Learners, employers, credential providers, and policy-makers lack clarity on what’s inside credentials. From costs to pathways to jobs, there’s an urgent need for consistent and transparent information. It was in this spirit that the IAFST University set out to become credentialed and begin using the technology now being accepted by the Department of Education and the Department of Labor in the US as well as multiple overseas providers.
Discovering and understanding credentials, competencies, and learning and career pathways is difficult, no doubt about it. And with almost every Industry firm, there are always differing standards which we are aiming to bring a unified and universal ISO standard to. The Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL) is the family of de facto standards for making descriptions of credentials and other resources available as data for search and discovery and cross-system interoperability. You can think of the CTDL as a large dictionary of terms that is at your fingertips for creating descriptions where you can use all of the terms or only those terms that meet your needs. Here is a graphic from CE to better understand the process:
All told there are over 475+ line item fields that must be completed in a JSON setting. And before that, you must demonstrate the competencies to do such. So, it was not an easy undertaking. It will mean that Labor will be able to easily take their credentials not only within our Industry, but will be able to apply them to any Industry for creditable education. Additionally, it allows for both transparency and allows the credential holder not be held hostage as is currently the case. Additionally, it brings a First in the Industry credential recognized and accepted across the globe!
If you or your organization would like to become involved in the process of creating specific educational requirements with IAFST University, feel free to reach out directly to the IAFST University.
Disclosure
IAFST University is not part of the IAFST. We are an independent, educational arm of the IAFST Federation of Labor. The IAFST does not necessarily support the views or opinions of the IAFST University and is not currently in any contractual relationship with the IAFST University.
