The latest episode of RVN Television's Morning Coffee Expert Series examines the recent explosion of credentialing programs across the country—and addresses why quality credentials are the key to success for job seekers and organizations looking to hire. Karen Elzey, Workcred’s associate executive director, joined host Joe Asumendi and expert guest Susan Farago, who leads talent development at Salesforce.
“Over the last five years, there has been a 400% increase in credentialing programs, and there are over one million credentials right now. So, from a consumer or a candidate perspective, that's a lot to choose from,” noted Farago, who shared insights on how certifications can help individuals grow and gain a variety of technical skills.
The company’s online resource, Trailhead, provides free learning across all Salesforce topics, applicable to those looking to brush up on skills in emerging tech, such as AI, to those looking to add demonstrated competencies to their resumes.
“One of the big challenges is, people want to know that if you learned something, what can you do? Can you demonstrate your knowledge?” said Elzey. She noted the value of programs that allow learners to show that they can capably do specific things, and assure that they have knowledge.
“We have some high school programs, where kids are starting to learn about Salesforce and [can] really build out their technical portfolio, so that then they have the option to say, ‘well maybe I don't want to pursue a traditional four-year degree, I want to just jump right into the technology field and go that direction.’ We (also) have people who have the four-year degree, and then on top of that, they want to build out their skills, and so they'll go ahead and pursue Salesforce certifications, to change jobs or supplement their current job to get a promotion,” Farago said.
With so many options, quality certifications are essential to reflect that a candidate is “skills smart” versus “book smart.” “Hiring managers want to know that people who have the certification can actually do the job not just tell them about the job,” she added.
“Skills, or what you can do in a job, is so much more important to an employer than what you've learned, and I think that differentiation is exactly what credentialing is all about,” added Asumendi.
Elzey emphasized that Workcred focuses on the effectiveness of market value and quality of credentials, including certificates, certifications, and microcredentials, and noted that part of the organization’s mission is to raise awareness through the Expert Series to highlight a variety of credentials so that workers can make informed decisions as they pursue their careers.
To learn more, watch the latest episode, Workcred Expert Series: Increasing Demand for Cloud, Data, and Software Skills, and check out other recent videos on Workcred.org.