Credentials That Work | Jobs for the Future (JFF)

At a Glance

Aligning career training with employer demand by using innovations in labor market information technology to preparing community college students for high-demand jobs.

Capabilities

Scale

Expert Involved

Sara Lamback
Senior Director, Workforce and Regional Economies Practice

Status

Done

Locations

We can no longer define labor markets using the old geopolitical jurisdictions of states, counties, and cities. Instead, we must focus more attention on regions and their industry clusters.

This paper discusses new technologies that can provide a more accurate, real-time look at local employers' hiring and skill needs, which would in turn inform the course offerings at community colleges.

With most of Connecticut's in-demand health care jobs being equally in demand across the nation, the challenges this state faces in addressing workforce demands have implications for the United States as a whole.

Captured in this brief are JFF's findings and recommendations after reviewing six leading vendors of real-time labor market information—information that can help jobseekers and education institutions better understand local employer demands.

In a dynamic economic environment, those charged with developing the skills of the workforce must be able to assess labor market signals constantly using multiple sources of data and information.

Over the next four years, job opportunities in the information technology (IT) sector will increase by 8 percent. With the right credentials and skills, jobseekers can jump on this trend and build a career in a rapidly growing field.

The skills gap in the US workforce is by now well documented. Real-time labor market data can help identify new trends in job content and skill demands.

Thinking Big consolidates JFF's research into the most effective processes for scaling up new approaches that promote student success in community college.

JFF, through the Credentials That Work initiative, is analyzing real-time labor market information to better inform postsecondary education and job training programs. By aligning these programs with data, students can easily step into high-demand careers.

Workforce Trainers’ Need for Real-time Labor Market Information

By using traditional labor market information, workforce training programs are making advances that best serve their regional economies. JFF's GreenWays partners and Credentials That Work initiative support this kind of development.

There is plenty of evidence showing that the job market is (slowly but surely) recovering.

To escape educational stagnation, what the country needs is a reexamination and re-imagination of the education and employment pipeline.

Educators and employers are discovering that real-time labor market data can improve the understanding of hiring trends and employer demand, including certifications and skill requirements.

The Fight Against Unemployment Should Begin with Inclusive Data

The issue of unemployment persistently remains one of our government’s greatest challenges. Policymakers are well aware that economic growth is largely dependent on finding gainful, sustainable employment for as many people as possible.

Labor market information can provide great insight into a region's economic landscape of a region. It's also so versatile that it is sometimes hard to know where to get started.

Since its inception in 2003, NoVaHealthFORCE, a coalition of health care employers, educators, and community leaders, has sought to identify and address health care workforce challenges in Northern Virginia.

Few understand how to utilize real-time labor market information (RT LMI) in tandem with traditional LMI. This report seeks to inform the workforce development community and others about the most common uses, successes, and challenges of RT LMI.

Anna Shipp, the project manager for the Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Partners initiative at the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, offers her thoughts on green infrastructure.

In this article, guest writer Adrian Benepe explores how innovative pollution control, playground, and storm mitigation projects have expanded our understanding of green infrastructure.

Success in Real-Time: Using Real-Time Labor Market Information to Build Better Middle-Skill STEM Pathways encourages state support as colleges use high-quality, real-time data to align the creation of middle-skill STEM pathways.

In order to restore and preserve natural systems, cities must support a robust, inclusive, and sustainable local economy that produces new economic opportunities around green infrastructure.

What does it take to be a landscape architect?

Many cities—motivated by the potential for reduced infrastructure costs, better environmental outcomes, and community development—are beginning to consider how they could start integrating green infrastructure practices into their programs.

The South Platte Urban Waters Partnership is a collaboration keeping its eye on the river and working to promote water quality, protection, and awareness.

What does it take to be a green roof professional?

The Corps Network connects today's youth with innovative hands-on learning experiences that put them on a path to careers in green infrastructure (GI) or related fields. Here's a detailed look at the Corps' core.

What do landscape professionals do?

What do environmental engineers do?

In the past decade, career and technical education has moved from the sidelines of education policy to the center of school reform—and been rebranded (if not entirely reinvented) along the way.

The nation needs to engage in a conversation on moving to a competency-based credentialing system. Such a system would create standards for clear, cross-industry credentials that recognize an individual's competencies.