Learning Employment Records: The Transcript of the Future

The National Student Clearinghouse, along with other members of the Learning Credential Network, has partnered with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s American Workforce Policy Advisory Board to develop a nationwide pilot to translate all education, training, and work experience to a record of transferable skills that will enable people to pursue and manage their cybersecurity education and career path. Review the white paper, Learning and Employment Records: Progress and the path forward.

What is the Learning Employment Record (LER) Pilot?

As part of our participation in the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, The Clearinghouse is collaborating with IBM, Western Governors University, Central New Mexico Community College, and IQ4 Corp. to create a pilot that will demonstrate an easier way to connect American workers with jobs in cybersecurity using certificates and credentials they have earned.

The pilot, powered by blockchain technology and the Myhub learner platform, will showcase how employers and educators can use analytics to find and assess qualified cybersecurity candidates.

Why is This Pilot Necessary?

Currently, there is no standard way beyond a resume to convey verifiable skills, credentials or training (whether it be formal or informal, classroom-based or workplace-based) to a potential employer.

By addressing that gap on a national level and creating a trusted platform where learners can post their skills for rapid search by employers, we can accelerate the process of helping students and workers land in-demand jobs.

What Does the Pilot Hope to Achieve?

This pilot will seek to explore the following:

Allow learners to manage their credentials and grant permissions to prospective employers securely
Reduce hiring barriers for learners and employers
Create an opportunity for academic institutions to assess learners’ skills/gaps, and advise learners on what courses/content are required to build the needed skills
Provide employers with the ability to identify qualified candidates, validate candidate credentials (as permitted by candidate), and determine skills training for employees
Create an end-to-end example of an individual learner’s path from high school throughout their career

How Will the Records Work?

Built on a trusted, validated, and privacy-protected blockchain infrastructure, the cybersecurity pilot will provide people with a permanent, verifiable record of their learning, certifications, and skills.

The pilot will be conducted in a test environment and will leverage simulated data from the pilot partners. No real Clearinghouse data will be leveraged in the pilot.