Workforce Credentials
Education programs that incorporate the opportunity to earn an industry-sought credential can give young people a leg up in the labor market when they graduate high school. This is particularly important for young people who choose not to pursue further learning immediately after high school or those who choose to work and learn simultaneously. There is some evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic reduced opportunities for students to earn industry credentials, particularly those credentials that required clinical hours or on-the-job training.
To address the negative impact of the pandemic on credential attainment among young people, states and LEAs may use ESSER funds to:
- Identify credentials that have value in the labor market and are truly sought by employers, including through analyses of the labor market, review of employer hiring models and patterns, consultation with state and local workforce development boards to better understand employer needs, and other real-time labor market analysis.
- Expand opportunities for students to earn industry-sought credentials, including by offering programs after school and during the summer months, and modifying existing programs to incorporate credentials.
- Eliminate barriers to credential attainment by paying examination fees for students from low-income backgrounds, providing transportation for students to testing sites, and identifying and implementing assistive technology options and accommodations needed by students with disabilities to participate in credentialing exams.
- Make testing opportunities more accessible to students by paying the costs of training for school personnel to become certified to administer credentialing exams, as well as paying for the start-up costs associated with the school becoming a testing site.
- Develop and implement data-sharing agreements with credential providers that enable the collection and interoperable sharing of data about student attainment of certificates in a manner consistent with federal and state student privacy requirements.
