Market Relevant Credentials:
The New “Normal”
Larry Good, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce
Brenda Perea, Colorado Community College System
Kathleen Radionoff, Madison (WI) College
www.connectingcredentials.org
August 17, 2016
Goals for this session
1. Paint a picture of how diverse credentials can add value for
students, workers, employers and other stakeholders
2. Identify actionable opportunities for:
 Using innovations underway to improve how we use credentials to
support learners and employers
 Priorities for changes that can be set in motion within our own
business practices
What is a Credential?
• A documented award by a responsible and authorized
body that has determined that an individual has achieved
specific learning outcomes or attained a defined level of
knowledge or skill relative to a given standard.
• Umbrella term that includes:
 Degrees
 Certificates
 Industry/Professional Certifications
 Licenses
 Badges
The Problem…..
Fragmented, multi-layered, complex “system” that
doesn’t work well for employers, individuals or educators
Highly diverse and decentralized
Many actors:
schools, industry groups,
occupational groups,
licensing boards,
accreditors, and more
Credentialing
Marketplace
Many types of credentials
• Different purposes
• Different quality
assurance
mechanisms
• Different metrics for
awarding
• Difficult to understand
Public and employer policies struggle to keep pace with new
developments
Why Do We Need Connected Credentials?
Connected Credentials Create On and Off Ramps for
Learners in the Journey Post-Secondary Education and
Careers
Employers Frustration
Finding and retaining people with the skills they need.
• 76 percent of CEOs of companies in the Inc. 5000 say finding
qualified people is a major concern for their companies.
• In a survey of 126 CEOs of major U.S. companies conducted by
the Business Roundtable and Change the Equation, 97 percent of
respondents cited the skills gap as a problem, and 62 percent
reported trouble finding applicants for jobs requiring information
technology and advanced computer knowledge
Connecting Credentials
Connecting Credentials
Lumina Foundation/CSW/106 Co-Sponsors
National Summit – October 2015
Work Groups/Action Plan –
September 2016
Field-Based
Experimentation/Change
www.connectingcredentials.org
Key Attributes of a “New” System
• All learning matters -- wherever it’s obtained
• All credentials are based on learning outcomes/competencies
• Credentials are portable, transferrable, and easily understood by learners
and employers
• Learners and employers – the consumers of credentials -- can make
informed choices about the value of different credentials for their needs
• Credentials are supported by digital, comprehensive learner records that
communicate what the learner knows and can do, aggregate learning from
multiple providers, and add depth by providing access to work products
from the learner.
Credentials & Workforce System
• Workforce agencies have long worked with nondegree
credentials:
 certificates of completion
 work readiness credentials
 occupational certifications (e.g. CDLs)
• Shifting policy emphasis now:
 Competencies rather than seat time
 Stacking/combining credentials – career pathways
 Focus on employer adoption/use of credentials
Looking Ahead
• Degrees are not always valuable in a particular “job”
• Certificates are often short-term
• Increasing use of smaller credentials to meet “just in time”
skill training
What Matters
• Concentrating on NOT creating dead end credentials and
trapping people in employment silos.
• Using credentials to help to connect K-12, higher
education, industry training to workforce pathways
Employer Decision-Making In
Credentials
