Building Momentum for Greater Credentialing Outcomes

In 2025, we are taking meaningful steps to support workforce development through strategic partnerships, engaging dialogues about credentialing, and the expansion of our very own team. I’m thrilled to share with you some of the ways that Workcred is striving to make a difference. Our Efforts Across the Nation We've been busy participating in regional summits through our partnership with the National CyberWatch Center.

CyberWatch is a consortium of higher education institutions, businesses, and government agencies focused on advancing information security education and strengthening the national cybersecurity workforce. Workcred facilitated sessions at these summits to gather insights from the broader community to identify the key components of an accreditation model for community-based cybersecurity clinics. This information will be integrated into an accreditation framework.

We also joined the Certification Network Group meeting in Chicago to discuss the relationship among economic value, outcomes data, and evolving workforce polices. This is critical as states continue to build and update lists of credentials of value—efforts that can help shape policy and funding decisions.

CredLens

As momentum continues to grow around the use of third-party data, we’re excited to report that two national certification bodies—the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and the National Center for Construction Education and Research—have signed agreements to share their administrative data with CredLens, marking a meaningful step forward in building a national data trust to support the credentialing ecosystem.

Workcred continues to educate other certification bodies about the importance of using third-party data to drive business decisions. In a recent focus group, participants highlighted the questions that they would like data to answer, which included improving eligibility criteria, addressing completion barriers, identifying alternative pathways, and increasing program visibility. We also shared the result of the focus group with our Credentialing Body Advisory Council.

Cheers to Long-Term Alliances, and Welcome New Partners!

We’re counting down to the finale of our groundbreaking three-year grant creating certification + degree pathways to offer community colleges an affordable, scalable approach to align degrees with industry needs! This summer, we will be hosting our final partners’ meetings where the four participating community colleges will share their experiences creating eight new pathways in IT and health sciences—initiatives designed to create lasting impact for students and employers alike. We will also be finalizing a set of publications to be released this summer, including case studies that provide specific examples of new certification + degree pathways, a playbook for community colleges that want to implement these pathways, and accreditation guidelines to consider when building these pathways. Read more about how credentials support multiple functions in our society and economy.

Of course, successful pathways are powered by people. We are grateful to have Laurie E. Locascio, Ph.D. NAE, join us as Workcred’s Board chair when she became president and CEO of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Workcred's parent company, in January.

We are also thrilled to welcome Terry Vaughan III, Ph.D., who joined Workcred in March as our associate executive director, research. His tremendous expertise and background in championing equitable career pathways is impressive, and I have no doubt that he will be a major contributor to advancing Workcred’s mission.

Amid Our Efforts, We Are Grateful for Recognition

I am honored to share with you that I recently received the Association of Test Publishers Career Achievement Award, which recognizes work that has helped create more reliable and equitable assessment systems that benefit the public. I am proud to have played a role in advancing professional development through advocacy for credentialing and standards.

What’s Ahead for Workcred?

We’re looking forward to many more events and opportunities to connect with you in the coming months. Stay tuned for an announcement about our next micro-chat, and read about what the experts say on How AI Will Shape the Future of Testing, featuring Isabelle Gonthier of PSI Services, Eric D’Astolfo of Pearson VUE, and Cynthia Woodley of Professional Testing.

Connect with Workcred online and on social media to ensure you don't miss these insights that are helping to shape a stronger future for all.

Roy A. Swift