“We provide the structure and then the providers of credentials and skills and jobs are the ones who actually put the data in this open public infrastructure that we provide. We don’t generate the information, but we provide everyone with a place to share it,” explains Deb Everhart, chief strategy officer, Credential Engine.

WorkingNation sat down with Everhart at SHRM 2022 Annual Conference & Expo in New Orleans.

Everhart says the organization’s mission is about transparency. “I would say that credentials signaling to an employer what skills you have is completely a mixed bag because some employers will look at a credential and think they know what skills are in it. But do they really? Some employers will not look at certain credentials because they don’t think they’re valuable because they didn’t bother to look and see what skills were in them.”

She notes, “We provide the credential transparency description language which is this linked open data structure for over 800 different terms for representing credentials, skills, jobs, quality assurance, and return on investment.”

“We provide a registry where any provider/owner of this data can publish their information so that it can be linked to other sources of data.”

“We all learn our whole lives, but most of us don’t get credit for the learning that we achieve. There are many people who have extreme bodies of talent that just don’t come to light. So, there are technology solutions now that can help,” says Everhart.

Learn more about Credential Engine.