Member Resources
Related Research Publications
2021
More Employers Are Awarding Credentials. Is A Parallel Higher Education System Emerging?
Sean Gallagher and Holly Zanville
WorkRise: New Initiative to Transform the Labor Market
Holly Zanville
The Indispensable Institution: Taking the Measure of Community College Workforce Education
Tamar Jacoby
2020
The Learn-and-Work Ecosystem Guide
Combining Degrees with Quality Certifications is a Win for Everyone
Karen Elzey and Shalin R. Jyotishi
2019
Expanding Opportunities: Defining Quality Non-Degree Credentials for States
Amy Ellen Duke-Benfield, Bryan Wilson, Kermit Kaleba and Jenna Leventoff
Counting U.S. Postsecondary and Secondary Credentials: A 2019 Report
Andrew Reamer
Certified Value: When do Adults without Degrees Benefit from Earning Certificates and Certifications
Industry Certifications: A Better Bridge from School to Work?
Tamar Jacoby
A Stronger Nation: Learning Beyond High School Builds American Talent
NCRN 2022 Conference: Non-degree Credentials on the Move
- Resubmission of AccelNet Proposal to National Science Foundation
- International Developments in Micocredentialing: Margo Griffith
- Data Issues Impacting Researchers and Users of Research: Kyle Albert
- Data Issues Impacting Researchers and Users of Research: Mark D'Amico
- Data Issues Impacting Researchers and Users of Research: Heather McKay
- Data Issues Impacting Researchers and Users of Research: Felicia Perez
- Data Issues Impacting Researchers and Users of Research: Andrew Reamer
- Labor-Market Outcomes of Non-degree Credentials: Matthew Baird
- Labor-Market Outcomes of Non-degree Credentials: Ashley Edwards
- Labor-Market Outcomes of Non-degree Credentials: Daniel Kuehn
- Public Policies Shaping the Non-degree Marketpace: Dana Kunzman, Nick Moore, Cynthia Proctor, Michelle Van Noy
- Credentials As You Go: Kirk Knestis, Nan Travers, Holly Zanville
- Higher Education as a Provider of Non-degree Credentials: Julian Alssid
- Higher Education as a Provider of Non-degree Credentials: Jim Fong
- Higher Education as a Provider of Non-degree Credentials: Christos Makridis
- Summary of NCRN Session on International Developments in Micro-Credentialing contributed by Michael Fung, Tecnologico de Monterrey
Opportunities to Comment on Federal Data Collections
Andrew Reamer presented to the NCRN on the many upcoming opportunities for researchers to shape federal data collection policy concerning non-degree credentials. In the spreadsheet linked below, he lists all known active federal survey data collection efforts concerning non-degree credentials with details on when researchers can submit comments to relevant agencies.
- Federal Data Collections Relevant to Non-degree Credential Research(spreadsheet)
- Federal Agencies with Skilled Technical Workforce (STW) Development Programs
- Opportunities to Comment on Proposed federal Data Collections: A Primer on How to Respond
- Notes from Kyle Albert's presentation to the Department of Labor Workforce Information Advisory Council (WIAC) on the NCRN and federal data collection on NDCs
NCRN's Literature Scan and Zotero Library
In a webinar on Wednesday, July 27, Cesar Montalvo of the University of Virginia Biocomplexity Institute, Social and Decision Analytics Division presented to the NCRN on how technical skill prevalence shapes the salary returns and the connection between credentials and career pathways for skill-intensive occupations. His team's research uses Burning Glass Technology information for the State of Virginia and focuses on five major occupation groups, including Construction, Maintenance, Production, Transportation and Healthcare. Cesar and his colleagues determined the skill "genome" of occupational groups and constructed a metric for skill importance to classify skills according to technical components. The research helped identify returns for technical skills within occupations, which helps to inform individuals about career pathways that may lead to technical occupations through reskilling and credential seeking.
Innovations in Community Colleges & IPEDS Update (December 1, 2021, 1 PM EST)
In a separate presentation (approximately 1:00-1:15pm, EST), Tara Lawley of the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education updated (PPT) the NCRN on efforts to add data on noncredit attainment to the Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Since a unique feature of the NCRN’s webinars is coupling timely presentations on research with discussion among researchers and users of research, the NCRN is sharing its discussions here.
NDC Administrative Data Project (November 4, 2021, 1 PM EDT)
Credentials: Problems, Opportunities, Solutions (October 14, 2021, 1 PM EDT)
NCRN members Paul Gaston and Michelle Van Noy presented takeaways from their new book and practical suggestions especially for postsecondary education administrators, faculty members, and academic advisors. Michelle is Associate Director, Education and Employment Research Center, School of Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; and Paul L. Gaston is Trustees Professor Emeritus, Kent State University and Distinguished Fellow, AAC&U.
