Education and training have become essential to our nation’s economic mobility and growth following an historic pandemic that disrupted the lives and livelihoods of students and working learners. More than 80 percent of all jobs in today’s economy require some form of education or training beyond high school, and virtually all new jobs created since 2008 have gone to workers with at least some postsecondary education. Economic downturns are traditionally the time that prospective students look to pursue training, and recent survey results show that it is likely to be in a non-degree program to acquire the skills they need for work, or to obtain a certificate or license. This session will explain how two states are using labor market data to define quality credentials and making data on credentials transparent to learners through Credential Engine and to provide more pathways into quality postsecondary education and training as a part of their recovery strategies.
