marketplace and sharing relevant information with the public.

Lumina Foundation and Business Roundtable joined forces in 2016 to create the nonprofit, Credential Engine. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Microsoft have since provided additional support.


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