A closer look at how managers at small organizations differ in their attitudes, awareness, and adoption of microcredentials and how they are uniquely positioned to benefit from their use in hiring. Download Report

A high-level strategic primer for deans, provosts, and other senior higher education administrators and academic leaders who are considering the case for microcredentials and looking to get started in offering them. Download

This executive summary for talent leaders provides a brief introduction to micro-credentials, synthesizing recent research, salient insights, and crucial data from the marketplace. Download

This report defines the emerging “skillstech” landscape, discusses how it is evolving, and identifies key issues for interested stakeholders to consider. The analysis is based on extensive secondary research and primary interviews and demos with skillstech providers...

A first-of-its-kind analysis exploring how HR talent acquisition systems handle educational credentials and skills data. Based on interviews and demos with key talent acquisition technology providers and a review of APIs, this report aims to provide a roadmap for...

This report analyzes the current state of human capital measurement and reporting and builds the case for greater attention to this subject. Additionally, it focuses on identifying gaps and opportunities for action among employers and other stakeholders in the field,...

A national survey of 1,000 c-suite executives illuminates how the unprecedented changes brought on by COVID-19 coupled with the digital transformation of the economy are impacting organizations’ business strategies, with a particular focus on talent and learning....

This national survey of 750 HR leaders conducted in 2021 builds on the center’s prior work, and analyzes employers’ readiness for and interest in using digital credentials and competency frameworks in hiring and talent management. Download

This report explores employers’ attitudes toward and investments in employee learning, and how they are evolving. Based on qualitative interviews with nearly 40 HR and learning leaders, the analysis paints a picture of current trends in workplace learning after the...

A journal volume outlining the ways that community colleges can take advantage of the evolving credential market. Learn more (subscription)

This executive summary (“A Call to Action for CHROs”) provides an analysis of the latest developments and best practices in the work-based learning field, with particular attention to the corporate case for improving, scaling, resourcing, and measuring the success of...

This report reviews and synthesizes the latest research to provide a high-level overview of the current state of the online education market – including its size and character; the characteristics of online students; what is known about the quality of online...

This unique national research survey of 750 HR leaders focuses on the future of educational credentials and their value and use in the workplace. The study provides new insights on the changing value of educational credentials in hiring; the perception of online- and...

In 2016, Northeastern University was one of only eight universities chosen for the U.S. Department of Education’s Educational Quality through Innovative Partnerships (EQUIP) experimental sites initiative, which aims to provide more Americans with the skills required...

Northeastern University’s Innovation Imperative series has provided a real-time window into Americans’ attitudes on key issues affecting higher education and the global economy. Whether examining the emerging views of Generation Z or determining the in-demand skills...

Executive Director Sean Gallagher’s 2016 book, The Future of University Credentials, published by Harvard Education Press, explores the evolution of the university credentialing ecosystem, with a particular focus on how employers’ hiring needs are changing, charting...

The future of higher education and corporate learning and development will involve greater use of experiential models that leverage the learning power of workplace-based experiences. Driven by extensive research on the needs of regional economies and corporate talent...

Northeastern and the Center are pioneering the development and study of professionally-oriented higher education programs that are co-developed with employers, through both the EQUIP experimental site and numerous other corporate partnerships. Learn more

Project-based learning and capstone projects are a hallmark of the new forms of educational credentials emerging in the marketplace. Through initiatives such as the Experiential Network, or XN, Northeastern students earn more than just an education—they gain relevant,...