This bill creates a competitive grant program run by the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, to help States establish, expand, or improve a publicly accessible credential repository. Grants would be for 3-year periods, limited to one grant per State and not to exceed $10,000,000 per grant. The repository must list each credential and each training provider in the State and include information such as program competencies, enrollment cost, assessments and assessment costs, which providers offer each credential, recommended postsecondary credit or transfer value where available, career pathways, job skills, and outcomes like earnings and employment status and completion or pass rates. Repositories must use transparent, linked, open, interoperable data formats, be searchable and comparable, be updated continuously, and be interoperable with other State repositories. States must establish a data policy, avoid collecting personally identifiable information, assist training providers in collecting WIOA primary performance indicators, provide guidance to counselors, and report annually to the Secretary. The bill authorizes appropriations "such sums as may be necessary" for fiscal year 2028, with funds available until September 30, 2029.
Individuals and counselors: more public information about credentials, costs, skills taught, and outcomes for programs in your State to help compare education and career options. Training providers: may need to provide program details and performance data and help collect WIOA performance indicators. State agencies: can apply for one competitive grant to build or improve a repository and must follow data, privacy, and interoperability rules. Employers and policymakers: will have access to linked, open data about credentials and training in the State.
The bill caps individual grants at $10,000,000 and limits each award to a 3-year period with one grant per State. It authorizes "such sums as may be necessary" for fiscal year 2028 and states those funds would remain available until September 30, 2029. No total program funding amount is specified in the bill text.
The bill's stated purpose is to help States collect, develop, analyze, and share information on credentials, credential quality, education and career pathways, and to provide that information to individuals so they can make informed education and career choices. The bill requires open and interoperable data and guidance for counselors and allows States to develop tools and resources that use the repository data.
No publicly available information.