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Increasing workforce credential attainment
Summary ETA urged state and local workforce programs to increase participants’ attainment of postsecondary credentials, degrees and certificates. It discussed strategies, partner roles, performance measurement and examples in three attachments. ETA now lists the advisory Canceled.
Document
Federal guidance
Agency
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
Document number
TEGL No. 15-10
Date issued
December 15, 2010
Status
Withdrawn
ETA lists this advisory Canceled as of 2026-10-24; its signed letter prints Expiration Date: Continuing and Rescissions: None. No specific cancellation instrument is identified.
Status last verified October 24, 2026
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Accessible letter PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2010/TEGL15-10acc.pdf
CLASSIFICATION
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION ETA-Credentials
CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
ADVISORY SYSTEM OWI-DAS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR DATE
Washington, D.C. 20210 December 15, 2010
ADVISORY: TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 15-10
TO: STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
STATE WORKFORCE ADMINISTRATORS
STATE WORKFORCE LIAISONS
STATE AND LOCAL WORKFORCE BOARD CHAIRS AND
DIRECTORS
STATE LABOR COMMISSIONERS
STATE APPRENTICESHIP AGENCY DIRECTORS
ALL NATIONAL EMERGENCY GRANT RECIPIENTS
ALL TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE GRANT RECIPIENTS
ALL COMMUNITY-BASED JOB TRAINING GRANTEES
FROM: JANE OATES /s/
Assistant Secretary
SUBJECT: Increasing Credential, Degree, and Certificate Attainment by Participants of
the Public Workforce System
1. Purpose. President Barack Obama has called on the United States to have “the best
educated, most competitive workforce in the world,” once again leading the world in the
percentage of Americans with postsecondary degrees and/or industry-recognized certificates
and credentials by 2020. In today’s increasingly competitive, dynamic, and fast-paced world
economy, economic growth and broadly-shared prosperity depend upon the education and
skills of the American workforce. According to the President, “Now is the time to build a
firmer, stronger foundation for growth that will not only withstand future economic storms,
but one that helps us thrive and compete in a global economy.”
The purpose of this Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) is fourfold. First, this
TEGL officially reinforces the President’s goal that every American complete at least one
year of postsecondary higher education or career training. Second, it announces the
Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) commitment to the Secretary of Labor’s
High Priority Performance Goal to increase credential attainment by participants of the public
workforce system.1 Third, this TEGL describes strategies that state and local workforce
agencies, their strategic partners, and ETA discretionary grantees can adopt to both increase
the rate of credential attainment among workforce program participants and improve the
quality of those credentials.
1
For purposes of this TEGL, “credential” is an umbrella term that encompasses educational certificates or degrees,
occupational licenses, Registered Apprenticeship, and industry-recognized certifications. A definition is provided
later in the document and additional detail is provided in Attachment 2.
RESCISSIONS EXPIRATION DATE
None Continuing
Fourth, it clarifies the reporting requirements for each of the programs included in
the goal. Any additional requirements on state or local workforce agencies or discretionary
grantees would be addressed in future guidance.
Attachment 1 provides performance data on credential attainment among Workforce
Investment Act (WIA) exiters for Program Year (PY) 2008, broken out by state and territory,
and is included to illustrate the information used to establish the baseline for the WIA title I
programs that will contribute to the Secretary’s High Priority Performance Goal. Attachment
2 addresses definitional questions relating to credentials and provides detailed information on
the characteristics of credentials that can make them more or less valuable to individuals and
employers in various circumstances. Attachment 2 also includes information on a variety of
online resources and tools for identifying and evaluating specific credentials. Attachment 3
provides additional information on performance reporting, including the reports/data elements
to be completed on individuals who attain a credential through one of the workforce
programs.
The Secretary of Labor has proposed a number of High Priority Performance Goals in the
Department of Labor’s (DOL) 2011 Strategic Plan. With regard to credential attainment, the
plan states: “By June 2012, increase by 10 percent (to 220,000) the number of people who
receive training and attain a degree or certificate through the following programs:
Workforce Investment Act (WIA) adult, dislocated worker, and youth, National
Emergency Grants (NEG), Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), and Career Pathways,”
including Community-Based Job Training grants. 2 Each named program must report the
number of program participants who earn credentials. Reporting requirements for each
program are detailed in Section 7 of this TEGL. The goal reflects the Administration’s
continued emphasis on job training and the attainment of industry-recognized credentials as a
strategy for both enhancing earnings and employment for participants in the public workforce
system and meeting the economy’s need for more skilled workers.
2. References.
Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, as amended (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.),
including title I D National Emergency Grants
Wagner-Peyser Act, as amended (29 U.S.C. 49 et seq.)
The Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C 2271 et seq.)
WIA Regulations, 20 CFR parts 652 and 660-671
Registered Apprenticeship Regulations, 29 CFR parts 29 and 30
TAA Regulations, 20 CFR part 617
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5)
Planning Guidance for the Strategic State Plan for Title I of the Workforce Investment
Act of 1998 and the Wagner-Peyser Act [73 FR 72853 (Dec. 1, 2008) OMB No. 1205-
0398]
TEGL No. 17-05, “Common Measures Policy for the Employment and Training
Administration’s (ETA) Performance Accountability System and Related Performance
Issues”
2
See http://goals.performance.gov/agencies/agency?agencyId=16
2
TEGL No. 2-07, “Leveraging Registered Apprenticeship as a Workforce Development
Strategy for the Workforce Investment System”
TEGL No. 14-08, “Guidance for Implementation of the Workforce Investment Act and
Wagner-Peyser Act Funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
and State Planning Requirements for Program Year 2009”
TEGL No. 22-08, “Operating Instructions for Implementing the Amendments to the
Trade Act of 1974 Enacted by the Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act
of 2009”
TEGL No. 6-09, “Instructions for Implementing the Revised 2010 Trade Adjustment
Assistance (TAA) Trade Activity Participant Report (TAPR)”
TEGL No. 17-09, “Quarterly Submission of the Workforce Investment Act
Standardized Record Data (WIASRD)”
3. Background. As the economy recovers and job growth returns, the public workforce system
has a critical role to play in ensuring that job seekers and employers have access to the skills
they need to compete and succeed. ETA recognizes that a more focused effort on
credentialing can help lay the human capital foundation necessary to support new and
growing sectors of the economy, including alternative energy and other “green” industries,
health care, and advanced manufacturing. As we invest in skills development, we will not
only help individuals return to work, we will also help workers obtain the measurable and
specific skills they need to move along directed career pathways 3 , while giving employers
access to the skilled workers they need to compete globally.
The demand for skilled labor is projected to grow significantly over the next decade.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), between 2008 and 2018, 21 of the 30
fastest growing occupations will require a postsecondary certificate or degree. A recent
study from the Brookings Institution uses BLS data to project that nearly half of all openings
over the next decade will be for “middle-skill” jobs, those requiring more than high school
but less than a college degree. 4 By 2018, 30 million new and replacement jobs will require
some postsecondary education. 5 These white, green, and blue collar jobs pay family-
sustaining wages and can be found in every sector of the economy, from manufacturing to
customer service to health care.
While the projected job growth over the next decade is concentrated in occupations that
require some postsecondary education or training, the cost of postsecondary education is
rising and completion rates are falling. According to a 2009 Organization for Economic Co-
operation and Development study, if current trends in postsecondary credential attainment
continue, the next generation of American workers will be less educated than the previous
generation for the first time in the country’s history. 6 Similarly, a 2010 study by Georgetown
3
The term “career pathways” refers to a clear sequence of education and/or training coursework and related services
that prepares individuals to meet their career objectives. Career pathway approaches to education and training have
shown promising results for increasing credential attainment.
4
Holzer, Harry J and Robert I Lerman. 2009. The Future of Middle-Skill Jobs. Center on Children and Families. The
Brookings Institution: Washington, DC
5
Replacement needs are the number of projected openings resulting from workers retiring from or permanently
leaving an occupation.
6
See also Carnevale, Smith, & Strohl. 2010. Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements
Through 2018, Center on Education and the Workforce, Georgetown University, June 2010.
3
University’s Center on Education and the Workforce indicates that at current rates of
postsecondary educational attainment, U.S. employers will face significant skills shortages
by mid-decade, threatening their ability to compete in today’s global economy and
potentially leading them to move jobs overseas (see Carnevale, Smith, and Strohl, 2010).
Declining rates of postsecondary credential attainment threaten both our global
competitiveness and our ability to generate broadly-shared prosperity at home.
The value of credentials to employers, workers, and society at large cannot be overstated.
For employers, credentials demonstrate and document skills, increasing their ability to fill
skilled positions, build talent pipelines and compete. For workers and job seekers,
credentials improve their labor market experience through higher earnings, greater mobility
and enhanced job security. Good-paying jobs in high demand industries generally require
some form of postsecondary education or training and the earnings bump that accompanies
postsecondary credentials is well established. According to one recent study, workers with
an associate’s degree earned, on average, 33 percent more than workers with only a high
school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) credential, and workers with a
bachelor’s degree earned 62 percent more than the workers with no postsecondary training or
education. 7
While a bachelor’s or associate’s degree is linked to higher earnings, so are occupational
certificates that can be earned in less than two years. For example, according to one study,
an occupational certificate earned through just one year of postsecondary study can produce
a 20 percent increase in earnings for women. 8 The opportunity to earn credentials in less
than two years is very attractive for youth and young adults who are at-risk, out-of-school, or
have some other barrier to employment. Industry-recognized credentials that can be earned
in as little as six months to two years provide an alternative to more lengthy and costly
undergraduate degrees.
Credentials also provide some insulation for workers from downturns in the economy.
Current BLS data indicate that unemployment rates among workers lacking a high school
diploma or GED were anywhere from seven to ten percentage points higher than workers
with bachelor’s degrees. This finding is especially relevant for trade-affected workers; of
those reported in the Trade Activity Participant Report (TAPR) as having been active
participants in TAA programs during the first three quarters of FY 2010, more than a quarter
had not completed high school or obtained a GED prior to participation, and well over two-
thirds did not have educational attainment beyond a high school diploma or GED. In short,
industry-recognized credentials provide a significant lift to precisely those workers who are
most vulnerable in the labor market. 9
The High Priority Performance Goal of increasing credential attainment among public
workforce program participants presents an opportunity for the public workforce system to
expand its efforts to equip American workers for the 21st century labor market. The goal
7
Holzer, Harry and Robert Lerman. 2007. America’s Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs: Education and Training
Requirements in the Next Decade and Beyond. Washington DC: The Workforce Alliance.
