Pathways to Credentials
By awarding credit for a range of education, training, and workplace learning and skill building experiences that “stack” toward associate degrees, stackable credential programs help working students develop the skills they need to advance on the job and earn credentials that enable further study – at the same time. This accelerates credit attainment and may increase the likelihood of degree completion.
This initiative assists community and technical colleges in their efforts to embed stackable, industry-recognized credentials within technical associate degree programs. A cohort of 10 college teams is currently receiving technical assistance.
Pathways to Credentials Cohort
This initiative assists community and technical colleges in their efforts to embed stackable, industry-recognized credentials within technical associate degree programs.
Introduction to Stackable Credentials
Learn about stackable credentials and how they can support employer partners and students.
Certification Crosswalk
Use this interactive tool to quickly find certifications for career and technical education.
Resources
The Mapping Upward project created tutorials and podcasts offering the perspectives
of community college practitioners on issues relevant to stackable credentials.
Exploring Credit for Prior Learning, with Jamie Spacial, Gateway Technical College
Summer 2017
Shares best practices related to the development of prior learning assessments and a sustainable credit for prior learning system.
Breaking Down Silos to Build In-Demand Pathways, with Tom Crampton, Mott Community College
Summer 2017
Discusses stackable credentials in the context of Career Pathways, leveraging services to support students and employers, and removing barriers to non-credit/credit integration.
Learning What Works: Data & Documentation in an Evidence-based World, with Kristin Wolff, SPR
Summer 2017
A tutorial on learning and evaluation to support community and technical colleges engaged in the design of stackable credentials.
Mapping Upward Culminating Webinar, with Hope Cotner, CORD
Summary 2017
Provides a tour of the tools developed by the Mapping Upward Project to support community and technical colleges engaged in the design of stackable credentials.
Industry Certification Data Exchange Project: Results and Lessons Learned
Summer 2017
Between 2012 and 2017, the Certification Data Exchange Project (CDEP) pilot-tested a data exchange process to learn how data from third-party industry certifying agencies could be shared and matched with data from state education and workforce agencies. This video describes the results, lessons learned, and next steps for states interested in conducting similar data matches.
Interview with Dr. Maria Coons
September 2016
Dr. Maria Coons, Chief of Staff and Vice President of Workforce Planning and Institutional Effectiveness at Harper College, offers her perspectives on leveraging stackable credentials to increase completion and inspiring college staff to sustain this change in program design.
- Audio (MP3, 7.7 MB)
- Transcript (DOCX, 29 KB)
Interview with Dr. Annette Parker
September 2016
Dr. Annette Parker, President of South Central College in Minnesota, discusses curriculum redesign approaches that allow students to earn stackable college credentials aligned to industry certification.
- Audio (MP3, 5.1 MB)
- Transcript (DOCX, 29 KB)
Interview with Debbie Davidson
September 2016
Debbie Davidson, Vice President of Business and Workforce Solutions at Gateway Technical College, shares her perspectives on collaborating with employers to design stackable credentials and building capacity for industry partnership development at the department level.
- Audio (MP3, 12.5 MB)
- Transcript (DOCX, 32 KB)