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Building the Future with Competency-Based, High-Impact Credentialing

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Building the Future with Competency-Based, High-Impact Credentialing
Language: English
Authors: Michael Herrera, Jennifer Dobberfuhl Quinlan
Source: American Association for Adult and Continuing Education. 2025.
Availability: American Association for Adult and Continuing Education. 10111 Martin Luther King Junior Highway Suite 200C, Bowie, MD 20720. Tel: 301-459-6261; Fax: 301-459-6241; e-mail: office@aaace.org; e-mail: aaace10@aol.com; Web site: http://www.aaace.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 6
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Adult Education
Descriptors: Competency Based Education, Microcredentials, Adult Education, Continuing Education, Multilingualism, Language Skills
Abstract: Learners in adult and continuing education programs can benefit from high-impact credentialing and strategic leveraging of existing skills. Despite recognition of multilingualism in education (Okal, 2014) and the rise of micro-credentialing and competency-based learning in postsecondary education (Ashan, 2023), the benefits of micro-credentialing of multilingual skills remain largely unexamined. Credentialing is often a precursor to specific educational or employment opportunities, yet certification of language ability and related employment implications remain largely overlooked. At Upper Bucks County Technical School, a language credentialing initiative influenced student engagement, satisfaction, and employment-related outcomes, including pay scale and job placement indicators. This practice-oriented paper conceptualizes how the Upper Bucks model can be extended to adult and continuing education contexts to benefit both institutions and learners. The paper argues that industry-recognized, portable language credentials represent a high-impact and equity-oriented opportunity for adult learners, particularly those with existing multilingual competencies. [For the full proceedings, see ED680798.]
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED680805
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
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  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED680805
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  Data: Building the Future with Competency-Based, High-Impact Credentialing
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Michael+Herrera%22">Michael Herrera</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jennifer+Dobberfuhl+Quinlan%22">Jennifer Dobberfuhl Quinlan</searchLink>
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  Data: American Association for Adult and Continuing Education. 10111 Martin Luther King Junior Highway Suite 200C, Bowie, MD 20720. Tel: 301-459-6261; Fax: 301-459-6241; e-mail: office@aaace.org; e-mail: aaace10@aol.com; Web site: http://www.aaace.org
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  Data: 6
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  Data: Speeches/Meeting Papers<br />Reports - Evaluative
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  Data: Learners in adult and continuing education programs can benefit from high-impact credentialing and strategic leveraging of existing skills. Despite recognition of multilingualism in education (Okal, 2014) and the rise of micro-credentialing and competency-based learning in postsecondary education (Ashan, 2023), the benefits of micro-credentialing of multilingual skills remain largely unexamined. Credentialing is often a precursor to specific educational or employment opportunities, yet certification of language ability and related employment implications remain largely overlooked. At Upper Bucks County Technical School, a language credentialing initiative influenced student engagement, satisfaction, and employment-related outcomes, including pay scale and job placement indicators. This practice-oriented paper conceptualizes how the Upper Bucks model can be extended to adult and continuing education contexts to benefit both institutions and learners. The paper argues that industry-recognized, portable language credentials represent a high-impact and equity-oriented opportunity for adult learners, particularly those with existing multilingual competencies. [For the full proceedings, see ED680798.]
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