8
Kazis, Richard. Community Colleges and Low Income Populations: A Background Paper. Jobs for the Future,
Boston: Jobs for the Future, 2002, p. 15.
9
See Bosworth, Brian. 2007. Lifelong Learning: New Strategies for the Education of Working Adults. A
Progressive Growth Policy Paper, Center for American Progress; Washington, DC.
4
reflects a growing appreciation of the urgent need for a more highly-skilled workforce to
compete in today’s global economy and supports the Administration’s efforts to increase
skill development opportunities for American workers, particularly those most disadvantaged
in the current economic climate. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
aimed to leverage the public workforce system to increase enrollment in the kind of longer-
term training that equips participants with income-enhancing, industry-recognized
credentials. 10 The current goal builds on that effort and also reinforces the workforce
system’s role in generating access to training options that help workers advance along a
career pathway within a specific sector or occupational field. Each step on that pathway
should be designed to lead to the attainment of a stackable and portable credential,
certification or degree that is recognized by employers and utilized in hiring decisions. Key
to the success of this goal are: 1) strong partnerships with businesses of all sizes in the
identification of skill gaps and the development of high-quality training programs that are
timely, responsive and employer-driven; and 2) strong coordination with other public
agencies, including education, economic development and human services, to ensure the
effective leveraging and targeting of public resources aimed at increasing the skills of
American workers.
4. Defining Credentials and Their Importance. Within the context of workforce
development generally, the term credential refers to an attestation of qualification or
competence issued to an individual by a third party (such as an educational institution or an
industry or occupational certifying organization) with the relevant authority or assumed
competence to issue such a credential.
Examples of credentials include:
Educational Diplomas and Certificates (typically for one academic year or less of
study);
Educational Degrees, such as an associate’s (2-year) or bachelor’s (4-year) degree;
Registered Apprenticeship Certificate;
Occupational Licenses (typically, but not always, awarded by state government
agencies); and
Industry-recognized or professional association certifications; also known as
personnel certifications; and
Other certificates of skills completion.
For a more complete and detailed discussion of credentials, please see Attachment 2.
In TEGL 17-05, ETA has a definition of certificate which has also served as the definition of
a credential for performance reporting purposes. To bring ETA’s terminology in line with
the fields of education and industry, the term credential (and not certificate) will be used as
the umbrella term which encompasses postsecondary degrees, diplomas, licenses, certificates
10
For example, the amendments made to the Trade Act of 1974 under ARRA extended the maximum number of
weeks of income support for TAA eligible workers from 130 weeks to 156 weeks, which improved the opportunity
for these workers to obtain approval for, and complete, longer term training such as a two year Associate’s degree, a
nursing certificate, or completion of a program already begun to attain a four-year degree. The maximum number of
weeks of a TAA-approvable training program is and was not set by statute, but by guidance through TEGLs. See
TEGL 22-08 for guidance on the length of training funded by the TAA program. See also TEGL 14-08 for specific
guidance on using ARRA funds to support longer-term training for WIA participants.
5
and certifications. As such, for purposes of accounting for credential attainment within the
workforce system, the following definition is a modification to update the “certificate”
definition from TEGL 17-05 Attachment B:
A credential is awarded in recognition of an individual’s attainment of measurable technical
or occupational skills necessary to obtain employment or advance within an occupation.
These technical or occupational skills are generally based on standards developed or
endorsed by employers. Certificates awarded by workforce investment boards (WIBs) are
not included in this definition, nor are work readiness certificates because neither of them
document “measurable technical or occupational skills necessary to gain employment or
advance within an occupation.” A variety of different public and private entities issue
credentials. Below is a list of types of organizations and institutions that award industry-
recognized credentials.
A state educational agency or a state agency responsible for administering vocational
and technical education within a state.
An institution of higher education described in Section 102 of the Higher Education
Act (20 USC 1002) that is qualified to participate in the student financial assistance
programs authorized by Title IV of that Act. This includes community colleges,
proprietary schools, and all other institutions of higher education that are eligible to
participate in federal student financial aid programs.
A professional, industry, or employer organization (e.g., National Institute for
Automotive Service Excellence certification, or a National Institute for Metalworking
Skills, Inc., Machining Level I credential) or a product manufacturer or developer
(e.g., Microsoft Certified Database Administrator, Certified Novell Engineer, or a
Sun Certified Java Programmer) using a valid and reliable assessment of an
individual’s knowledge, skills and abilities.
ETA’s Office of Apprenticeship or a State Apprenticeship Agency.
A public regulatory agency, upon an individual’s fulfillment of educational, work
experience, or skill requirements that are legally necessary for an individual to use an
occupational or professional title or to practice an occupation or profession (e.g.,
Federal Aviation Administration aviation mechanic license, or a state licensed
asbestos inspector).
A program that has been approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs to offer
education benefits to veterans and other eligible persons.
Job Corps centers that issue certificates.
An institution of higher education which is formally controlled, or has been formally
sanctioned or chartered, by the governing body of an Indian tribe or tribes.
For further information about the various types of credentials and resources for identifying
them, please see the Credential Reference Guide in Attachment 2.
5. Credential Attainment: Implications of Recent Trends in the Public Workforce System.
Individual record data collected through the Workforce Investment Act Standardized
Reporting Data (WIASRD) point to declining rates of credential attainment among public
6
workforce participants. Table 1 and Chart 1 illustrate the trend away from credential
attainment; for each Program Year from 2005-2008, the percentage of WIA exiters earning a
credential declined.
Table 1: Type of Credential Attained by WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker Program
Exiters who Received Training by Type of Recognized Credential
PY PY PY PY PY
Type of Recognized Credential 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Occupational Skills Certificate/Credential 47.6% 46.1% 43.6% 42.2% 40.2%
Occupational Skills Licensure 10.8% 10.6% 11.3% 11.4% 11.4%
AA or AS Diploma/Degree 6.2% 7.8% 7.3% 7.0% 6.8%
Other Recognized Educational Occupational
Skills Certificate 7.6% 8.9% 8.5% 5.6% 5.2%
BA or BS Diploma/Degree 1.2% 1.4% 1.5% 1.5% 1.5%
High School Diploma/GED 0.4% 0.5% 0.7% 1.0% 1.1%
Total Receiving Recognized Credential 73.8% 75.3% 72.9% 68.7% 66.3%
Source: Program Year 2008 Workforce Investment Act Standardized Record Data
Chart 1: WIA Exiter Credential Attainment By Year
76
Percentage of WIA Exiters Receiving Trainin
74
Who Obtainied Credentials
72
70
68
66
64
62
60
PY2004 PY2005 PY2006 PY2007 PY2008
Program Year
A number of factors explain the lower rates of credential attainment among public workforce
participants, the most immediate of which is the decline in the number of individuals
receiving training. The system’s focus on rapid job placement and the preference of many
program participants for immediate employment rather than job training, contributed to the
decline. Limited access to financial aid and supportive services for program participants,
7
combined with reductions in Federal funding for training, further reinforced the trend away
from training and credential attainment. Finally, the larger economic context of relatively
low levels of unemployment during the first half of the decade contributed to the system’s
focus on employment over training throughout most of the decade.
8
Table 2: Credential Attainment Among WIA Exiters
October 2007-September 2008
Percent
Number of Received Received
Exiters Credential Credential
All WIA Adult Exiters 786,653
Received Training (subset) 107,437 59,547 55.4%
All Dislocated Worker Exiters 11 241,459
Received Training (subset) 57,349 37,153 64.8%
All National Emergency Grant
Exiters 10,843
Received Training (subset) 5,487 2,458 44.8%
Youth 118,778
Enrolled in Education 94,050 56,469 60.0%
Source: Program Year 2008 Workforce Investment Act Standardized Record Data
The data in the Table 2 illustrate that only a small subset of WIA program exiters received
training of any kind and, of those that did, a little over half obtained a certificate or degree.
Among adult workers, for example, just over half who received training also obtained a
credential. Of the over five thousand dislocated workers who received training through a
National Emergency Grant in 2008, fewer than half obtained a credential 12 .
6. Improving Credential Attainment: The Role of the Public Workforce System.
The public workforce system has a vital role to play in increasing access to credentials
through its relationships with employers, labor and industry organizations, Registered
Apprenticeship programs, economic development agencies, community-based and
philanthropic organizations, discretionary grantees, and education and training providers.
State and local WIBs are particularly well positioned to convene the diverse stakeholders and
forge a common strategy around improving credential attainment in ways that benefit both
jobseekers and employers. Increasing credential attainment requires aligning state and local
policies and service delivery models to support higher enrollments in credential-issuing
training programs. Increased access to and linkages among supportive and wrap-around
services that allow individuals to stay in and complete programs are also critical to
improving completion rates. Finally, success will require close coordination with local
employers and training providers to identify and, in some cases, develop industry-recognized
credentials for local, in-demand jobs. Below are strategies that state workforce agencies,
state and local WIBs, One-Stop Career Centers, and DOL discretionary grantees can use to
increase the quantity and quality of credentials attained with the support of the public
workforce investment system.
11
These figures exclude National Emergency Grant exiters.
12
Credentialing information began to be collected for TAA participants in FY 2010; therefore no information is
available prior to that period.
9
I. Strategies for Increasing Credential Attainment among Public Workforce
Program Participants
A first step toward increasing the level of credential attainment among public
workforce program participants is to refer more individuals to training.
Completion of a postsecondary training or education program is the most typical
way to earn a credential. However, as the preceding analysis indicates, a very
small percentage of WIA exiters participate in training. Increasing the number of
WIA and TAA participants enrolled in programs that result in credentials or in
educational programs that conclude in a certification examination will have an
immediate impact on the level of credential attainment.
