Dive Brief:

• DC-based non-profit Education Design Lab announced a partnership with Credly to designate colleges and universities as authorized issuers of their set of 21st Century Skills credentials. Education Design Lab developed a program that assesses and recognizes workplace relevant leadership, communication and interpersonal skills and then issues badges for them. Partnering with Credly allows the organization to scale up its credential program. 
• Through the partnership, participating educators will be able to issue badges aligned to a "new national standard," connected directly to labor market opportunities. For employers, the credentials allow them fast-track recognition of candidates that have skills needed for today's workforce and beyond. Credentials can be earned for skills like critical thinking, intercultural fluency, resilience, empathy, collaboration and creative problem solving, according to Education Design Lab. 
• The next phase of the partnership will be #TeeUpTheSkills: a year-long design challenge. Major employers will work with six learning institutions to provide a "leg up" for new grads in underserved communities: all free of charge for colleges and universities invited into the program.

Dive Insight:

Digital credentialing may have started with tech, but it's expanded to a wide variety of skill sets. The payoff to employers is a faster way to verify candidates and employees can meet the needs of a demanding workday, as well as identify which hires and potential hires could benefit from training and upskilling.

The education marketplace continues to expand, with more learners accessing information online, even through smartphones if they don't have home internet access. As knowledge grows, so does the need for verification. For job seekers as well as employers, the ability to effectively verify qualifications with a digital credentialing profile has the potential to open doors that may have been previously locked.

The challenge for many in government and community groups is creating opportunity in underserved communities. Apprenticeships are up across the country, as business, community and government leadership looks for creative solutions to address the skills gap for employers and the opportunity gap for job seekers.