ACE has partnered with digital credential leader Credly to re-envision the translation of workplace learning into college credit.
Post-traditional students who complete industry-relevant certifications, apprenticeships, or professional training and examinations can now share their credentials for free with employers as well as sending an official transcript securely to colleges and universities. Institutions interested in enhancing their credit for prior learning programs will have all of the information ACE validates as part of its industry-standard learning evaluation process at their fingertips so that they can grant credit to support the success of post-traditional learners.
This project, supported by a generous grant from the Lumina Foundation, is part of the larger effort to turn the college transcript into a more comprehensive record of a student’s hard work by moving beyond course titles and grades to include workforce-relevant competencies and skills. Through ACE’s CREDIT program, faculty experts will issue recommendations for equivalent college credit as well as validate competencies earned during non-institutional educational experiences.
"Digital credentials are a tool for creating a new language for the labor market. We're fostering collaborations between employers and institutions that reflect the reality of today's students and our shared responsibility in creating more seamless pathways from employment to education and economic opportunity,” said Louis Soares, ACE’s chief learning and innovation officer.
CREDIT’s participating organizations will join thousands of employers, training organizations, associations, certification programs, and workforce development initiatives that use Credly to help individuals translate their learning experiences into professional opportunities using trusted, portable, digital credentials. Learners with ACE credit will have the ability to easily share their achievements online and understand the value of their demonstrated knowledge and skills in the workforce.
“The work that ACE and Credly have done together leverages the power of our combined networks to bring institutions closer to employers,” said Jonathan Finkelstein, CEO of Credly. “That represents a win in every sense of the word for everyone involved, especially those post-traditional learners who are investing their time and resources into upskilling.”
Organizations evaluated by ACE have already started launching on Credly’s Acclaim platform, and students are sending the new transcript to their schools of choice every day. Click here to learn more. If institutions are interested in learning more about the work ACE and Credly are doing to connect dedicated students with schools interested in supporting their journeys, please contact Sarah Cunningham at scunningham@acenet.edu.