While more referrals to training will help, they are only the first step. To earn a
credential, two other conditions must be met: 1) the training program must result
in a credential and 2) the individual must complete the program. To ensure that
workforce program participants are referred to training that results in industry-
recognized credentials with labor market value, public workforce agencies can do
the following.
a. Use referrals and the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) to encourage
the creation or issuance of industry-recognized credentials by local
training and education providers.
b. Build the capacity of One-Stop and other frontline staff to help customers
seeking training to invest their funds and time in programs that will lead to
industry-recognized credentials for jobs in demand in the regional labor
market. When referring individuals to training, frontline staff should
make them aware of the advantages of programs that issue industry-
recognized credentials.
c. Build the capacity of One-Stop and other frontline staff to help customers
develop individualized career plans that support an individual’s journey
through the pathway.
d. Develop visual and virtual “roadmaps” that enable customers and frontline
staff to map the education and training they must complete, and
credentials they must acquire, to reach their goals.
e. In the case of TAA eligible individuals, make use of new case
management funds available as a result of the 2009 amendments to the
Trade Act of 1974 authorized under ARRA. As stated in Section 235 of
the Trade Act, as amended, these funds should be used to provide services
including, but not limited to:
i. Development of an individual employment plan to identify
employment goals and objectives, and appropriate training to
achieve those goals and objectives, and
10
ii. Information on training available in local and regional areas,
information on individual counseling to determine which training
is suitable training, and information on how to apply for such
training 13 .
To ensure that workforce program participants complete credential-bearing
training programs, state and local workforce agencies can use strategies that
shorten training duration and provide supportive services that enable individuals
to persist in training, both of which have been linked to higher levels of program
completion. 14
To shorten the duration in training, state and local workforce agencies can pursue
the following strategies.
a. Assess prior learning to help adults and dislocated workers obtain
academic credit for independently attained knowledge and skills, thereby
accelerating the process of credential attainment. See Attachment 2 for
specific resources that enable adults to earn college credit for prior
learning and experience.
b. Offer WIA title I contextualized training programs that lead to a credential
for low-skilled participants. Such programs combine basic literacy and
numeracy components with occupational skills training to accelerate
learning and credential attainment in growing industries.
c. When warranted, co-enroll low-skilled participants in WIA titles I and II
to support their participation in Integrated Education and Training (IET)
programs, a service approach that combines adult basic education,
including English as a second language, with occupational skills training
and issues GEDs and postsecondary, industry-recognized credentials. By
enabling individuals to obtain adult basic education credentials and
occupational credentials at the same time, IET programs can significantly
accelerate the process of credential attainment.
d. Encourage training providers to modularize curricula into smaller
portions, or chunks, enhancing the ability of individuals to earn interim
credentials and combine part-time study with full-time employment and/or
supporting a family. A chunked curriculum is one that has been broken
down into smaller units, each of which is stackable and linked to other
13
20 CFR 617.22 (2) and (3) detail two of the six criteria that must be met for approval of TAA training: (2) that the
worker would benefit from appropriate training, and; (3) that the training would result in a reasonable expectation of
employment. The individual employment plan should be used to document how credential-related training programs
may be used to satisfy (2). In the case of (3), the information provided on training programs should include those
that lead to industry recognized credentials.
14
Prince, David and Davis Jenkins. 2005. Building Pathways to Success for Low-Skill Adult Students: Lessons for
Community College Policy and Practice from a Longitudinal Student Tracking Study. Olympia, WA: Washington
State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
11
modules in a series that culminates in an industry-recognized credential. 15
Enabling students to earn a credential non-sequentially and non-
continually has been demonstrated to increase rates of credential
attainment and, in turn, employment and earning outcomes. 16
e. Fund curriculum development for accelerated programs and programs that
integrate adult education (and English language services as appropriate)
with occupational training to accelerate learning and help people earn
industry-recognized credentials expeditiously. 17
To provide participants with resources to help them complete training, state and
local workforce agencies can:
a. Leverage the full array of supportive services allowed through title I of
WIA, including subsidies for childcare and transportation, as well as
additional benefits and supportive services available to individuals eligible
for the TAA program;
b. Build frontline staff knowledge of, and make available to customers,
information about expanded eligibility for Pell Grants and other sources of
student financial aid for nontraditional students, as well as supportive
services available through other federal, state and local programs;
c. Foster stronger program linkages among WIA, Registered
Apprenticeships, TAA, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF),
Vocational Rehabilitation, Social Security’s Ticket to Work Program, and
the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act to provide
seamless service delivery and enable participants to access a wide array of
supportive services and income supports to facilitate access to and
persistence in credential-granting training and education programs; and/or
d. Partner with local community-based organizations that work with specific
populations to deliver supportive services and provide other income
supports and wrap-around services as appropriate.
15
A credential is considered “stackable” when it is part of a sequence of credentials that can be accumulated over
time and move an individual along a career pathway or up a career ladder. For a more complete definition, please
see Attachment 2.
16
Duke, Amy-Ellen and Julie Strawn. 2008. Overcoming Obstacles, Optimizing Opportunities: State Policies to
Increase Postsecondary Attainment for Low-Skilled Adults. Boston, MA: Jobs for the Future.
17
ARRA allows states to use WIA ARRA funds for curriculum development. Specifically, TEGL 14-08 states “As
part of the contract, the institution of higher education or eligible training provider could develop curricula for
emerging sectors and enhance the capacity of the institutions to ensure quality training within limited timeframes.
As such, the development of curricula by institutions of higher education can be considered a training activity under
WIA, if it is developed in the context of providing training to WIA participants. To be consistent with the timely
spending of Recovery Act funds, curriculum activities should focus on adapting existing or creating new curricula
that will result in a short-term increase in training capacity, rather than long-term curriculum development
activities.”
12
II. Strategies for Improving the Value of Credentials to Program Participants
To meet the challenge of improving the quality of credentials attained through
participation in public workforce programs and ensuring that the credentials are
industry-recognized and result in improved employment and earnings, state and
local workforce agencies should build the capacity of front-line staff to identify
and assess the value and appropriateness of credentials for program customers.
Specifically, workforce agencies should do the following.
a. Train staff to verify the requirements and value of specific industry-
recognized certifications in demand in the local labor market. Not all
credentials carry equal weight in the labor market, and some require
significantly greater investment of time and resources than others. Key
questions to consider when referring a customer to a credential-issuing
education or training program include the following.
i. Is the credential recognized by employers and used in hiring,
promotion, and compensation decisions?
ii. Are the skills documented through the credential currently in
demand in the local labor market?
iii. Is an entrance examination required?
iv. Is there a standard amount of work experience or internship time
required?
v. Is the credential embedded in a larger career pathway model that
provides opportunities to continue developing income-enhancing
skills and competencies?
b. Ensure that frontline case managers, career counselors, and job
developers have a working knowledge of state and Federal occupational
licensure requirements and are familiar with locally available for-credit
educational programs or Registered Apprenticeship opportunities that
prepare individuals to take licensure and/or certification examinations,
or include that examination as the capstone to the program. If an
occupation is licensed, the license is often required before a person can
be employed in that capacity.
c. Train staff to conduct market research with local employers to identify in-
demand credentials and local education and training providers that issue
industry-recognized credentials.
State workforce agencies and local WIBs can increase the value of credentials by
encouraging education and training providers to issue in-demand credentials and
encouraging employers to use credentials in their hiring and promotion decisions.
Specifically, workforce agencies can do the following.
a. Include the issuance of industry-recognized credentials in the criteria for
the state’s ETPL.
13
b. Increase the portability and stackability of specific credentials by working
with educational partners on developing articulation agreements within
and among the state’s community colleges and other training providers.
c. Work with local and regional employers around identification of in-
demand credentials that will have labor market value for business and for
the individuals who earn them. Part of this work may involve developing
or customizing competency models and linking them to existing
credentials or to serve as the basis for developing new credentials.
d. Encourage community colleges to link non-credit and for-credit programs,
enabling individuals who earn industry-recognized certificates to apply
them toward credit for an educational degree.
e. Organize and display labor market information in relation to specific
credentials by highlighting the number of jobs projected to exist in
occupations for which a given industry-recognized credential and/or
degree program prepares individuals; the projected entry-level salary for a
worker in this occupation; the estimated median salary in this occupation;
and the estimated salary for an experienced worker in this occupation.
Longer-term strategies for improving the quantity and quality of credentials
available to youth, adults and dislocated workers will require collaboration among
state workforce, education, human services, and economic development agencies
as they work with employers to develop regional economic approaches to human
capital development. States should look for ways to encourage industry
collaboration in the development of career pathways and credentialing models.
State agencies and local WIBS can use the Industry Competency Model
Clearinghouse located on the CareerOneStop Website to help local employers and
education providers map out career pathways and competency models. These
tools can be accessed at www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel. This
resource as well as others can be found in Attachment 2, along with information
about occupational and industry certifications.
7. Reporting. For ETA to assess whether this guidance has an impact, the reporting of
credential attainment is critical. States and grantees should ensure that training services
received and credentials attained are reported accurately and timely in the state and
grantee performance reports submitted to ETA for WIA title I and TAA programs, and
other grants. For reporting purposes, the definition of certificate included in Section 4 of
this guidance shall be used for the purpose of reporting credential attainment. A
description of the reports where this information should be reported may be found in
Attachment 3.
Furthermore, regardless of whether a state has an approved waiver to report common
performance measures outcomes only for WIA Title I programs, all states must provide
information on participants’ credential attainment in the WIASRD and the TAPR. More
detailed information on the WIASRD reporting guidelines are articulated in TEGL 17-09.
14
Reporting guidelines for the TAA program are found in TEGL 6-09. Note that Credential
attainment is a new data element for the TAA program effective FY 2010.
8. Action Requested. States and grantees should distribute this guidance to the appropriate
staff and ensure timely implementation.