Research Initiatives in Ontario, Canada (September 9, 2021, 1- 2 PM EST)
Jackie Pichette, Director of Policy, Research and Partnerships at the Higher Education Quality Council, Ontario presented research on microcredentialing developments in Ontario.
Skills-Based Employer Practices (August 18, 2021, 1 PM EST)
Implementation of skills-based practices into the human capital life cycle has emerged as a more agile means of supporting organizational workforce needs and goals, while increasing career opportunities for a broader range of people (e.g., those without college degrees) and improving organizational diversity. One critical aspect in the implementation of skills-based practices is to be able to measure and track the skills that employees learn on the job. American Institutes for Research (AIR) researchers will present the results of research, funded through a grant from Walmart, which looked at the landscape of employer skill validation practices and the systems and tools that support them through case study interviews with 10 employers and 5 tool providers.
Speakers include Christina Curnow, Managing Director, American Institutes for Research, and Rob Calderón, Principal I/O Researcher, American Institutes for Research
Full Membership NCRN Webinar: (July 15th, 2021, 1 PM EST)
Workforce Data Infrastructure (June 3, 2021, 1 PM EST)
This NCRN webinar was held on June 3 at 1 pm ET. U.S. Chamber Foundation VP Jason A. Tyszko presented on his center's efforts to modernize workforce data and enabling infrastructures, giving special attention to the T3 Network of Networks, Jobs and Employments Data Exchange (JEDx), and an initiative around Learning and Employment Records (LERs).
Microcredentials featuring Gillian Golden and Thomas Weko (April 22, 2021, 1 PM EST)
This NCRN webinar, "Microcredentials: The Race Between Innovation and Public Regulation," featured Gillian Golden and Thomas Weko of the OECD. Gillian Golden is a policy analyst in the Higher Education Policy Team of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. She currently is the project lead for initiatives related to new data and evidence development. Thomas Weko is a Senior Analyst in Education and Skills Directorate of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), where he leads the work of the Higher Education Policy Team. They described some of their research on the adoption of non-degree credentials and divergences among OECD member countries in public policy towards NDCs.
IPEDS, featuring Mark Schneider, Ross Santy, and Tara Lawley (March 4, 2021)
The NCRN hosted a discussion of the future of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Institute of Education Sciences Director Mark Schneider updated the network about other IES initiatives and answered questions.
Overview of WorkRise with Todd Greene (February 18, 2021)
Todd Greene joined us to present the Urban Institute's recently-launched WorkRise initiative, which supports researchers studying the state of the pandemic-era job market and labor market inequality.
Badges (November 24, 2020)
We hosted Louis Soares, chief learning and evaluation officer of the American Council on Education, and Jonathan Finkelstein, founder and CEO of Credly.
Competencies in Higher Education (October 21, 2020)
Lauren Eyster and her Urban Institute colleague Molly Scott presented a webinar on their recent publication: Better Connecting Students to Jobs: A Guide for Policymakers to Encourage and Support Integrating Competencies in Postsecondary Education and Training. Charla Long, the executive director of the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN), was the discussant.
The Interstate Passport (August 25, 2020)
On Tuesday, August 25th we hosted a webinar discussing the Interstate Passport and its potential for use as a non-degree credential. The Interstate Passport is a program designed to enable nationwide block transfer of lower-division general education based on learning outcomes for institutions participating in the Interstate Passport Network. Presenters included Heather McKay, director of the Education and Employment Research Center at Rutgers University, Anna Galas, director of academic leadership initiatives for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), and Lisa Ferris-McCann, director of academic integrity and quality for the American Council on Education.
Presentation by Nan Travers (August 5, 2020)
On Wednesday, August 5th, the NCRN hosted Nan Travers of SUNY Empire State College to discuss her "Credential as You Go" project examining the incremental recognition of learning that supplements existing post-secondary degrees and certificates. After Nan's presentation, two discussants presented their views on incremental credentialing and situated Credential as You Go in the broader credentialing landscape: Kent Phillippe, Associate Vice President for Research and Student Success at the American Association of Community Colleges and Cindy Cisneros, Vice President of Education Programs at the Conference Board's Committee for Economic Development.
The Manufacturing Institute, National Student Clearinghouse, and Census Bureau's Efforts to Link Administrative Data on Certification (July 22, 2020)
On Wednesday, July 22nd, the NCRN hosted the Manufacturing Institute's VP for Strategic Initiatives, Gardner Carrick, who presented the findings of a unique research project on the earnings and trajectory of earnings before and after an individual received a manufacturing industry certification as well as how the attainment of an educational credential (certificate, Associate, Bachelor) impacted those earnings. This research was completed in collaboration with the National Student Clearinghouse (represented in this webinar by Vanessa Brown) and the Census Bureau.
