Human Capital Watch Different in Degree: Closing the Talent Gap with Alternative Credentials

Welcome

A college degree has long been thought to be the primary credential for professional careers, a ticket to employment, and a filter for hiring requirements. However, many employers have come to realize that degrees may not offer comprehensive insight into what an individual can do. Until the recent COVID-19 global pandemic and the resulting economic freefall, we have had a tight labor market where over 90 percent of organizations were operating with unfilled positions, while jobs themselves continue to change rapidly given evolving and new technologies.

Accordingly, interest in alternative credentials is growing. Some employers are realizing that their reliance on traditional degrees is not getting them the depth and breadth they need in applicant pools to supply their job demands (e.g., for cybersecurity analysts, project managers, software engineers) or to provide the diverse workforce they desire.

In this webcast, we will provide a foundation for understanding the breadth and complexity of the current credential landscape, along with the different types of credentials and their benefits. We will also identify three areas where some organizations have begun to consider the benefits of alternative credentials (workforce planning and strategy, training and reskilling, and recruitment processes) and offer a set of recommendations.

As a result of this webcast, viewers will be able to:

• Identify different types of credentials
• Articulate the benefits of using alternative credentials
• Understand how alternative credentials are being used