9. Inquiries. Questions regarding credentialing should be directed to the appropriate ETA
Regional Office, or to the Office of Workforce Investment ([email protected])
10. Attachments.
Attachment 1: PY 2008 WIA Adult, Youth, and National Emergency Grant (NEG) Exiters
Obtaining a Credential/Degree by State
Attachment 2: Credential Reference Guide
Attachment 3: Performance Reports for Reporting Credential Attainment by Program
15
Official attachment PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2010/TEGL15-10a1.pdf
Attachment 1
PY 2008 Adult Exiters who Obtained a Credential/Degree by State
Adult Exiters
Percent Received
Credential or
State Number of Exiters Received Credential or Degree Degree
Received Received
Total Training Total Received Training Total Training
AK 548 417 284 284 51.8 68.1
AL 5,095 4,310 1,022 1,022 20.1 23.7
AR 878 746 592 592 67.4 79.4
AZ 4,684 1,523 1,195 1,194 25.5 78.4
CA 31,547 6,641 4,008 3,973 12.7 59.8
CO 3,098 2,012 1,026 1,025 33.1 50.9
CT 774 576 427 427 55.2 74.1
DC 737 459 266 266 36.1 58.0
DE 372 358 273 273 73.4 76.3
FL 16,700 12,800 11,154 11,154 66.8 87.1
GA 2,907 1,838 1,351 1,351 46.5 73.5
HI 333 222 173 173 52.0 77.9
IA 495 403 265 265 53.5 65.8
ID 420 343 232 232 55.2 67.6
IL 5,252 2,900 1,865 1,865 35.5 64.3
IN 48,801 3,347 1,883 1,836 3.9 54.9
KS 2,132 1,684 0 0 0.0 0.0
KY 3,228 2,017 1,010 1,009 31.3 50.0
LA 113,069 3,238 1,881 1,877 1.7 58.0
MA 1,858 1,215 1,023 1,023 55.1 84.2
MD 1,480 647 385 384 26.0 59.4
ME 370 242 152 151 41.1 62.4
MI 6,787 3,738 2,814 2,814 41.5 75.3
MN 1,228 611 342 341 27.9 55.8
MO 3,747 1,421 589 576 15.7 40.5
MS 34,039 4,670 2,167 2,167 6.4 46.4
MT 261 226 59 59 22.6 26.1
NC 2,841 2,362 1,420 1,418 50.0 60.0
ND 537 141 10 9 1.9 6.4
NE 500 447 283 283 56.6 63.3
NH 421 325 280 280 66.5 86.2
NJ 3,200 2,165 1,514 1,503 47.3 69.4
NM 1,207 958 592 592 49.0 61.8
NV 1,068 365 302 301 28.3 82.5
NY 365,383 7,452 3,035 3,010 0.8 40.4
OH 9,627 5,564 3,653 3,640 37.9 65.4
OK 48,078 1,066 594 593 1.2 55.6
OR 4,846 977 636 636 13.1 65.1
PA 4,861 2,298 1,207 1,206 24.8 52.5
PR 5,306 2,437 1,107 1,101 20.9 45.2
RI 643 165 117 117 18.2 70.9
SC 8,540 4,632 2,178 2,178 25.5 47.0
SD 969 404 225 223 23.2 55.2
TN 6,876 4,880 2,609 2,602 37.9 53.3
TX 20,773 6,043 NA NA NA NA
UT 936 909 132 132 14.1 14.5
VA 1,848 1,241 737 736 39.9 59.3
VI 181 14 5 5 2.8 35.7
VT 151 121 84 84 55.6 69.4
WA 4,189 2,143 1,315 1,315 31.4 61.4
WI 1,620 920 710 710 43.8 77.2
WV 990 664 430 430 43.4 64.8
WY 222 140 110 110 49.5 78.6
Total 786,653 107,437 59,723 59,547 7.6 55.4
1
PY 2008 Dislocated Worker Exiters who Obtained a Credential/Degree by State
Dislocated Worker Exiters
Received Credential or Percent Received
Number of Exiters
Degree Credential or Degree
State
Received Received Received
Total Training Total Training Total Training
AK 331 210 159 159 48.0 75.7
AL 1,036 741 401 401 38.7 54.1
AR 298 260 188 188 63.1 72.3
AZ 1,890 563 460 460 24.3 81.7
CA 12,792 4,539 3207 3207 25.1 70.7
CO 830 513 251 251 30.2 48.9
CT 598 425 333 333 55.7 78.4
DC 44 29 21 21 47.7 72.4
DE 145 128 72 72 49.7 56.3
FL 2,913 1,720 1259 1259 43.2 73.2
GA 2,034 1,699 1269 1269 62.4 74.7
HI 273 83 67 67 24.5 80.7
IA 1,000 663 463 463 46.3 69.8
ID 365 261 179 179 49.0 68.6
IL 6,022 2,788 1872 1872 31.1 67.1
IN 3,955 1,212 705 704 17.8 58.1
KS 658 486 NA NA NA NA
KY 1,597 760 509 509 31.9 67.0
LA 2,344 295 191 190 8.1 64.4
MA 3,509 2,228 1908 1908 54.4 85.6
MD 1,164 435 209 209 18.0 48.0
ME 480 303 180 180 37.5 59.4
MI 5,187 3,163 2361 2361 45.5 74.6
MN 2,582 595 350 350 13.6 58.8
MO 2,523 1,056 349 349 13.8 33.0
MS 20,321 2,096 905 905 4.5 43.2
MT 259 206 24 24 9.3 11.7
NC 2,533 2,026 1347 1347 53.2 66.5
ND 122 59 NA NA NA NA
NE 246 209 149 149 60.6 71.3
NH 510 358 334 334 65.5 93.3
NJ 3,766 3,082 2233 2232 59.3 72.4
NM 184 149 89 89 48.4 59.7
NV 692 288 218 218 31.5 75.7
NY 118,407 3,684 1820 1818 1.5 49.3
OH 4,067 2,486 1808 1808 44.5 72.7
OK 558 466 263 263 47.1 56.4
OR 3,145 864 494 494 15.7 57.2
PA 5,637 2,863 1313 1313 23.3 45.9
PR 1,647 540 330 330 20.0 61.1
RI 476 188 158 158 33.2 84.0
SC 5,226 2,726 1347 1347 25.8 49.4
SD 203 82 54 54 26.6 65.9
TN 2,801 1,802 1321 1320 47.2 73.3
TX 6,707 2,833 NA NA NA NA
UT 314 302 34 34 10.8 11.3
VA 2,335 1,204 815 815 34.9 67.7
VI 124 5 0 0 0.0 0.0
VT 126 113 77 77 61.1 68.1
WA 2,895 1,571 986 986 34.1 62.8
WI 2,801 1,572 1150 1150 41.1 73.2
WV 780 413 318 318 40.8 77.0
WY 7 7 5 5 71.4 71.4
Total 241,459 57,349 34,555 34,549 14.3 60.2
Note: WIA Dislocated workers excludes individuals served only by NEG projects.
2
PY 2008 WIA Youth Exiters who Obtained a Credential/Degree by State
Youth Exiters
Received Credential or Percent Received
Number of Exiters
Degree Credential or Degree
State
Total Total Total
AK 544 292 53.7
AL 970 258 26.6
AR 877 618 70.5
AZ 1248 708 56.7
CA 12650 5882 46.5
CO 1115 499 44.8
CT 556 417 75.0
DC 239 91 38.1
DE 166 105 63.3
FL 4055 2441 60.2
GA 2343 1368 58.4
HI 276 151 54.7
IA 532 317 59.6
ID 440 301 68.4
IL 3763 2203 58.5
IN 3596 1799 50.0
KS 923 459 49.7
KY 1697 1108 65.3
LA 1272 506 39.8
MA 1403 854 60.9
MD 999 656 65.7
ME 342 187 54.7
MI 6568 2736 41.7
MN 1611 705 43.8
MO 1901 759 39.9
MS 3911 2124 54.3
MT 200 89 44.5
NC 2114 967 45.7
ND 305 126 41.3
NE 325 182 56.0
NH 287 141 49.1
NJ 2864 1305 45.6
NM 1126 360 32.0
NV 448 77 17.2
NY 6844 4065 59.4
OH 3986 2125 53.3
OK 671 286 42.6
OR 1778 1083 60.9
PA 3540 1771 50.0
PR 18347 5057 27.6
RI 202 89 44.1
SC 2605 1323 50.8
SD 509 243 47.7
TN 3714 2423 65.2
TX 8547 3762 44.0
UT 637 280 44.0
VA 1300 549 42.2
VI 13 3 23.1
VT 254 49 19.3
WA 2281 1280 56.1
WI 1077 670 62.2
WV 615 327 53.2
WY 192 100 52.1
Total 118,778 56,276 47.4
3
Program Year 2008 NEG Exiters who Obtained a Credential/Degree by State
Exiters Served by NEGs
Received Credential or Percent Received
Number of Exiters
Degree Credential or Degree
State
Received Received Received
Total Training Total Training Total Training
AK 23 23 19 19 82.6 82.6
AL NA NA NA NA NA NA
AR 19 11 8 7 42.1 63.6
AZ NA NA 0 0 NA NA
CA 2418 1026 572 560 23.7 54.6
CO NA NA NA NA NA NA
CT 13 11 11 11 84.6 100.0
DC NA NA NA NA NA NA
DE NA NA NA NA NA NA
FL 98 53 30 30 30.6 56.6
GA 197 117 66 66 33.5 56.4
HI 168 16 15 15 8.9 93.8
IA 581 253 192 192 33.0 75.9
ID 110 86 51 51 46.4 59.3
IL 5 1 0 0 0.0 0.0
IN 48 9 3 2 6.3 22.2
KS 150 27 2 2 1.3 7.4
KY 55 44 34 34 61.8 77.3
LA 929 640 411 411 44.2 64.2
MA 719 383 286 286 39.8 74.7
MD 6 3 0 0 0.0 0.0
ME 199 111 39 39 19.6 35.1
MI 29 29 24 24 82.8 82.8
MN 93 25 17 17 18.3 68.0
MO 307 144 14 13 4.6 9.0
MS 1556 760 207 207 13.3 27.2
MT 57 45 8 8 14.0 17.8
NC 39 18 8 8 20.5 44.4
ND NA NA NA NA NA NA
NE 2 2 0 0 0.0 0.0
NH 162 7 7 7 4.3 100.0
NJ NA NA NA NA NA NA
NM NA NA NA NA NA NA
NV NA NA NA NA NA NA
NY NA NA NA NA NA NA
OH 78 68 53 53 67.9 77.9
OK NA NA NA NA NA NA
OR 465 212 46 46 9.9 21.7
PA 129 34 12 12 9.3 35.3
PR NA NA NA NA NA NA
RI 92 18 15 15 16.3 83.3
SC 11 11 6 6 54.5 54.5
SD 45 44 12 12 26.7 27.3
TN 17 14 11 11 64.7 78.6
TX 1599 983 45 42 2.8 4.3
UT 2 2 0 0 0.0 0.0
VA 51 10 10 10 19.6 100.0
VI NA NA 0 0 NA NA
VT NA NA 0 0 NA NA
WA 55 8 6 5 10.9 62.5
WI 254 181 149 149 58.7 82.3
WV 62 58 8 8 12.9 13.8
WY NA NA 0 0 NA NA
Total 10,843 5,487 2,397 2,378 22.1 43.3
4
Official attachment PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2010/TEGL15-10a2.pdf
Attachment 2
Credential Resource Guide
The purpose of this Credential Resource Guide is to provide information on the types of
credentials available to workforce program participants and explain how they can acquire and
leverage these credentials to build lasting careers. This resource guide is organized into five
sections.
