Using open skills and credential standards in practical ways for states to connect students and job seekers with the development, training and resources required to successfully pursue automation and COVID-19 resilient careers.

Unlocking Opportunity for Jobseekers

Due to the siloed systems governments currently have in place, it’s hard to identify gaps in education and local skill-based programs and resources. This leaves job seekers without the tools they need to pursue their dream careers. The Open Pathways Alliance aims to fill this gap by providing a common taxonomy for skills and credentials, aligned with education programs that provide competencies and up-to-date labor market information. This will enable the most accurate and actionable career pathways tools available.

Empowering Workforce Change With Real-World Solutions

The Open Pathways Alliance is a consortium of nonprofits and social impact technology companies that have combined forces to help states implement emerging open standards that align education credentialing, skills, and labor market data with career pathing solutions in a practical way. A common taxonomy for skills and credentials, aligned with education programs that provide competencies and up-to-date labor market information, will provide states and workforce leaders a holistic view of how their education system is meeting the talent needs of their local job markets and enable a new generation of more advanced career pathing solutions for students and job seekers of all ages that more accurately reflect today’s job market with an eye to the future.

“We are excited about the focus on interoperability of multiple standards coming together in an actionable way to drive real change. Enabling the interoperability of disparate workforce, education and labor-market datasets can help harness the power of technology to solve some of our toughest workforce challenges.”

– Beth Cobert, COO Markle Foundation and CEO Skillful

Providing states with greater insight into their local job market

Secure Data Sharing

Share skill, education, and job seeker data across numerous career pathing and hiring tools

Educated Decision-making

Gain a holistic view of workforce and education ecosystem to more strategically plan for the future

Informed Jobseekers

Help students, job seekers, career changers, and the organizations that serve them make better decisions

Training Aligned with Jobs

Ensure training and certifications are well aligned with the requirements of employers


Alliance Members

PAIRIN-logo
Credential Engine Logo
Qlarion logo

Open Standards-based Data to Benefit All States

The Open Pathways Alliance uses open standards-based credentialing, skills, and jobs data to develop more accurate pathways for job seekers based on their experience, skills, and local labor market needs, rather than generalities. By securely sharing skills, jobs, and education data, state and local agencies will have greater insight into the needs of job seekers in their communities and will be able to transform the allocation of education resources and over time improve the local talent pipeline.

The more states that implement these open standards-based practices, the more impactful the Open Pathways Alliance will become. As States identify workforce and education trends in their area, the picture of national and regional trends becomes clearer and more actionable.

Now more than ever, job seekers are looking to start a new career or find a job. We are working together to streamline workforce and educational data and fill job vacancies more efficiently. 

Supporters and Partners

JFF Logo
Rework America logo
Markle Logo

Alliance News & Resources

February 16, 2021

Qlarion Joins the Open Pathways Alliance

February 12, 2021

Politico Highlights the Open Pathways Alliance Untangling Credentials

February 10, 2021

Training Industry Features the Launch of the Open Pathways Alliance

February 10, 2021

PAIRIN Announces Joining the Open Pathways Alliance

February 10, 2021

Credential Engine Releases New 2021 Report

February 2021

Credential Engine Releases Education & Training Expenditures Report

January 22, 2021

Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL) Handbook

Want to learn more about the Open Pathways Alliance and how we’re helping states?