Bill > SB402

This bill establishes the West Virginia Micro-Credential Program under the authority of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission to create a standardized and credible system for recognizing specific skills and knowledge gained by individuals, whether through traditional education or other experiences. The program aims to help students and employees better demonstrate their mastery of skills, such as critical thinking or communication, which are valuable for employment but not always captured by traditional grades or assessments. This initiative is particularly beneficial for those in manual labor and skilled trades, offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional higher education for workforce development, and will also allow state higher education institutions to integrate these micro-credentials into degree programs to enhance students' practical skills and employability. The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission will be responsible for developing standards for identifying skills, designing and validating micro-credentials, creating a platform for managing and sharing them, and ensuring their security and the individual's control over their educational records, while also verifying that these credentials lead to measurable workforce improvements and assisting higher education institutions in implementing high-quality micro-credential offerings aligned with workforce needs.