Our ApproachOur ApproachOur ApproachOur ApproachOur ApproachOur ApproachOur ApproachOur Approach
Measuring quality through real-world outcomes has never been done before, but we proved it's possible.
The Problem
The number of non-degree credentials (NDCs) has ballooned over the past decade, while the number of students enrolled in degree programs has dropped. With more than a million credentials to choose from, employers, workers, providers, and investors have little guidance on which credentials offer the highest quality education and ROI.
The EQOS Solution
We’re measuring quality by focusing on workers’ outcomes after they attain credentials, adding clarity to the crowded and confusing training marketplace. We do this through:
- The EQOS Signal of Quality
- Tools to scale impact
- Building national momentum
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The EQOS Signal of Quality
The EQOS Signal of Quality is an objective, outcome-based measure of credential quality that uses a proprietary dataset that includes worker-reported credential attainment and career histories and does not rely on provider-collected data.
The Signal of Quality is measured by five dimensions: employment, opportunity, access, demand, and learning:
Employment
Job changes after achieving the credential and the associated wage gains.
Opportunity
Non-wage aspects of job quality and a worker’s post-credential promotions.
Access
Characteristics of credential graduates: race/ethnicity, gender, education, and job experience.
Demand
Current and expected job openings in occupations associated with this credential.Â
Learning
The skills and competencies workers attain from a credential and their labor market value.
Discover More About the Signal of Quality
A new report released by The Burning Glass Institute cites our EQOS Signal of Quality as a key component in understanding non-degree credential quality – particularly when it comes to interpreting quality through outcomes-based metrics.
Tools to Scale Impact
We're building solutions that will take the millions of outcomes-based data points and make them actionable, allowing employers, workers, providers, and investors to make better decisions around which credentials they hire, earn, develop, and fund. Employers and HR professionals can partner with EQOS to integrate credential quality evaluative data into talent-matching tools and platforms, supporting the evaluation of all qualified candidates. Providers and learners can leverage EQOS Signal of Quality data in existing career navigation platforms to better understand employment options based on real-world outcomes.
Building National Momentum
To expand our impact, EQOS is working with key partners to generate awareness and momentum around non-degree credential quality to support ecosystem-wide progress and coordination.
Consistent and comparable standards will allow...
Workers
To choose the best credential for their career.
Employers
To identify candidates with the skills they need without relying on degree-based proxies.
Providers
To demonstrate competitive advantage and hone credential programs to align with employers’ needs.
Investors
To ensure ROI and budget allocation.
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The Evolution of Hiring: What Managers Know About, Think About, and are Doing with Microcredentials
Partner Stories
The Evolution of Hiring: What Managers Know About, Think About, and are Doing with Microcredentials
Partner Stories
EQOS Signal of Quality: Methodology Overview
Research Reports
EQOS Signal of Quality: Methodology Overview
Research Reports
