The Promise of Micro-credentials and Learning and Employment Record Technologies for Youth and K-12 Schools – Digital Promise

The Promise of Micro-credentials and Learning and Employment Record Technologies for Youth and K-12 Schools

The shift to skills-based hiring has gained traction across key players in the learning and workforce ecosystems. With the acceleration of this shift, skills-based learning and advancement have the potential to provide historically and systematically excluded (HSE) youth access to powerful learning, skill development, and the recognition necessary to experience career advancement and economic security. Recognition technologies, such as learning and employment record (LER) technologies and competency-based micro-credentials, have emerged as promising solutions for capturing and advancing recognition of all the skills learners have.

Our new report, “The Promise of Micro-credentials and Learning and Employment Record Technologies for Youth and K-12 Schools,” is designed to help district leaders and technology sector leaders to effectively implement competency-based micro-credentials and LER technologies. The report provides:

  • Indicators and their criteria for evaluating district readiness for successful implementation.
  • Key steps for district leaders as they develop a foundation for competency-based micro-credentials and LER technologies.
  • An overview of implementation considerations for K-12 schools based on insights provided by students, families/caregivers, educators, postsecondary partners, and workforce partners.

Key Definitions

  • Learning and Employment Record (LER) Technologies: An LER is any type of record or credential about a person’s learning or employment. LER Technologies supports the digital storage, sharing, and collection of these records. In an LER technology, digital records of learning and work can be grouped together with other individual LERs for use in describing one’s abilities when pursuing education and employment opportunities. An LER can document learning wherever it occurs, including at the workplace or through an education experience, credentialing, or military training. It can also include information about employment history and earnings.
  • Micro-credentials: Digital certifications that verify an individual’s competence in a specific skill or set of skills.

Boost K-12 Success with Micro-Credentials & LER Tech for Skill Recognition

Suggested citation: Shah, Z., Galindo, M., Aso-Hernandez, C., Luna, C, Lee, K., Weisgrau, J., Solorzano, T., Jacobs, B. (2024, August). The Promise of Micro-credentials and Learning and Employment Record Technologies for Youth and K-12 Schools. Digital Promise. https://doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/224
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