How Can Digital Badges Help a Company With Talent
Management?
Remember…Grades and paper
certificates are Symbols with
Implicit Meaning
One viewpoint is that certifications primarily function is to filter
candidates out of positions or advancements, digital badges exist
to help candidates compete by showcasing their strengths.
38% of organizations use or
plan to use digital badging in
the future.
81% will maintain or increase
their use of badges in the
future.
Digital badging can
connect employers to job
seekers.
Employer must have
access to a database of
badged specialists
Badged candidates must
have visibility into
employment opportunity
Seamless connection
as a result of
technology
What’s the Difference
Digital Badges Capture Competency in Different Ways
• Are easily understandable
• Assure quality
• Up to date
• Be interconnected
• Enable comparisons.
Digital badges can be used by anyone to instantly display the
skills and competencies they have acquired from training or
professional development opportunities.
Common Uses for Digital Badges
The Values of Digital Badging
Concerned about the Validity
of a Badge?
Verified by:
• Technical Standards
concerning Meta Data
• Displays the identified
competencies of the
badge
Digging Deeper into Badge Metadata
CCCS Badge Anatomy
This badge validates that an individual has the skills and knowledge to
successfully complete process planning, basic drilling applications,
machine set ups, operations, inspection techniques and safety
standards.
•
Demonstrate safe and proper use of cutting tool assembly , tool
selection, process planning and setup to include: machine
configuration, selection, operation sequencing, and work-holding
concepts/devises, aligning cutters to center bunch, mounting stops,
movable vise-jaw adjustment.
•
Effectively use machining applications of counter-boring,
countersinking, drilling, reaming and tapping applying correct
operations such as deburring and part loading (vise/fixture).
•
Demonstrated ability to interpret block tolerances, line
types/conventions, orthographic projection, surface finish
requirements, and title blocks /revisions.
•
Use geometrical dimensions and tolerancing feature control frame,
control symbols, tolerancing categories, characteristics in
inspections to ensure compliance to block tolerances, line types
and conventions, orthographic projection surface finish
requirements and title block and revisions.
•
Link to the NIMS Credentialing site
Badges Help Anyone Standout
From a Crowd
Use Competencies which Employers Understand
Real World Examples
IBM
 Started with external Badges
for industry recognized IT skills
 Quickly realized the value
added for talent management,
now is internally badging their
employees
Fossil
• Started with external badges for
mentoring students in design
• Quickly realized the value
added for talent management,
now is internally badging their
employees mentoring students
• Using digital badges in
leadership development
Bank of America
 Understood hiring by competency
 Need for internal recognition of
competency identification
 Internally badging all their current
HR professionals
 Prepared to now handle
applicants digital badges
Microsoft
• Started with external badges
for IT skills
• Using digital badges for IT
certifications due to ability to
verify credentials
How Did We Start?
Sector Summits
In Colorado--Why Badges?
Why Now?
Demands
Industry
Manufacturing Sector Shortage
of qualified workers =15,000
per year
May 2015
Executive Branch of Colorado
state government requested
alternative credentials
Solution
Identified Competencies that are
Learner Focused, Community
Centered and Industry Driven in
the form of Digital Badges
Transparency of learning

