Together with college representatives, we explored how colleges can change the way they develop curriculum and credentials.

1. Making a Market for Competency-Based
Credentials: What Can Colleges Do?
Final in a series of three webinars
available at www.skilledwork.org
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3. Today’s Presenters
Jeannine La Prad
CSW
Dr. Maria Coons
Harper College, IL
Moderator
Melodee Mabbitt, CSW
Dr. Robert Topping
Spectrum Consulting
Group
Dr. Rebecca Nickoli
Ivy Tech Community
College, IN

4. Available at www.skilledwork.org
New Report:
Making a Market for
Competency-Based
Credentials
Slides from this series

5. What is a competency-based
credential?
 Accurately assures competencies, based on skills
and knowledge of the holder
 Awarded based on demonstration of those
competencies
 Aligns with specific industry standards and
founded on the skills/competencies needed by
employers

6. A Quality Competency-Based Credentialing Process

7. Current State of Play…
In a nutshell
• Competency-based credentialing as a concept
resonates widely
• Large-scale adoption and use needs:
– Transparency (common language, registries)
– Interoperability (quality assurance, data
infrastructure)
– Making the Return on Investment clear to
employers, job seekers, and educators

8. Building the Market: Five Key
Elements

9. Expanding Use by Educators
 Engage employers as full partners
 Utilize methodologies to ensure that all key
competencies related to job tasks and
employability/ soft skills are identified
 Work with sector partnerships
 Meet students where they are
 Provide opportunities for applied learning
experiences
 Focus on credential related outcomes

10. The Evolution of the Business-Education
Partnerships
“Off the shelf” course offerings
Needs assessment/customized training
Organizational development approach
(“Trusted Partner” – often one on one)
Deep engagement in an industry- shared ownership of standards,
curriculum and assessments
(Provide solutions through cross industry and regional sector
partnerships)

11. Dr. Maria Coons

12. William Rainey Harper College
 Comprehensive community college in Palatine,
Illinois
 Named for Dr. William Rainey Harper, a pioneer in
the junior college movement in the United States
and the first president of the University of Chicago
 Serves 40,000+ students annually, with access to jobready degrees and certifications.
 Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the
North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary
Schools (NCA)

13. Matching Competencies
 Completion of industry certifications
 Quality check
 Demonstration of skills
 Not “life experience”
 Portfolios
 Exams
 Corporate/Military Training (Badging)
 Crosswalk

14. Example:
Manufacturing Credentials

15. Long-Standing Manufacturing
Programs
Maintenance Technology
 Associate in Applied Science Degree
 Credit Certificate Programs
–
–
–
–
Basic Maintenance
Commercial Maintenance
Manufacturing Basic Certificate
Supervisory Maintenance Certificate
Welding Technology
 Associate in Applied Science Degree
 Credit Certificate Programs
–
–
–
–
Advanced Welding Certificate
Basic Pipe Welding Certificate
Basic Welding Certificate
Welding Fabrication Certificate

16. New Initiative
Harper College launches new manufacturing program,
internships
In an attempt to fill growing vacancies in high-tech
manufacturing, Harper College is teaming up with local
companies to create a stream of future employees.
Harper’s Program
Statewide Network

17. Manufacturing Technology
Manufacturing Technology
 Associate in Applied Science Degree
 Credit Certificate Programs
– Manufacturing Production Certificate
– Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Operator I Certificate
– Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Operator II Certificate
• Aligned with Manufacturing Skill Standards Council
(MSSC) Certified Production Technician (CPT)

20. Industry Certifications
 Entry Level: MSSC Certified Production Technician (CPT)
 Intermediate (within an area of specialization):
– Mechatronics: Certificates in Motion, Sensors, Electronics,
Robotics and PMMI Certification
– CNC: Certificates in Precision Machining and NIMS Certification
– Industrial Maintenance: Certification in Machine maintenance
– Welding/Metalworking: AWS and NIMS Certifications
– Green Manufacturing: Certificates in Waste Management and
Lean Manufacturing

21. Lessons Learned:
Competency-Based Credentials
Robert Topping, Ed.D.
Spectrum Consulting Group, LLC
rbot@scgsolutions.biz
(503) 642-5165
in conjunction with
The Regional Education Training Center and the
Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence
for Clean Energy

22. Competency-Based Proficiency Credentials
Mastery
Worker / Student
Demonstrations
of
Competencies
Key Performance
Measurements(KPM)
Value- added
= Proficiency
Credential
Assessment
Key
Key
Observable
Observable
Outcome
Outcome
(KOO))
(KOO

23. Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean
Energy: A Centralia College (WA) Partnership
cleanenergyexcellence.org
 Conduct focus groups to identify critical work
functions and key activities
 Verify the data gathered from focus groups.
 Survey current workers to determine
proficiency level of skill for a job position
 Compile and research existing standards in
related jobs and careers
 Develop work-related scenarios to place the
skill standards in context of a work
environment
 Gain Industry endorsement of “ skills
standards” for key occupations
23

24. Skill Standard
Duty/ Activity
Competency
When it
adds value
to a Context,
set of
Conditions
and Culture

25. Competency Proficiency Score Card

26. Value Proposition
Demonstrations of
Industry Proficiency
Credentials
Mastery
Objective Focused
• Specified
• Standards-based
• Contracted
•
Paradigm
Shift
Value Added
•Competency-based
•Context
• Set of Conditions
• Culture
Copyright © 2012. Spectrum Consulting Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

27. Demonstrations of Mastery
Outcomes
• Specific
• Standardized
• Objective Focused
• Contracted

28. Demonstrations of
Proficiency
Value Added
• Competency-based
•Context
• Set of Conditions
• Culture

29. What
Changes?
Learning
Mastery
vs.
Competency-Based
Proficiencies

30. Context
Conditions
Culture
Beliefs
Values
Customs
Attitudes

31. Credentialing Webinar
Corporation for a Skilled Workforce
Rebecca Nickoli, Ed.D.
Vice President/Corporate College
Ivy Tech Community College
November 5, 2013

32. Alternative Approaches to Completing Credentials
•
Short-term, financial aid eligible certificates
•
Ivy Institutes of Technology
•
Pilot program to develop competency-based degree
•
Role of certification and cross-walking in accelerating
completion

33. Certificates at Ivy Tech
•
18 to 29 credits ( ¼ to ½ of an associate degree)
•
Federal financial aid available for eligible students
•
One or more certifications embedded
•
Technical, skills-based courses
•
Role of general education

34. Certificates at Ivy Tech
•
Always include one or more third-party certifications
•
•
Always part of a career ladder
Examples
- Information Security has certificates in data security and network
security
- Human Services has certificates in addiction studies, elder care,
direct support specialist
- New general education certificate has 30 hours that transfer to all
public 4-year colleges in Indiana

35. Ivy Institute of Technology
Earn your Technical Certificate
In 40 weeks of instruction.
then
$$$
Stay and earn your
Associate of Applied
Science degree with
only a few classes left.
or
Go directly into the
workforce.

36. How it works
•Cohort-based
•Five eight-week sessions
•Around five hours per day in a lab
•Small amount of time in classroom
•Math and Communications taught in lab
Math concepts learned are ones that will be used on the
job.

37. Competency-Based Programs
• Gates Foundation grant with Western Governors University
• Starting with a Technical Certificate in Web Design, moving on
to associate degree
• Rolling out first courses in January 2014

38. Why is Professional Certification Important?
•
Certifications are portable and stay with the individual. Once certified,
the individual can use them as evidence that one has earned the
professional designation.
•
They are industry-recognized, usually industry-specific and are known to
employers in that discipline world-wide.
•
Issued by professional associations or governing agencies which give
the certification credibility in the field.
•
Certifications (and professional licenses) are required for certain jobs.
•
Certifications often require re-certification or re-training which helps
ensure currency of the credential.

39. Workforce Certification at Ivy Tech
• Through partnerships with national and international testing
vendors, our centers have access to over 5,000 professional
certification and licensure exams
• In FY 12-13, the centers administered over 42,000 certification
and professional licensure exams.
• Certification Crosswalk at: www.ivytech.edu/

40. Questions
Rebecca Nickoli
rnickoli@ivytech.edu

41. Questions from recent NCWE session
How can we make competency based education
fit within parameters for financial aid?
– KCTCS model of chunking modules for credit (as little as 1/2
credit)
41

42. Questions from recent NCWE session
Are regional accrediting bodies a barrier to this
work? …No
42

43. Questions from recent NCWE session
Challenge of tracking accountability for outcomes
when students get hired with credentials
– Data elements/ identifiers are not comparable
43

44. Comments from recent NCWE session
Several people talked about developing their own
aligned curricula and/or credentials
– There is an opportunity for colleges to help develop
certificates/certifications with companies or endorse
those credentials developed by companies (and
develop and align related curriculum).
44

45. Comments from recent NCWE session
Several people talked about developing their own
aligned curricula and/or credentials
– One college mentioned that the cost of some
proprietary curriculum can be cost prohibitive. They
are developing their own curriculum that aligns with
an industry recognized credential.
45

46. Questions?

47. Thank You!
Slides and report available at
www.skilledwork.org