Section 1 - Defining Credentials
Section 2 - Understanding Credentials
Section 3 - Tools for Identifying Credentials
Section 4 - Acquiring and Leveraging Credentials
Section 5 - Current Models of Industry-Recognized Stackable Credentials
1.0 Defining Credentials
There are many different types of credentials offered or awarded by various types of
organizations. This document is intended as a reference guide and glossary to further define
these various types of credentials and also to provide links to online resources where listings of
specific credentials are available within each type.
Overall description of credential. Within the context of education, workforce development, and
employment and training for the labor market, the term credential refers to a verification of
qualification or competence issued to an individual by a third party with the relevant authority or
jurisdiction to issue such credentials (such as an accredited educational institution, an industry-
recognized association, or an occupational association or professional society).
The range of different types of credentials includes:
1. Educational diplomas, certificates and degrees;
2. Registered apprenticeship certificates;
3. Occupational licenses (typically awarded by State government agencies);
4. Personnel certifications from industry or professional associations; and
5. Other skill certificates for specific skill sets or competencies within one or more
industries or occupations (e.g. writing, leadership, etc.).
These categories of credentials are further defined and described in the sections below.
1.1. Glossary of Educational Credentials/Awards
The terms most commonly used for educational credentials are: diploma, certificate, and
degree. Credit hours are the building block components of these educational credentials.
1
High school diploma or A document certifying the successful completion of a prescribed
recognized equivalent secondary school program of studies, or the attainment of
satisfactory scores on the General Educational Development (GED)
test or another state specified examination.
Postsecondary award, An award that requires completion of an organized program of study
certificate, or diploma at the postsecondary level (below the baccalaureate degree) in less
(less than 1 academic than 1 academic year (2 semesters or 3 quarters), or designed for
year) completion in less than 30 semester or trimester credit hours, or in
less than 45 quarter credit hours, or in less than 900 contact or clock
hours, by a student enrolled full time.
Postsecondary award, An award that requires completion of an organized program of study
certificate, or diploma (at at the postsecondary level (below the baccalaureate degree) in at
least 1 but less than 2 least 1 but less than 2 full-time equivalent academic years , or
academic years) designed for completion in at least 30 but less than 60 semester or
trimester credit hours, or in at least 45 but less than 90 quarter credit
hours, or in at least 900 but less than 1,800 contact or clock hours,
by a student enrolled full time.
Postsecondary award, An award that requires completion of an organized program of study
certificate, or diploma (at at the postsecondary level (below the baccalaureate degree) in at
least 2 but less than 4 least 2 but less than 4 full-time equivalent academic years , or
academic years) designed for completion in at least 60 but less than 120 semester or
trimester credit hours, or in at least 90 but less than 180 quarter
credit hours, or in at least 1,800 but less than 3,600 contact or clock
hours, by a student enrolled full time.
Certificate A formal award certifying the satisfactory completion of a
postsecondary education program.
Post-baccalaureate An award that requires completion of an organized program of study
certificate equivalent to 18 semester credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree. It
is designed for persons who have completed a baccalaureate degree,
but does not meet the requirements of a master’s degree.
Post-master's certificate An award that requires completion of an organized program of study
equivalent to 24 semester credit hours beyond the master's degree, but
does not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctor's
level.
First-professional An award that requires completion of an organized program of study
certificate (post-degree) designed for persons who have completed the first-professional
degree (see next page). Examples could be refresher courses or
additional units of study in a specialty or subspecialty.
2
Degree An award conferred by a college, university, or other postsecondary
education institution as official recognition for the successful
completion of a program of studies.
Associate's degree An award that normally requires at least 2 but less than 4 years of
full-time equivalent college work.
Bachelor's degree An award (baccalaureate or equivalent degree, as determined by the
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education) that normally requires at
least 4 but not more than 5 years of full-time equivalent college-level
work. This includes all bachelor's degrees conferred in a 5-year
cooperative (work-study) program. A cooperative plan provides for
alternate class attendance and employment in business, industry, or
government; thus, it allows students to combine actual work
experience with their college studies. Also includes bachelor's
degrees in which the normal 4 years of work are completed in 3 years.
Master's degree An award that requires the successful completion of a program of
study of at least the full-time equivalent of 1 but not more than 2
academic years of work beyond the bachelor's degree.
Some of these degrees, such as those in Theology (M.Div.,
M.H.L./Rav) that were formerly classified as "first-professional", may
require more than two full-time equivalent academic years of work.
First-professional degree An award that requires completion of a program that meets all of the
following criteria: (1) completion of the academic requirements to
begin practice in the profession; (2) at least 2 years of college work
prior to entering the program; and (3) a total of at least 6 academic
years of college work to complete the degree program, including prior
required college work plus the length of the professional program
itself. First-professional degrees may be awarded in the following 10
fields:
Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.)
Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.)
Law (L.L.B. or J.D.)
Medicine (M.D.)
Optometry (O.D.)
Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)
Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)
Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.)
Theology (M.Div., M.H.L., B.D., or Ordination)
Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)
Doctor's degree The highest award a student can earn for graduate study. The doctor's
degree classification includes such degrees as Doctor of Education,
Doctor of Juridical Science, Doctor of Public Health, and the Doctor
3
of Philosophy degree in any field such as agronomy, food technology,
education, engineering, public administration, ophthalmology, or
radiology.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated
Postsecondary Education Data System Glossary at: http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/glossary/.
1.2. Apprenticeship Certification or Certificate
The Registered Apprenticeship system offers two types of credentials for workers: 1)
certificate of completion of an apprenticeship program, and 2) interim credentials, introduced
in October 2008 with the final rule revising regulations for Labor Standards for Registration
of Apprenticeship programs (29 CFR part 29). Certificates of completion of apprenticeship
are issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) or a State Apprenticeship Agency.
Currently, interim credentials are issued by DOL.
Apprenticeship Certification or Certificate means documentary evidence that:
The Office of Apprenticeship has approved a set of National Guidelines for
Apprenticeship Standards developed by a national committee or organization, joint or
unilateral, for policy or guideline use by local affiliates, as conforming to the
standards of apprenticeship set forth in 29 CFR part 29.5;
A Registration Agency has established that an individual is eligible for probationary
employment as an apprentice under a registered apprenticeship program;
A Registration Agency has registered an apprenticeship program as evidenced by a
Certificate of Registration or other written indicia;
A Registration Agency has determined that an apprentice has successfully met the
requirements and demonstrated the acceptable skill levels to receive an interim
credential; or
A Registration Agency has determined that an individual has successfully completed
an apprenticeship.
Apprenticeship interim credential means a credential issued by the Registration Agency,
upon request of the appropriate sponsor, as certification of competency attainment by an
apprentice. See Appendix 1 for additional background information on Apprenticeship
credentials.
Source: Excerpts from Apprenticeship Regulations, 29 CFR part 29, Labor Standards for
Registration of Apprenticeship Programs (as amended October 28, 2008).
1.3. Occupational Licenses
Characteristics of occupational licenses include that they typically are:
Granted by Federal, state or local governmental agencies;
Mandatory in the relevant jurisdiction;
4
Intended to set professional standards and ensure safety and quality of work, such as
medical licenses for doctors;
Required in addition to other credentials (educational awards, apprenticeship, or
certification);
Defined by laws and regulations;
Time-limited - occupational licenses must be renewed based on meeting on-going
requirements to maintain the license; and
Violation of the terms of the license can result in legal action.
1.4. Personnel Certifications
A personnel certification indicates that the individual has acquired the necessary knowledge,
skills and sometimes personal attributes to perform a specific occupation or skill. The
certification process is based on a formal study that has validated the necessary knowledge,
skills and sometimes personal attributes that have been assessed (through examinations that
have been determined to be fair, valid and reliable) and re-affirmed (re-certification) at a
designated interval (such as every three years). The certificate that is given is owned by the
certification body and can be taken away from the certified person for reasons of unethical or
incompetent behavior after an appropriate due process.
Characteristics of personnel certifications include:
Granted by third-party non-governmental agencies - usually associations, and by
companies;
Intended to set professional standards for qualifications, such as a certification for a
crane operator, or a Novell Network Certified Engineer;
The standards for certifications are not defined by government laws or regulations;
Usually require successful completion of an examination or assessment, which
indicates mastery of competencies as measured against a defensible set of standards;
Standards are set through a defensible, industry-wide process of job analysis or role
delineation that results in an outline of required knowledge and skills
Usually require a set amount of work experience or professional/practical experience;
Usually must be renewed in some way after a certain time period based on meeting
certain requirements for renewal;
Voluntary - although state licensure boards and employers may specify certification
as part of their requirements; and
Violation of standards or requirements can result in suspension or revocation of
certification.
1.5. Other skill certificates typically are:
Issued after an individual attends or participates in a particular meeting or course
(certificate of completion); or
Attest to knowledge attainment rather than competency.
5
2.0 Understanding Credentials: Attributes, Types and Examples
Since credentials come in many different forms and are issued by a wide variety of entities, they
defy easy classification. In addition, various credentials have different characteristics and
determining the value of specific credentials can also be challenging. For example, in some
cases the value is very clear, such as when a credential is required in order to work in a certain
industry or occupation (nursing licenses, for example). In other cases, however, the value added
from holding a credential is less clear-cut, such as when they contribute to a hiring advantage,
higher earnings, enhanced job security, or advancement along a career pathway. This section
provides an overview of the most significant characteristics of credentials in relation to the goal
of equipping workers with career-enhancing credentials.