Competencies at a granular level

Link what knowledge to what a
badge earner “can do”
Portability

Follows the learner through a life
long learning pathway

Data can be verified and certified by
badge consumer
E Issuing Badges
C
O
S
Y
Receiving
Badges
S
• Access
T
• Review
the badge
the meta
data
E
M
• Identify
granular
Competencies
Assessments
• Identify how to
measure
Mastery
Competencies
Meta data
Badge
• Compile the
meta data
Badges
• Issue digital
credential
Meta data
• Compile
the meta
data
Competencies
PLA
• Transcript
CCCS Workforce Targeted Badges
Industry driven badge competencies: Technical Math, Machining, Engineering
Graphics, Faculty Development
WWW.CCCS.EDU/BADGES
Connecting Credential Competencies in
Advanced Manufacturing
Barber-Nichols Inc.,
CNC Lathe
Machinist/Programmer:
Programming and use
of CNC equipment.
Can Badges = Jobs?
•
Department of
Treasury, Machinist: Set
up and operate machines
for machining pieces at
unusual or compound
angles. Determine proper
gear train and gear ratios
to produce specific pitch,
lead, and pitch diameter for
various standard and
nonstandard screw
threads, making the
necessary computations
for differential, compound
and angular indexing.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Demonstrate safe/proper setup/use of: boring soft jaws or collet,
machine controls, mounting workholding devices, program verification
(dry run), setting geometry offset for center cutting tools, setting
XZ geometry offsets.
Accurate selection of cutter applications/features/attributes to
manufacturer’s technical data references.
Effective operations of: deburring, fixture/geometry offset
adjustments, machine controls/startup/shutdown/warmup, part
loading(vise/fixture) tool height offset adjustments.
Inspection/verification of: feature with/out size, runout, surface finish,
and total runout.
Executing applications of: facing, OD turning.
Effective process planning, to include: machine
configuration/selection, operation sequencing and work-holding
concepts/devises.
Accurate programming of: cutter radius compensation, developing
and interpret setup sheets, fixture offsets, motion commands, plotting
coordinates, program structure/formats, code memory, rectangular
coordinate system, and selecting program zero.
Link to the NIMS Credentialing site
Connecting Higher Education
and Workforce
Digital Badges at Madison College
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
Why Badges?
• Adult workers need to continually upskill
• Noncredit training poorly represented on
transcripts
• Rise of social media’s role in the job search
• Documentation of informal training
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
Implementation of a New
Technology/Concept
•
•
•
•
•
Began in 2012
Technology issues
Mapping Curriculum
Educating students
Employer outreach
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
Building a Digital Badge
1. Define your company’s purpose for digital
badges
2. Determine required/supplemental course
material
3. Review current/create new curriculum
4. Identify course learning objectives
5. Align learning objectives with
national/employer standards
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
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Building a Digital Badge
Certified by
recognized
brand
Aligns to
industry &/or
employer
standards
Digital
Badge
Demonstrates
proof of
learning (rigor)
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
Articulates
marketable
skill(s)
38
Digital Badge Hierarchy
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
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Aligning to National Standards
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
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Electronic Health Records
Badge Analytics
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
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Beer: Brewing Science-Microbiology
& Fermentation
42
Badge Analytics
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
Marketing Channel Strategy
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
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44
Cleary Building Corporation
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
Why Digital Badges?
1. Utilize social media to expand
brand
2. Track Training/trainees
3. Create course awareness
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
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Pre-Survey of Cleary Trainees
Cleary Trainees – Pre-Survey Questionnaire
Responses
15
Have you ever received online endorsements or accolades
from your training?
0
12
Have you ever shared your training on social media?
3
7
Are you currently motivated to progress through courses?
8
0
No
2
4
Yes
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
6
8
10
12
14
16
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Employer Feedback
• “Unique and dynamic way to present certificates and
record achievements through social media channels”
• “…the use of Madison College’s digital badges provides
us with a proven and verified method of showcasing all
of our education efforts and achievements.”
• “Because of the verifiable rigor, and the ability to align
the training to our specific industry or employer
standards, we are ensured that our employees have
gained the knowledge and skills necessary to be
proficient in their positions.”
• “…as our employees share their badges via social
media networks, Cleary Building Corp. benefits from the
social media exposure each time a badge is shared.”
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
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The Voice of the Learner
“I posted the badge on my LinkedIn account. I think
the badge could be a great resource when I am
looking for a promotion with Cleary. It demonstrates
what I know and that I took the time to learn.” – Blake
N., Fremont NE
“I have it on my LinkedIn, it is another way to show
what I have achieved. I think it could also be great
to demonstrate to potential clients that I have the
knowledge to provide them with the best solution
every time.” – Michael H., Cokato, MN
“It was nice to be able to post something about my
new career with Cleary, it was something I was proud
of and marked a new part of my life.” – Patrick L.,
Butler PA
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
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Setting Badge Standards
• IMS Global Open Badge Extension for
Education project
• Credential Transparency Initiative
• Right Signals Grant – Lumina/AACC
These initiatives are interested in:




badge specification
meaning of badges
connecting badges to other credentials
signaling the value of badges to
students and employers.
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
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Follow Up?
Larry Good
[email protected]
Brenda Perea
[email protected]
Kathleen Radionoff
[email protected]
Madison College | School of Professional and Continuing Education
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