Employer Insights: Validated Skills, Digital Credentials, and Digital Wallets

UpSkill Americahas released two new pieces focusing on employer experiences and insights around the emerging field of digital credentials, skills profiles, and validated skills. Why are these innovations important?

1. As the use of AI grows, employers will need ways of distinguishing between AI-generated resumes and actual skills.
2. As Skills First practices develop, employers will need portable, verifiable records of candidates' learning, employment, and skills.
3. And as people gain skills through many experiences, including work, the military, and higher education, portable, comprehensive records will be necessary. People are mobile, so skills, too, must be mobile, not trapped in resumes, transcripts, or paper records.

What we don't yet have is a comprehensive understanding of what matters to employers, and where validated skills and verified credentials can have the most impact for businesses. Take our survey, designed to shed light on these subjects, and share your thoughts!

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Employer Insights on Digital Credentials and Skills Profiles: Lessons Learned

Learning and employment records hold tremendous potential to aid hiring and talent management decisions, but employers want more clarity on interpreting and validating what these credentials indicate about a person's knowledge and skills. This report, developed with support from Western Governors University, describes what employers said they need to make better use of LERs, and it makes recommendations for credential providers.

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Piloting Innovation: Launching LERs in Arizona

Working in partnership with Center for the Future of Arizona and Arizona State University, Karsten's Ace Hardware piloted a digital badge program that enabled employees to have a portable, verified record of the skills they had built that would move with them throughout their career. This briefoutlines the design, results, and lessons learned from that pilot, including increased satisfaction and motivation from employees.

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UpSkill America supports employers and workforce organizations to expand and improve high-quality educational and career advancement opportunities for America's front-line workers. We seek to create a movement of employers, civic organizations, workforce intermediaries, and policymakers working collaboratively to implement education, training, and development strategies that result in better jobs and opportunities for front-line workers, more competitive businesses, and stronger communities. Follow us at www.upskillamerica.org and linkedin.com/showcase/upskill-america

The Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy. Follow us on social media and join our mailing list to stay up-to-date on publications, blog posts, events, and other announcements.