Credentials That Count: Turning Policy into Progress for Credentials of Value
In today’s rapidly changing economy, education must do more than open doors, it must lead to real opportunity.
As businesses across Colorado face talent shortages and workers navigate increasingly complex education and career choices, the question at the center of our systems is shifting: Are we preparing learners for jobs that pay and pathways that grow?
This three-part blog series, developed in collaboration with Katie Zaback, explores the emerging national and state-level movement to define and scale credentials of value, those that deliver measurable outcomes like strong wages, in-demand skills, and economic mobility. We’ll break down:
- What credentials of value are and why they matter more than ever
- How Colorado is on the path to building a transparent, data-driven credentialing system
- What must come next to ensure every learner in Colorado has access to a credential that counts (in this post)
Let’s build a system where every credential is a step toward a stronger future for learners, for business, and for Colorado.
What’s Next
Colorado has made meaningful strides toward ensuring every learner can access credentials that deliver real economic opportunity. After a decade of advancing workforce-aligned credential policies, there is a solid foundation to build from.
With looming budget constraints, however, it’s essential to prioritize and maximize these efforts. To truly deliver on the promise of value, state leaders must focus on implementation and alignment across systems. These efforts could become a key tool in ensuring policymakers, and more importantly, learners and families, are making more informed decisions about which workforce and education programs to prioritize.
Priorities for Action
Colorado Succeeds offers five priorities for action within our state systems, some of which are already underway, that, if advanced, will accelerate progress for learners, employers, and communities.
Pilot a credential registry and expand a unified quality framework across all public systems to increase transparency of likely wage outcomes and alignment to industry demand.
Why this matters for Colorado
Without a shared definition of credential quality, learners risk investing time and money in programs that don’t lead to good jobs, and employers struggle to trust that credentials meet their workforce needs.
Strengthen and expand Colorado’s Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) implementation to ensure wage, employment, and credential value data is public and disaggregated to inform continuous improvement.
Why this matters for Colorado
Policymakers, educators, and families need clear evidence of what programs deliver results so resources can be directed toward the pathways that actually improve economic mobility.
Scale transparent, stackable pathways that begin in high school and are backed by regional employers in high-need industries.
Why this matters for Colorado
When employers design pathways in partnership with educators, students gain access to relevant skills and clearer transitions into in-demand careers.
Apply ROI and SLDS data to shape state investment decisions, prioritizing programs that deliver measurable impact for learners.
Why this matters for Colorado
Public funding is not limitless, using evidence to guide investments ensures taxpayer dollars fund programs that yield real returns for students and the economy.
Revise funding models to reward high-value credential outcomes and ensure incentives drive value across K-12, postsecondary, and workforce systems.
Why this matters for Colorado
Aligning incentives across systems reduces fragmentation, encourages collaboration, and creates a clear focus on delivering credentials that provide long-term value for learners and employers.
Three Opportunities on the Horizon
The good news? Colorado has several immediate opportunities to advance these priorities.
Workforce Pell Implementation
Beginning in 2026, Workforce Pell will allow students to use federal financial aid for short-term, high-quality training programs that lead to in-demand jobs. Colorado has an opportunity to lead the nation by applying its non-degree Credential of Value framework to determine which programs qualify, ensuring Workforce Pell dollars only support credentials that deliver strong wage and employment outcomes.
By linking this new federal investment to a public-facing credential registry, the state can create a single source of truth for learners, educators, and employers to navigate high-value options with confidence.
Continue to Support Longitudinal Data Implementation
Colorado has already demonstrated national leadership by publishing 1-, 5-, and 10-year wage outcomes for degree and certificate programs. The next step is to build on this momentum by expanding SLDS data to include high school graduates, non-credential earners, apprenticeships, workforce programs, and non-traditional pathways.
Doing so will create a more complete picture of learner outcomes, provide families and employers with transparent information, and give policymakers the tools they need to continuously improve programs and target investments where they matter most.
Modernize General Education
In Colorado, state statute requires that the Department of Higher Education, in consultation with public institutions, establish a core course concept ensuring students develop competencies in reading, critical thinking, written communication, mathematics, and technology. This general education core must consist of at least 30, but not more than 40, credit hours, and institutions must align with these guidelines. It is meant to serve as the backbone of a well-rounded education.
As Colorado’s economy transforms, we must ensure that this foundation remains relevant and accessible for today’s learners. We must prioritize integrating more skills-based learning opportunities through aligned concurrent enrollment, CTE, and apprenticeships. The modern student requires that postsecondary education and training providers prioritize learning that is more transferable, applicable, and impactful.
This is not about replacing general education; it is about aligning it with the realities of a changing economy so that every student graduates with both the broad competencies and the career-ready skills to thrive.
The Road Ahead
Colorado has the policy foundation and leadership momentum to create a truly learner-centered, value-driven credential ecosystem. By focusing on these five priorities and seizing the opportunities in front of us, the state can ensure every learner has access to education and training that leads to economic mobility, and every employer has the skilled talent they need.
To learn more about our policy agenda, please contact Shannon Nicholas (snicholas@coloradosucceeds.org).