Playbook | March 20, 2023
Incremental Credentialing Framework
Playbook Sections
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Learn & Work Ecosystem Library Credential As You Go DictionaryIncremental Credentialing Framework Approaches
Transfer As You Go
Strategies
- Transfer pathways from one credential to the next across institutions or work environments.
- Transfer pathways from pre-college, undergraduate, through graduate level – within or across institutions.
- Transfer the same-level credential from institution A to institution B for content areas or training not offered by B.
- Share trainings across organizations and companies.
- Identify expected prior learning as a prerequisite to transfer into an academic or workplace program.
Examples
- Associate level to bachelor’s level (e.g., a microcredential in business fundamentals goes toward an associate degree and is part of a transfer pathway into a bachelor’s degree; or an incremental credential in general education connects an AOS to a bachelor’s degree).
- Bachelor’s level to master’s level (e.g., a certificate in human resources management goes toward a bachelor’s degree and is part of a transfer pathway into a master’s degree).
- Transfer agreement between two baccalaureate programs for a specialty area (e.g., a microcredential in museum studies is offered at institution A and is built into an art and history degree at institution B through an articulation agreement).
- Partnership agreement to share training across two businesses (e.g., one company provides general training while the other offers specialized training; employees from both companies can take training from either).
- Prior experiences are a requirement to enter an academic program or employment training (e.g., prior documented police experience is required for a graduate-level program in criminal justice).
- Industry-recognized credentials that transfer across organizations and workplaces (CompTia certifications, HR certifications through SHRM, OSHA certifications, manufacturing certifications, nursing certifications).
Things to Consider
- How can academic programs work together across departments, degree levels, or institutions to create transfer pathways incorporating incremental credentials?
- What cost savings can be achieved by sharing resources across departments, degree levels, or institutions?
- How can different companies and/or organizations work together across departments or training programs to create transfer pathways that incorporate incremental credentials?
- How can workforce development and job succession be connected through “transfer-like” agreements?
- How can prior learning or prior credentials be built into transfer pathways?
Why Use This Strategy
- Supports persistence and completion by developing integrated pathways across the levels of credentials.
- Gives learners clear, transparent choices on how to gain credentials needed for work and school.
- Enables cost sharing when pathways extend across departments, degree levels, and/or institutions.