2.1. Attributes of Career-Enhancing Credentials
Four attributes of educational and workforce credentials that strengthen the value of
credentials to individuals are industry-recognition, stackability, portablility and
accreditation. Accreditation by an independent quality review body is a valuable attribute,
but at present, the majority of certain types of credentials are not accredited.
Industry-Recognized: An industry-recognized credential is one that either is
developed and offered by, or endorsed by a nationally-recognized industry
association or organization representing a sizeable portion of the industry sector, or a
credential that is sought or accepted by companies within the industry sector for
purposes of hiring or recruitment which may include credentials from vendors of
certain products. Consumer should be aware that in some industry sectors there may
be more than one major industry association and that they may endorse or promote
different credentials, and that the credentials that are sought by individual companies
in an industry can vary by geographic region, by company size, or based on what
product or equipment the company uses and needs workers to be able to operate.
This is merely to point out that there may not be a single readily identifiable national
credential for all industry sectors or occupations. The hundreds of certifications that
exist within the information technology (IT) industry are a very good example. There
are multiple industry associations, and there are multiple product vendors that offer
personnel certifications. The workforce investment system operating in a local area
needs to interface with employers to determine what IT credentials are in demand by
local employers that are hiring.
Stackable: A credential is considered stackable when it is part of a sequence of
credentials that can be accumulated over time to build up an individual’s
qualifications and help them to move along a career pathway or up a career ladder to
different and potentially higher-paying jobs. For example, one can stack a high
school diploma, an associate’s degree, and then typically obtain two more years of
appropriate postsecondary education to obtain a bachelor’s degree. An individual can
also stack an interim career/work readiness or pre-apprenticeship certificate, then
complete an apprenticeship, and later earn a degree or advanced certification.
Information on identifying career ladders and lattices and related credentials is
6
covered in a later section of this paper, along with examples of some existing industry
sectors that are working to identify stackable credentials.
Portable: A credential is considered portable when it is recognized and accepted as
verifying the qualifications of an individual in other settings - either in other
geographic areas, at other educational institutions, or by other industries or
employing companies.
Accredited: The goal of accreditation of educational programs is to ensure that the
education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of
quality. The U.S. Department of Education maintains a website on “Accreditation in
the United States” at http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html that
provides lists of regional and national accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S.
Secretary of Education as reliable authorities concerning the quality of education or
training offered by the institutions of higher education or higher education programs
they accredit. Students using federal financial aid must enroll in institutions or
programs that are accredited by the appropriate regional or national accrediting
agency.
Accreditation exists in the realm of personnel certification but is less common. There
are two main organizations that accredit personnel certifications or certificates.
The American National Standards Institute provides accreditation of
personnel certifications and certificates and maintains a Directory of
Accredited Personnel (ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024) Certification Bodies,
Applicants and Suspended Certification Bodies available online at:
https://www.ansica.org/wwwversion2/outside/PERdirectory.asp?menuID=
2.
The Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE)/ National Commission
for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) provides accreditation of personnel
certifications and certificates and maintains a listing of Accredited
Certification Programs at:
http://www.credentialingexcellence.org/NCCAAccreditation/AccreditedC
ertificationPrograms/tabid/120/Default.aspx. ICE/NCCA also has recently
begun a program to accredit Personnel Certificates, see
http://www.credentialingexcellence.org/AccreditationServices/Certificate
ProgramAccreditation/tabid/392/Default.aspx .
Industry–recognized, portable, and stackable credentials provide a valuable return on
investment for workforce system customers, because they allow customers to work towards
both short- and long-term employment and career goals.
2.2. Stackability and Portability of Different Types of Credentials
Every career pathway and career ladder is founded on initial attainment of a high school
diploma or GED. For adults who do not have either, or obtained them many years prior,
assessment and remediation may be needed to ensure they have the necessary academic
7
fundamentals in literacy, numeracy, English language fluency, and science, as applicable for
their chosen career field. Employability skills and soft skills are also necessary prerequisites
for work. Once an individual has these foundational credentials, he or she can start to
develop specialized skills for an industry and occupation (or sequence of jobs and
occupations) and embark on a career path. Hence, individuals often need to accumulate or
“stack” a series of credentials in order to build their career path or career ladder over time.
Credentials can vary significantly in terms of the degree to which they are industry-
recognized, stackable and portable.
2.2.1 Educational certificates and degrees from accredited institutions are typically
portable throughout the United States. The stackability of educational awards varies
based on the field of study and may not be as simple as first obtaining an associate’s
degree and then adding two more years to attain a bachelor’s degree. However, an
associate’s degree from a junior or community college may not always be equivalent to
the first two years towards a bachelor’s degree. For example, some associate’s degree
programs that are occupation-specific may not always include all of the general education
requirements required for full transfer credit to a Bachelor’s degree. Also if an individual
changes the concentration or major field of study between the time they attain the
associate’s degree and then go on to earn a bachelor’s degree in another major, there may
be prerequisites or other core requirements that need to be fulfilled that will require more
than two years of additional postsecondary study in order to earn that bachelor’s degree.
Educational credentials of various lengths are usually expressed in terms of credit hours.
A credit hour is defined by the National Center for Education Statistics as, “A unit of
measure representing the equivalent of an hour (50 minutes) of instruction per week over
the entire term. It is applied toward the total number of credit hours needed for
completing the requirements of a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.”
There are limitations on the stackability of educational credit hours. Accumulating credit
hours outside of an accredited program leading to a formal educational award may mean
that not all of the hours will be counted toward an eventual educational award. In other
words, if an individual earns educational credits for various courses at different
institutions, not all of the credits may be accepted toward a certain degree - so stacking of
educational credits depends on a number of variables, the subject matter, how recently
they were earned, whether they fulfill core program requirements, and various other
factors that all can impact their potential stackability.
2.2.2 Apprenticeship addresses stackability in several ways: 1) through the introduction
of interim credentials; 2) the transition from apprentice status to journeyworker status; 3)
through attainment of educational credit for portions of apprenticeship programs; and 4)
through attainment of related occupational licenses or personnel certifications as part of
an apprenticeship program.
Apprenticeship Interim Credentials. Issuance of interim credentials will be determined
by the apprenticeship program sponsor’s choice of approach for an apprentice’s
progression through that program. There are three approaches: competency-based, time-
8
based, or a hybrid of the two. Program sponsors must identify and define all interim
credentials in the program standards that are registered with the Registration Agency.
Interim credentials may be issued only for industry-recognized components of an
apprenticeable occupation. Therefore, if an apprenticeship program’s standards do not
include provisions for issuance of interim credentials for specific components of an
apprenticeable occupation, the Registration Agency with which the program is registered
may not issue interim credentials to apprentices registered with that program.
Interim credentials are issued by the Registration Agency, upon request of the
appropriate sponsor, as certification of an apprentice’s attainment of competency.
Furthermore, the regulations do not require program sponsors to include interim
credentials in their program standards, nor do they require sponsors to request that a
Registration Agency issue interim credentials to apprentices registered in their
apprenticeship programs. The Department also recognizes that some Registration
Agencies may find the issuance of interim credentials to be unduly burdensome and
beyond their capabilities. Therefore, Registration Agencies, other than the Office of
Apprenticeship, may opt not to offer this additional service.
The DOL Office of Apprenticeship has concluded that the revised regulatory framework
regarding interim credentials does not detract from the overall goal of the National
Apprenticeship System to support and enable apprentices to complete an apprenticeship
program. Through the authorization of interim credentials, the National Apprenticeship
System recognizes that some industries and occupations are more amenable to an
incremental recognition of an apprentice’s increasing skills, knowledge, and abilities. In
such industries the use of interim credentials can afford multiple opportunities for
apprentices to grow and expand their knowledge and their capacity to meet current, new,
and emerging industry advances. Use of interim credentials also recognizes the fact that
not all apprentices will complete their apprenticeship programs and offers opportunities
for recognition of what these individuals have learned. Therefore, interim credentials
will also enable apprentices to obtain portable credentials commensurate with the skills
and competencies acquired and demonstrated throughout an apprenticeship.
Notwithstanding the value of interim credentials, the issuance of a certificate of
completion of apprenticeship, and the associated journeyworker status, remains the
ultimate goal for the National Apprenticeship System.
Journeyworker Status
Individuals who have completed a Registered Apprenticeship program are often referred
to as “journeyworkers.” As defined in apprenticeship regulations, journey worker means
a worker who has attained a level of skill, ability and competency recognized within an
industry as having mastered the skills, abilities and competencies required for the
occupation. (Use of the term may also refer to a mentor, technician, specialist or other
skilled worker who has documented sufficient skills and knowledge of an occupation,
either through a formal apprenticeship or through practical on-the-job experience and
formal training.)
9
Apprenticeship and Occupational Licenses or Certifications
During an apprenticeship or after an individual completes an apprenticeship, he or she
may pursue additional certification from another credentialing body. These certifications
are not a requirement of Registered Apprenticeship. However, in many construction
occupations, such as plumber, electrician, and solar panel installer, in order for an
individual to legally practice that occupation, he or she must also be licensed. As part of
the qualifications, State licensing laws or regulations often require the individual to
demonstrate that he or she has completed a Registered Apprenticeship program by
providing a copy of the Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship issued by DOL or an
SAA.
2.2.3 Occupational licenses are required by government entities, typically state
regulatory bodies, before an individual is allowed to be employed in and practice a trade,
profession or other occupation. Although most occupational licenses are granted by state
governments, some are granted by certain Federal agencies. State licenses often are not
portable since states tend to have different licensing standards. Some states do have
reciprocity agreements to recognize licenses from other states, often only for specific
occupations and specific states, but reciprocity is not universal and needs to be
determined on a case-by-case basis for each occupational license.
The portability of occupational licenses can be a particular issue for veterans, separating
military members and military spouses, as well as dislocated workers who relocate from
one state to another. Since licenses are specific to an occupation they are not really
stackable, except to the extent that experience in that occupation serves as a prerequisite
or a step up to another occupation in a career ladder. However, the new occupation may
also require its own occupational license with its own specific requirements. For many
occupations, an individual can continue to stack certifications and other training on top of
a license. Licensed nurses, for example, can gain additional credentials beyond the initial
license. Also, some licenses require annual training as part of continuous learning in
order to maintain the license in good standing.
