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90% of employers now offer higher starting salaries for candidates with microcredentials, and 87% hired at least one credential holder in the past year. Those figures signal something more significant than a hiring preference. They mark the moment corporate upskilling microcredentials moved from workforce development experiment to boardroom-level talent strategy — one that university presidents, economic development leaders, and training directors are now building around simultaneously.

Short-form micro-credentials, long-term workforce gains - caa | Capital Analytics Associates Corporate upskilling micro-credentials are reshaping how U.S. educators and employers train, hire, and retain top talent.

ANSI announces recipients of the 2026 Leadership and Service Awards: 27 distinguished awardees to be honored during the July ANSI Innovation Summit in Denver

ANSI Announces Recipients of the 2026 Leadership and Service Awards New technologies are arriving faster than ever, and the 2026 ANSI Innovation Summit brings the standards community together to take on what that requires— both the standards these technologies need and more adaptive ways of developing them. Sponsoring the Summit is a chance to put your organizatio...

Standards support many programs that the workforce utilizes as tools to address employment, re-employment, upskilling, and advancement challenges that millions of workers face on a regular basis—and Workcred educates employers and workers on how to use these standards to advance their workforce goals.

Standards – A Foundational Component of Quality Credentials - Workcred Point of View Workcred discusses how standards are a foundational component of quality credentials through examples of certificate programs.

Workcred is a proud promotional partner of the Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education conference! We hope you’ll join us in DC this October 13-15 to learn more about the rapidly evolving field of credential innovation.

Credentials support multiple functions in our society and economy. In particular, quality certifications play an important role in ensuring the public good by signaling that their holders have the knowledge, prerequisites, and competencies to perform in an occupation – like food retail and service. The importance of quality credentials in food safety cannot be overstated – credentialed professionals act as gatekeepers of public health, ensuring that the food we eat is safe, nutritious, and responsibly handled.

The Importance of Quality Credentials in Supporting Public Health in Food Safety - Workcred Point of View Workcred highlights the importance of quality credentials in food safety and how they support overall public health.

As states build data systems to better understand credential outcomes, they rely on data that can be linked across education and workforce systems. Initiatives like what CredLens is doing represent one model for how this kind of infrastructure is being built at scale. By engaging in these national initiatives, certification bodies will be better positioned to be represented in analyses that inform workforce policy decisions and funding priorities, while also gaining access to outcomes data certification bodies could not otherwise collect on their own.

Closing the Data Gap for Certifications - Workcred Point of View Workcred discusses the demand for data on the outcomes of certifications and the individuals who have earned them.

The cost of certification exams can be a barrier for college learners. It is critical that certification bodies provide academic pricing structures or bundled discounts that allow increased learner access. In addition, community colleges can consider embedding the cost of the certification exam in the academic program, so that learners who are eligible for financial aid can have the costs covered as part of their tuition.

Strengthening Partnerships Between Community Colleges and Certification Bodies - Workcred Point of View Strengthening partnerships between community colleges and certification bodies: Workcred explored strategies to develop new pathways.

Microcredentials have become the answer for today’s workforce, where employees must regularly upskill and reskill to remain competitive. Microcredentials support this need by providing just-in-time learning opportunities that deliver the right skills at the right moment in a learner’s career. Microcredentials are a powerful tool to stay relevant and competitive.

Why Micro-credentials are the “Currency” of the Modern Workforce – Digital Promise Skills-based micro-credentials close the gap between learning and work.

Last week, Workcred’s Dr. Terry Vaughan III presented initial findings on how to better support degree + non-degree credential pathways for future learners during the Non-Degree Research Network conference. Stay tuned for the full report to be released this summer!

Lifelong learning is critical to today’s labor market and learners want to know how a certification relates to other certifications or postsecondary education programs. Certification bodies can provide information on their websites about how certifications lead to education and training opportunities, employment opportunities, and career advancement. Read other recommendations for how certification bodies can support community colleges in our blog.

Strengthening Partnerships Between Community Colleges and Certification Bodies - Workcred Point of View Strengthening partnerships between community colleges and certification bodies: Workcred explored strategies to develop new pathways.