GitLab Foundation’s First Grant To Illuminate Credential Quality And Outcomes

A new philanthropic foundation is placing a big bet on demystifying non-degree credential quality and outcomes. During the 2023 ASU-GSV Summit in San Diego, GitLab Foundation, an affiliate of GitLab Inc, announced its first grant of $2.9 million to support a new partnership between Jobs for the Future (JFF) and my organization, the Burning Glass Institute.

The grant will enable the two organizations to create user-friendly digital tools, frameworks, and products that help credential seekers, credential providers, state and federal policymakers, and employers better understand the economic returns of non-degree credentials. Metrics could include factors like job placement rates, earning outcomes, and how credential holders fare based on demographic factors such as race or gender.

JFF and Burning Glass Institute will jointly operate the collaboration as the next iteration of the Educational Quality Outcomes Standards (EQOS), a non-profit organization acquired by JFF in 2022 that grew out of the U.S. Department of Education's EQUIP program.

EQOS will focus on return on investment for many types of non-degree credentials including bootcamps, non-credit and for-credit certificates, industry certifications and occupational licenses, apprenticeships, badges, micro-credentials, and other credential formats. The types of credential providers included in the scope of the project are comprehensive, including community colleges and universities, but also alternative providers such as non-profit industry certification or licensing bodies, companies like Google and Amazon, for-profit credential providers, and other organizations.

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The investment is timely, as consumers, employers, and policymakers are all focused on identifying faster and more affordable pathways to good jobs.

High school graduates and working adults alike have more credential options today than ever. A December 2022 report from Credential Engine revealed that nearly sixty thousand providers offer over a million credentials across the United States.

Skill requirements are becoming more complex in light of technological change and global competition. While not everyone needs a bachelor’s degree, the majority of Americans will need some post-high school education in order to secure a quality job that pays a livable wage in the future.

The problem is that consumers and employers struggle to identify which credentials lead to a return on investment. Research has found that some non-degree credentials lead to quality jobs, economic mobility, and a solid return on investment while others lead to unemployment, underemployment, or employment in poverty-wage jobs.

There is no federally-mandated, comprehensive source of earning outcomes for credential holders in the United States. Instead, a patchwork ecosystem of credential outcomes data has emerged in certain states and for specific programs, especially credit-bearing non-degree credentials from traditional colleges and universities. For the vast array of credentials obtained through alternative providers, nearly no outcomes information is available. Credential Engine’s report states that these credential offerings are expanding at the fastest rate.

For the most part, learners are forced to roll the dice when selecting a program relying on a mix of opinions from friends and family and research that can be done online. According to a report from JFF and American Student Assistance, employers don’t think college degrees, in general, indicate work readiness, yet they are reluctant to use non-degree credentials in their hiring process due to a lack of understanding of which credentials signal a mastery of which skills.

GitLab Foundation is hoping its first grant can help demystify the world of credentials. "Not all programs and credentials are created equal, and precious resources are wasted by learners and employers if they don't have access to reliable outcomes data," said Ellie Bertani, CEO of the GitLab Foundation.

While many organizations have sought to address non-degree credential quality and outcomes, few have used the big data approach of the GitLab-sponsored partnership. Burning Glass Institute and JFF aim to work with existing players in the non-degree credentials ecosystem to ensure that the products and tools developed are built upon the workforce field’s current collection of data and its best understanding of consumer and employer needs.

In an email, Lisa Larson, Head of the Community College Growth Engine Fund at the Education Design Lab who previously served as President of Eastern Maine Community College felt that “it is critical that we understand if these alternative credentials are uncovering untapped talent and providing the skills and competencies they need for the workplace.” The organization believes that partnering with BGI and JFF to understand better the quality and impact of their micro-pathways and micro-credentials will be critical to support new majority learners at community colleges.

Policy leaders are also engaged in the effort. “There is a desperate need for a clearer data picture to better guide learners and workers, but to also inform policy around program development and credential funding strategies,” Amanda Winters, Director of Postsecondary Education at the National Governors Association, told me.

Adding to the impetus to clarify which non-degree credential outcomes, Winters pointed to the growth of skills-based hiring and moves by governors to drop bachelor’s degree requirements for many state jobs. Most recently, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed an executive order prioritizing experience and skills over four-year degrees for certain state employment opportunities. Six governors have signed similar executive orders, and employers like IBM have made similar moves.

Industry observers, myself included, have cheered the moves, but concerns linger about how best to evaluate skills and non-degree credentials instead of bachelor’s degrees. As debates around short-term Pell funding continue to rage on, insights on which credentials lead to a strong return on investment will be of critical importance. GitLab’s first grant may be the key to clarifying the non-degree credentials landscape consumers, educators, employers, and policymakers seek.