Learners Show Us the Way: Building Equitable Credentialing Pathways
Learners across the country continue to describe credentialing systems as confusing and challenging to navigate. This became clear in our recent conversations with educators, employers, and partners who witness these challenges unfold in real time. During our The Future is Portable: A Conversation with Leaders webinar, panelists described the urgency of building systems that help learners access and share their skills in ways that feel clear, intuitive, and supportive of their long-term goals. At CBExchange, the discussion continued as we explored how digital wallers and Learning and Employment Records (LERs) can elevate the visibility of nondegree credentials and strengthen connections between learning and work.
Many learners balance work, family responsibilities, and financial pressures while trying to pursue new skills. Learners want options that fit their schedules and help them move into better jobs. Many also ask for more precise guidance on which credentials matter and how to use them to take the next step in their careers.
In partnership with Education Strategy Group, Third Sector released The Future is Portable: Designing Equitable Credentialing Ecosystems, which outlines opportunities to strengthen credentialing systems and center learner experiences.
What the System Must Do
The report offers three recommendations to support a more transparent and equitable credentialing ecosystem:
- Standardize language. Create a shared vocabulary for credentials and digital tools to ensure that learners, institutions, and employers understand what credentials mean and how to utilize them effectively.
- Embed equity. Ensure the nondegree credentials and digital wallets remain accessible and affordable for all learners, especially those who have been underserved or marginalized.
- Integrate advising. Use existing advising structures to help learners navigate tools, understand credential value, and connect these tools to their broader career goals.
These recommendations reflect a simple belief: Implementation will only succeed if the systems center learners’ experiences. This can look different depending on the community or opportunity, but two strategies stand out.
- Utilize a place-based strategy that considers context, culture, and relationships.
- Create intentional spaces for learners to share their experiences and inform the design of programs and policies.
Centering Learner Perspectives
Learners often face disconnected systems, unclear information about the value of credentials, and limited guidance on how to transition into family-sustaining careers. Many also experience barriers shaped by geography, culture, and access to support. A more responsive system acknowledges these realities and designs with them in mind.
Learner Stories and Experiences
Learners offer a direct view into the barriers and opportunities that shape credentialing pathways.
The report features the story of Nieves, a learner whose journey reflects both possibility and persistent system friction. After returning to college following a decade-long pause, she earned stacked credentials in Health Information Technology, Medical Administrative Assistance, and Medical Coding. These credentials created new pathways and opportunities that traditional routes had not. Still, Nieves encountered challenges transferring credits across states and institutions and struggled to demonstrate the cumulative value of her credentials.
Her experience shows where systems fall short. It also highlights the insight learners bring to conversations about what needs to change. Incorporating learner perspectives into program and policy design can reveal gaps that might not surface through systems-level analysis alone.
As you reflect on your own work, consider four questions.
- Where is the learner’s voice or perspective?
- Have I considered their needs and the barriers they face?
- How can I include learners more intentionally?
- Which partners can help me keep learners at the center of this work?
Looking Ahead
Nondegree credentials and digital wallets can make the workforce system easier to navigate, but tools alone cannot address the barriers learners face. Real progress depends on thoughtful implementation, strong community partnerships, and ongoing engagement with learners themselves.
Learners do not simply move through public systems. They help shape the pathways that guide their futures. When institutions, policymakers, employers, and community partners focus on learner experiences, they lay the groundwork for a workforce system that supports everyone.