A couple of examples may help to illustrate the circumstances that pertain to
occupational licenses. First, there are approximately 65 federally licensed occupational
titles, mostly from Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Communications
Commission and these Federal occupational licenses would typically be portable within
the U.S. At the state level there are some occupations that are licensed in virtually every
state and some that are licensed in only a few states. As the title implies, the occupation
of Licensed Practical Nurse is licensed in virtually every state, although the title used in
some States is Licensed Vocational Nurse. Home Health Aides on the other hand are
licensed in only nine states. There may be slight variations in the licensure requirements
among these nine states that have an impact on the portability of the credential among
them. However, if they are moving to a state that does not license Home Health Aides,
portability will not be a concern. (There are also national personnel certifications
available for Home Health Aides.)
10
2.2.4 Personnel certifications indicate that an individual has acquired the necessary
knowledge, skills and sometimes personal attributes to perform a specific
occupation/skill. The certification process is based on a formal study that has validated
the necessary knowledge, skills and sometimes personal attributes that have been
assessed (through examinations that have been determined to be fair, valid and reliable)
and re-affirmed (re-certification) at a designated interval. The certificate that is given is
owned by the certification body and can be taken away from the certified person for
reasons of unethical behavior or incompetence after an appropriate due process.
Certifications issued by national industry or occupational/professional associations are
typically portable, although there can be differences in regional economies or employer
preferences. In addition, in some cases there is more than one similar association
offering credentials in a career field that again may be preferred in different areas or by
different employers. Most personnel certifications require work experience and can only
be earned by stacking learning experiences and work experiences and then taking a
certification examination and submitting documentation of the pertinent work experience.
In addition, personnel certifications often include work experience components that count
toward attainment of the certification.
3.0 Tools for Identifying Credentials
The definition of credentials in Section 1 indicated the wide range of different types of skill and
workforce credentials. These credentials are also numerous, so it is not possible for an
individual jobseeker or a workforce investment system professional to know all of the potential
credentials. Furthermore, new credentials are developed and others become obsolete. Therefore,
the best way to disseminate information on credentials is through electronic databases that are
available online. This section describes the major public sources of such information.
3.1. Educational Programs
There are several useful online tools to identify educational programs available in a
geographic area.
o National Center for Education Statistics—College Navigator site:
http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/.
o ETA’s CareerOneStop Short-Term Training Finder:
http://www.careeronestop.org/EducationTraining/Find/Short-TermTraining.aspx
o Career and Technical Education Credentials: The Carl Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act of 2006 emphasizes programs of study in career clusters
and pathways , which link what students learn in school with the knowledge and
skills they need for success in college and careers. Career and Technical
Education (CTE) career clusters and pathways and their curriculum frameworks
provide for curriculum integration and contextual learning opportunities that
reflect the career goals and interests of a wide range of learners and ensure that
they achieve the standards required to be successful as they transition to
11
postsecondary education and future careers. The National Association of State
Directors of Career and Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) provides
information on the 16 CTE Career Clusters on their website
www.careerclusters.org. This site contains a number of resources to help promote
the goals of the Career Clusters and Pathways initiative, including Plans of Study
and Knowledge and Skills Charts. NASDCTEc has recently added related
credentials listings to these cluster resources at:
http://careerclusters.org/credentials.php. All listings were reviewed by the
Career Clusters leaders and/or the National Advisory Committee members and
new credentials were added based on their recommendation. The credentials
listed by NASDCTEc are samples of existing credentials and are not meant to be
exhaustive listings.
The listings are divided into three primary sections:
Education and Industry Licenses;
Education and Industry Certificates; and
Postsecondary Degree Options.
3.2. Apprenticeship Programs
On the Office of Apprenticeship Sponsors website at http://www.doleta.gov/oa/links.cfm
visitors can find information on the occupations and sponsors of registered apprenticeship
programs in their state.
3.3. Occupational Licenses
CareerOneStop provides a searchable Licensed Occupations database at
http://www.careerinfonet.org/licensedoccupations/lois_keyword.asp?nodeid=16&by=keywor
d . This online tool contains federal and state-provided information including: Licensing
agency name, address, and contact information, including Internet links if available; license
description and applicable fees; and examination requirements, if applicable.
3.4. Personnel Certifications
The CareerOneStop electronic tool supported by the Employment and Training
Administration provides a Certification Finder tool to identify industry or occupational
personnel certifications at http://www.careerinfonet.org/certifications_new/default.aspx.
This tool provides information including the certifying organization’s name, address, and
related Web links; certification description; and certification details such as examination
and/or work requirements. Information about occupational and industry certifications
associated with particular industry competency models also is available through the
Competency Model Clearinghouse within CareerOneStop, through the Find Resources
search tool, at: http://www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel/search.aspx .
12
3.5. Skills Transferability Tool
CareerOneStop has introduced a new online tool, www.mySkillsmyFuture.org, to assist
dislocated workers and others who have work experience but may need to change careers to
find employment. A user enters their current or a previous job title to find the closest
occupation. The mySkills myFuture tool uses information on occupational competencies,
from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) system, and labor market information
to return related occupations that use some of the same knowledge and skills. When the user
selects an alternative occupation to explore, the tool then displays for the target occupation
related education, training, occupational licenses, and certifications if they exist, as well as
local job openings.
4.0 Acquiring and Leveraging Credentials
This section provides an overview of resources to help accelerate credential attainment and
accumulate credits and credentials to build on existing knowledge and competencies to attain
more specialized or advanced career credentials.
4.1. Credit for Prior or Other Learning or Work Experience
Adult learners often face challenges in obtaining credentials because of competing demands
on their time from work, family responsibilities, and continued learning. It can take a long
time to accumulate credits and credentials in order to build a career pathway when education
and training are being pursued on a part-time or intermittent basis. Another type of
assistance that the workforce system can leverage to help individuals attain credentials is to
explore all avenues to help them attain credit for prior learning and work experience.
Gaining postsecondary educational credit for prior learning or experience can help
individuals earn credentials more quickly and can reduce total tuition or training costs since
an individual may not be required to take certain courses. The Council on Adult and
Experiential Learning (CAEL) catalogs an array of technical assistance on prior learning
assessment resources to support the granting of credit for prior learning or work experience.
National
American Council on Education (ACE) College Credit Recommendation Service
(CREDIT) connects workplace learning with colleges and universities by helping
adults gain access to academic credit for formal courses and examinations taken
outside traditional degree programs. ACE provides reliable course equivalency
information to facilitate credit award decisions. Participating organizations include
corporations, professional and volunteer associations, schools, training suppliers,
labor unions and government agencies.
http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=CCRS
ACE National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training publishes credit
recommendations for formal instructional programs offered by non-collegiate
agencies, both civilian employers and the military.
http://www2.acenet.edu/credit/?fuseaction=browse.main
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Credit by Examination
The College Level Examination Program® (CLEP) gives individuals the
opportunity to receive college credit by earning qualifying scores on any of 34
examinations for knowledge acquired through independent study, prior course work,
on-the-job training, professional development, cultural pursuits, or internships.
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html
Advanced Placement (AP) Exams are a series of tests, initially for AP High School
courses with 34 exams in 19 subject areas.
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html
DSST Credit by Exam Program (formerly known as the DANTES Subject
Standardized Test Program). These exams test knowledge of both lower-level and
upper-level college material through 38 exams. DANTES is the Defense Activity for
Nontraditional Education Support, designed to assist military personnel in obtaining
civilian educational credit for military training. http://www.getcollegecredit.com/
Excelsior College Examination Program, (formerly, Regents College Exams or
ACT/PEP Exams), offered by Excelsior College, New York.
https://www.excelsior.edu/Excelsior_College/Excelsior_College_Examinations
Local
Experiential Learning Assessments: also known as individualized student portfolios
or interviews.
Evaluation of Local Training: program evaluations done by individual colleges of
non-collegiate instructional programs.
Challenge Exams: local tests developed by a college to verify learning achievement.
CAEL also has resources to assist educational institutions in incorporating prior learning to
help their students achieve certificate and degree completion. This includes an online Prior
Learning Assessment Certificate Program for educational institutions.
http://www.cael.org/online_pla_certificate_program.htm
4.2. Using Credential Attainment to Map Career Pathways and Ladders
There are literally thousands of different credentials. As a result, it can be a challenge for the
workforce system and its individual customers to identify ways to build a career pathway or
career ladder by formulating a plan to accumulate a specific set of stackable credentials. The
tools described in the previous section can help identify credentials. This section describes
some of the tools that workforce investment professionals operating in regional economies
can use to try to document and provide a guide to existing career pathways by using and
recording information on occupations and stackable credentials, including approaches that
state and local workforce professionals can leverage to increase credential attainment among
public workforce program participants.
On-Line Career Competency Mapping Tools: The section on the portability and
stackability of credentials described how various credentials can be linked to the
framework of an industry competency model to indicate how the credentials might be
14
sequenced or combined. An industry competency model identifies and communicates
industry sector skill needs to the public workforce investment system and its strategic
partners in education and economic development. The models identify cross-cutting
competencies—sets of knowledge, skills, abilities and attributes—required by workers in
an industry. These models clarify the foundational, academic, workplace, and industry
technical competencies required to progress up a career ladder or move along a career
lattice.
Industry competency models can be a valuable resource for workforce development
professionals. Specifically, the models can be used to: 1) identify industry-specific
workforce development needs; 2) conduct labor pool analyses; 3) build career paths,
ladders, and lattices; 4) develop competency-based apprenticeship programs; and 5)
support business human resources services and functions, including hiring, recruitment,
writing job descriptions, etc.
There are currently 15 industry competency models, which can be found on the
Competency Model Clearinghouse (CMC) at
http://www.careeronestop.org/CompetencyModel/. A selection of related credentials are
displayed at the bottom of the pyramid graphic depicting the model and certification and
curriculum resources can be searched for by industry or occupation under the Find
Resources link at http://www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel/search.aspx.
The CMC site also has two online interactive tools that can be used to 1) build
customized competency models for regional economies or specific industry sub-sectors,
and 2) to build and document career ladder/lattice progressions, including an indication
of credentials needed along the way. On the CMC Web site link (under the Build a
Model link) the CMC provides two interactive tools: Build a Competency Model and
Build a Career Ladder/Lattice.