The Impact of Pandemic-Induced Unemployment on Training and Credentials (July 1, 2020)
The NCRN hosted a virtual event open to all interested researchers and stakeholders on the pandemic's impact on the labor market and its implications for the organizations that provide training and credentials. Speakers included Stuart Andreason of the Atlanta Fed’s Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity, and Iris Palmer, Senior Advisor for Higher Education and Workforce at New America. Stuart presented the latest data on employment trends, and Iris discussed the effectiveness of past government programs to promote the reskilling of displaced workers. This webinar also featured two respondents from the stakeholder community: Steven Partridge, vice president for workforce development at Northern Virginia Community College, and Kenyatta Lovett, assistant commissioner of labor in Tennessee.
Virtual Plenary on the Implications of COVID-19 for Non-Degree Credentials and Credentialing Research (June 17, 2020)
At a members-only virtual meeting led by Iris Palmer, Paul Osterman, Holly Zanville and Stuart Andreason, NCRN researchers described the challenges involved in conducting research during the COVID-19 pandemic. Members also discussed the potential policy implications of the pandemic and resulting job losses for job training and non-degree credentials. Paul Osterman's PowerPoint slides describing preliminary results of a survey on adult job training.
The National Training, Education, and Workforce Survey (June 2, 2020)
We hosted John Finamore, director of the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics at the National Science Foundation, for an informative discussion of the future of federal data collection on non-degree credentials. John presented the latest updates concerning the National Training, Education and Workforce Survey, a major effort to collect data on the educational attainment (including via non-degree credentials) of the U.S. adult population with a focus on those in the skilled technical workforce. The NTEWS is a very significant opportunity for the non-degree credentials research community to better understand who earns non-degree credentials and how credentials relate to labor market outcomes. While the NTEWS 60-day comment period closed on June 15, 2020, another comment period is anticipated prior to the administration of the survey in 2021.
Community Colleges and Non-Degree Credentials: Drivers for Change and Early Lessons Learned (May 19, 2020)
In this webinar, Sean Gallagher, co-editor of a recently published community college-focused, practitioner-oriented journal volume, “Credentials for a New Era of Work and Learning,” shared insights relevant to non-degree credentials research. Sean analyzed the factors driving community colleges' interest in non-degree credentials, discussed opportunities associated with non-degree credentials, and identified emerging trends and best practices that community colleges might consider when structuring their credentials.
Research Meeting (January 27.2020)
The following materials were presented at the January 27, 2020, NCRN meeting and are shared here with the presenters’ permission.
- "An Exploratory Study of Non-Credit to Credit Conversion Activities: Selected Preliminary Findings" – Alexei G. Matveev
- "FEATuring You: A Badging Initiative for Opportunity Youth" – Martin Kurzweil
- "The Rationalization of Hiring: Algorithms, Intermediaries, and Information" – David Bills
- "Understanding the Landscape of Industry and Occupational Certifications" – Larry Good
- "Returns to Certification (Payscale Data)" – Christos Makridis
- "Leveraging the T3 Network to Support and Scale Interoperable Learning Record Pilots" – Robert Sheets and Jason Tyszko
- "Convenings to Explore Opportunities for Integration of Four-Year Degrees and Certifications" – Roy Swift
- "America’s Shadow Training System: University Extension Schools in Regional Tech Economies" – John Skrentny and Mary Walshok
- "Occupational Licensing and Labor Market Fluidity" – Morris Kleiner and Ming Xu
- "Exploring State Variations in Non-degree Professional Credentials" – Allison Forbes and Henry Renski
Research Meeting (August 29,2019)
The following materials were presented at the August 12, 2019, NCRN meeting and are shared here with the presenters’ permission.
- “The National Training, Education, and Workforce Survey” – John Finamore
- “Work-Based Higher Education: Insights from the US and Germany” - Inez von Weitershausen
- “Non-Degree Credentials Quality: A Conceptual Model to Guide Measurement” – Michelle Van Noy
- “Employer Perspectives on Non-Degree Credentials: Recent Research Results and Implications for Future Study” – Sean Gallagher
- “Job Market Signaling through Occupational Licensing” – Peter Blair
Webinar on Non-Degree Credentials Quality
- Michelle Van Noy: Defining the Quality of Non-Degree Credentials
- Amy Ellen Duke-Benfield: Expanding Opportunities: Defining Quality Non-Degree Credentials for States