Making Alternative Credentials Work: A New Strategy for HR Professionals
Alternative credentials – not 2- or 4-year degrees - are a way for learners to signal a skill or competency to employers. The number of these credentials has skyrocketed recently as providers recognize that learners – particularly those who have been displaced by economic factors or do not have the means to attend a post-secondary institution including people of color, those with history with the criminal justice system, opportunity youth, people with disabilities -– need a way to get the skills employers demand. In addition, during the pandemic many learners had the time to get additional credentials as they reassessed their employment opportunities. However, many employers have been slow to utilize these credentials instead relying on more traditional criterion – degrees and extensive work experience - resulting in a continued skills gap. SHRM and SHRM Foundation recently completed research on alternative credentials revealing some important findings on how senior management, hiring managers, HR professionals and workers perceive alternative credentials and that provides insights on how alternative credentials can be used more effectively to provide employers with the talent they need and address issues of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Learning Objectives:
- How can a better understanding of alternative credentials help in finding talent.
- How can HR professionals and hiring managers work together more effectively to better use alternative credentials in hiring.
- Why are alternative credentials critical for meeting DEI&A targets.
Mary Wright
Mary V. L. Wright leads one of the SHRM Foundation’s four pillars of work: Skill Building - Preparing People for Today’s and Tomorrow’s Workplaces. A critical part of that effort is leading the implementation of the US DOL funded HR Registered Apprenticeship Program, the first national HR apprenticeship program. As such, she is responsible for all parts of the program – development, marketing, sales, budget and evaluation. In addition, she leads the Foundation’s work on the role of credentials in achieving an organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals and is an integral part of the team in promoting the inclusion of untapped talent in the workforce.
Ms. Wright has many years of experience connecting the public and private sectors in municipal finance, government affairs, and workforce development as a project leader, facilitator and subject matter expert.
Previously, Ms. Wright was a director at Jobs for the Future (JFF) where she designed and supervised the completion of foundation, government and employer-funded projects on topics including: expanding employability skills, developing apprenticeship and work-based learning strategies, utilizing labor market information to determine educational focus, better hiring and training practices for people with disabilities, improving entry level jobs for the retail sector, determining the correct educational focus for specific geographic areas including the state of Florida and Columbus Ohio, and an in-depth analysis of green infrastructure jobs.
Prior to joining JFF, she served as director at The Conference Board in New York City, driving its work in workforce readiness, business, and education partnerships. She also focused on improving the employment outcomes for people with disabilities through research and convenings. Ms. Wright co-authored or acted as project director on several key Conference Board reports regarding workforce readiness skills, including Are They Really Ready to Work? and The Ill-Prepared Workforce.
She serves on the Board of Directors of the Institute for Work & the Economy and the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation.
Ms. Wright received a Master of Business Administration in public/nonprofit management from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Affairs from Connecticut College.
Kerri Nelson, Ph.D.
Kerri Nelson, Ph.D., is the Director of Mission Research at SHRM. She is responsible for leading, developing, and designing strategic, public-facing research that provides organizations, business leaders, and policymakers with evidence-based insights at the intersection of people and work. She also partners with public and private organizations to produce research related to work, worker, and workplace. Kerri has led research on a variety of topics including pay equity, skills-based hiring, untapped talent pools, workplace culture, and the global workforce. Her work has been featured in top news outlets, on podcasts and webinars, and on the Hill.
Cassie Maschhoff
Cassie currently leads Workforce Development Partnerships for the Google Career Certificates. This program helps job seekers -- regardless of their educational background and work experience - learn the skills they need to enter in-demand high-growth career fields that pay well. Prior to this role, Cassie served as the Product Lead for the second most popular certificate on Coursera: The Google Project Management Certificate.
During her tenure at Google, Cassie has led Strategy and Operations for Grow with Google & Waze. She also served as an Account Strategist for small businesses using Google AdWords and Analytics to grow their presence.
She is currently pursuing her Executive MBA at NYU Stern School of Business.
Brynt Parmeter
Prior to joining the private sector, Brynt worked for over 20 years in the Army where he earned the Combat Infantry Badge and three bronze stars. After the service, he was a principal and partner for BMNT, a technology consulting firm in Palo Alto, CA; as a Science & Technology Policy Fellow for the U.S. Department of Energy in Wash, DC; as a Co-Founder and CEO of Call Sign Coffee, an e-commerce company in San Jose, CA; and as a Co-Founder and Director of Workforce Development for NextFlex, a Manufacturing Innovation Institute in San Jose, CA. He is currently a Senior Director at Walmart in Bentonville, AR, where he directs the enterprise strategy for non-traditional talent, and leads the Military & Veterans Affairs portfolio for the leading global retailer. He also serves as a Board Member for a National Science Foundation project on the Future of Work.