Certifications have the potential to be useful tools in addressing re-employment, re-deployment, and re-education challenges that workers face in the current labor market.
The most recent Strada Education Network findings show that Americans feel stuck in their current employment situations and remain skeptical of the value of credentials and education to advance their careers. More than half surveyed said they do not believe a good job is within their reach, and 44 percent said they are not equipped with the right skills and credentials.
Workcred is focused on solutions to these workforce challenges and is working to educate the public about how certifications and certificates align workers with meaningful careers in a challenging job market. Recent research completed by Workcred demonstrates the value of certifications and certificates in supporting displaced workers seeking employment.
Highlighting their value, Workcred’s director of research joined a recent discussion around perspectives on access and barriers to good jobs during the Strada Education Network Public Viewpoint webcast to showcase top qualities that make certifications so well-suited to individuals seeking new credentials as a pathway to employment:
- certifications reflect a mastery of job-relevant competencies;
- can often be gained within a short time-frame;
- and are relatively low-cost when compared with other credentials.
As third-party assessment of competencies that are specific to a role or job, certifications are a great way for someone to gain entry into a meaningful career. In fact, certifications are often developed in partnership with employers, and they exist across a variety of industry sectors, including manufacturing, hospitality, retail, healthcare, and technology.
In addition, in the midst of this pandemic, Workcred has co-authored three reports shining light on the importance of certifications:
- Embedding Certifications into Bachelor’s Degrees: Certification-Degree Pathways Framework identifying opportunities, challenges, and practical examples associated with integrating high-quality, industry certifications into bachelor’s degree programs in order to create more opportunities for students to earn credentials with labor-market value.
- Understanding Certifications, primer intended to help policymakers and practitioners navigate the complex and little understood “wild west” of certifications.
- Understanding Quality: The Role of States in Supporting Quality Non-Degree Credentials which sheds light on the value of non-degree credentials as tools to empower workers and strengthen state economies amid the significant disruption caused by COVID-19.
Access these reports and a variety of resources created to help simplify understanding of the U.S. credentialing system on Workcred’s website.
