Why credential issuers need to know whether graduates landed in the roles they trained for — and why that question is harder to answer than it looks.
Being committed to outcomes data is one thing—having the records, access, and resources to turn that data into meaningful evidence is another.
Non-degree credentials are growing year after year. Whether they're paying off is a harder question to answer and few credential issuers have the data to show stakeholders what their programs are actually worth.
For credential issuers serious about demonstrating program value, career mobility — new roles, new industries, measurable wage growth — is the metric that actually reflects whether a credential delivered on its promise.
To ensure short-term credentials deliver real economic mobility, the higher ed ecosystem must move beyond expanding access and rely on quality outcomes data to prove program value.
The conversation at SXSW EDU highlights how three organizations with three different data journeys are all working toward the same goal: real economic mobility for their learners.