The Build a Competency Model Tool: Enables workforce development
professionals to customize one of the national industry competency models to reflect
specific workforce needs in a region. For example, a user can start with the
framework for Advanced Manufacturing and customize it to reflect the
competencies for manufacturing wind turbines or pharmaceuticals or other specific
products. This tool can support the work of state and local policymakers as they
design regional workforce development strategies for specific industries. The tool
will allow them to work with employers and local training and education providers
to design industry-specific workforce development strategies. For example, a
California company engaged in wind turbine manufacturing and installation,
customized the Advanced Manufacturing Competency Model to reflect the
workforce skill needs for that company. Intended to be used within the company, the
model was validated by company managers and employees. The model is used for
skill gap analysis, as a framework for developing training materials, and targeting
training. They also reported that the foundational competencies were useful for
performance counseling with employees.
15
The Career Ladder/Lattice Tool: Enables workforce development professionals to
start with a national or customized industry competency model and then employ the
Career Ladder/Lattice tool to display the sequence of jobs or occupations within
specific careers in that industry. The tool results in a graphic that illustrates the
progression and advancement potential in the career ladder/lattice and also contains
documentation of the requirements for each job as well as the critical developmental
experiences needed to move among them. A sample graphic for a Career
Ladder/Lattice within the Energy sector is shown at
http://www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel/careerpathway/ReviewCareerPathw
ays/Energy_CPW.pdf . The model itself provides additional detail. This tool can
support the work of case managers and other frontline staff as they counsel
individuals on the types of training and education they need to advance along a career
pathway.
5.0 Current Models of Existing Industry-Recognized Stackable Credentials
Many regional economies have identified targeted industry clusters for which their region has
some type of locational advantage. Economic development agencies, educational institutions,
and the workforce development system can work together to promote economic growth by
preparing skilled workers for industry clusters. Registered Apprenticeship is industry-
recognized by its very nature and due to the collaborative manner in which apprenticeships are
developed and set up. In addition, associations within certain industry sectors are also working
to identify a series or sequence of stackable credentials that can assist in preparing a local or
regional workforce for employment in the industry.
Two industry groups in particular are in the forefront of using industry competency models as a
framework for identifying a national system of stackable credentials—advanced manufacturing
and energy. These are described below for the benefit of local WIBs or One-Stop Career Centers
that are targeting workforce development efforts for those industries in their own regional
economies. In addition, other regional efforts may be underway, as in the example of Bio-
science below, or similar efforts could be started to develop these approaches for other industry
sectors
Advanced Manufacturing: An initiative has been undertaken by the Manufacturing
Institute to develop career ladders within the manufacturing sector by identifying and
endorsing a set of stackable credentials. The Manufacturing Institute has endorsed a
Manufacturing Skills Certification System that they intend to be implemented through
community colleges to enable participants to advance along a career pathway in
manufacturing, beginning at entry level work readiness and employability skills up into
specific technical competencies associated with specific types of manufacturing. The
system begins with basic skills required for entry-level workers in all sectors of
manufacturing, from alternative energy and computers to aerospace and
pharmaceuticals. The skills certifications address personal effectiveness competencies,
foundational academic competencies, general workplace skills and manufacturing
industry-wide technical skills. Entry-level science, technology, engineering and math
(STEM) skills are included in the system. See depictions of the career pathways and
16
stackable credentials at
http://institute.nam.org/page/edu_workforce_skills_cert_implementation.
These certifications fit into the framework of the Advanced Manufacturing Competency
Model developed in collaboration with the Employment and Training Administration
along with other industry, education, and labor partners. The model is co-sponsored by
the Manufacturing Institute, the National Council for Advanced Manufacturing, and the
Society of Manufacturing Engineers. The competency model is available within the
CareerOneStop Competency Model Clearinghouse, at:
http://www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel/pyramid.aspx?HG=Y.
Energy: The mission of the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) is to
promote efforts to help develop the future energy workforce. As part of that work,
CEWD developed the Get Into Energy Career Pathways Model, based on the
Energy/Generation, Transmission, and Distribution (Energy) Competency Model which
can be accessed at
http://www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel/pyramid.aspx?NRG=Y.
The Get into Energy Career Pathways Model separates education and training into three
categories that align with the tiers of the Energy Competency Model: Basic Training
(Tiers 1-3), Industry Fundamentals (Tiers 4-5), and Job Specific Skills and Credentials
(Tiers 6-8). Grouping the skills in this way allows for the development of common
curriculum and education requirements that correspond to the Get Into Energy Career
Pathways model. For example, a technician with successful attainment of Basic and
Industry competencies will have the foundation to take additional training for a specific
job skill, such as wind or smart grid technologies, providing for a sequence of
credentials that build upon each other. See how these relationships are depicted at
http://www.cewd.org/documents/pathwayswhitepaper.pdf .
To ensure that educators and training providers are training to the key competencies
identified by the industry, CEWD is in the process of mapping existing industry
credentials and curriculum to the competencies in the model. By using the Energy
Competency Model as the framework for uniform training and development, CEWD
can help focus curriculum development to address the specific needs of industry and
reduce program overlap and duplication of effort among education and training
providers. CEWD’s efforts to create a uniform curriculum framework serve to align
education and training with the needs of the industry.
Information Technology: Information technology (IT) is the industry sector with
perhaps the largest number of associated certifications and other credentials offered by
organizations both commercial and non-profit. The sheer number of potential
credentials can present challenges for individuals and for staff in the workforce system
when trying to identify which IT credentials will be beneficial for certain individuals in
specific labor markets. One IT industry organization, the Computing Technology
Industry Association (CompTIA) has developed several online tools to assist individuals
and staff who work with students and jobseekers to access and make sense of the sphere
of IT credentials. At http://www.comptia.org/careers/backtowork.aspx, Getting
17
America Back to Work (GABTW) is an online tool that is designed to guide individuals
through an integrated IT training and certification process all the way through to
identification of potential job openings. The GABTW site guides individuals through a
four-step process: 1) assessment, 2) training, 3) certification, and 4) placement—
providing referrals to relevant information at each stage—including referrals to local
One-Stop Career Centers and to other training resources. WIBs are invited to participate
with CompTIA in this initiative if IT is an in-demand industry cluster in their regional
economy. In addition, CompTIA has a somewhat more technical online resource on IT
skills, competencies, and related certifications called the TechCareerCompass, located at
http://tcc.comptia.org/.
Bio-Science: The Missouri Economic Research and Information Center is using the
industry competency models as resources to guide workforce development initiatives
that address skill gaps in targeted industry clusters. In fact, at Moberly Area
Community College the models are being used for program assessment and re-
development, the information technology faculty used the models to identify gaps in
curriculum and course offerings and conducted a skills gap analysis and validation of
existing curriculum. In addition, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education and Missouri Center for Career Education have used the models for re-
development of existing competency profiles for career education instructors and to
conduct a validation and gap analysis of measurable learner objectives and task
statements for local curriculum development.
Bio-1 is a workforce development partnership of regional industry groups, businesses,
WIBs, educational and research institutions, and government and nonprofit
organizations in New Jersey. (See http://www.bio-1stop.org/ ) The Bioscience
Competency Model is used as a resource for creating career pathways in the bioscience
industry. Bio-1 is working with educators from K-12 through university levels to create
articulation agreements, mentoring programs, internship, and professional development
opportunities. The Monmouth County Vocational-Technical Biotechnology Career
Academy High School in Freehold, NJ is using the model to inform and evaluate its
curriculum. The four community colleges in the region are creating associate degrees
that prepare students for immediate career opportunities in pharmaceutical or
biotechnology companies or transfer to upper division colleges and universities.
State-Level Projects: In addition to national sector-driven strategies a number of states
have undertaken initiatives to increase credential attainment in fields in demand and
based on strategic partnerships between the workforce system, employers and educators.
One well-documented example is the Oregon Career Pathways initiative. Oregon
defines a Career Pathway as a series of connected education and training programs and
student support services that enable individuals to secure a job or advance in a demand
industry or occupation. Career Pathways focus on easing and facilitating student
transition from high school to community college; from pre-college courses to credit
postsecondary programs; and from community college to university or employment.
18
The goal of the initiative is to increase the number of individuals attaining certificates
and credentials. The strategy combines innovative course designs that are driven by
industry preferences for competency-based curricula and designed around the needs of
adult learners for flexible scheduling, contextualized learning, and supportive services.
Career pathway approaches also rely on visual roadmaps or templates to depict the
coursework, competencies, skill requirements, and credentials needed for a series of
related occupations in an industry sector. Oregon has developed an interactive web-
based tool that allows students and workers to chart a career path and identify the
necessary educational and labor market credentials necessary to advance along it. The
URL for the tool is: http://www.mypathcareers.org/. For more information on Oregon’s
statewide approach to increasing credential attainment, see the Worksource Oregon
website at: http://www.worksourceoregon.org/index.php/career-pathways/128-what-
are-career-pathways.
19
Official attachment PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2010/TEGL15-10a3.pdf
Attachment 3
Performance Reports for Reporting Credential Attainment by Program
WIA Title I
ETA 9091 (WIA Quarterly Report): Attainment of Degree or Certificate and Youth
Diploma or Equivalent Rate
WIASRD:
Type of Recognized Credential (WIASRD Item 619). This is required for WIA
Adults and Dislocated Workers that received intensive or training services. It is
also required for Older Youth.
Attained Degree or Certificate (WIASRD Item 668). This is required for WIA
Older and Younger Youth.
Date Attained Degree or Certificate (WIASRD Item 669). This is a required field
for WIA Older and Younger Youth.
TAA
Trade Activity Participant Report
Type of Recognized Credential #1 (TAPR Element# 1701)
Type of Recognized Credential #2 (TAPR Element# 1706)
Registered Apprenticeship
Interim credentials
Completers
Community-Based Job Training Grants
Quarterly Grantee Progress Report, Grant Rounds 1 through 4
Number Received a Degree/Certificate
Quarterly Grantee Progress Report, Grant Round 5 Recipients
Number Received a Degree/Certificate.
Type of Degree/Certificate
Total Degree/Certificates Received
1
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