FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AACRAO Contact: Mike Simmons
Associate Executive Director, Business Development & Strategic Partnerships Division
Communications@aacrao.org
LER Accelerator champions interoperable credentialing systems to advance workforce development and learner empowerment.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a landmark collaboration, 12 leading national associations have adopted a unified set of core principles for advancing Learning and Employment Records (LERs). This collective agreement marks a pivotal step toward aligning learning and skills development with workforce needs, ensuring access for all to verifiable credentials, and supporting lifelong learning pathways.
The nine principles draw on previous research and reflect a shared commitment to guiding higher education institutions and systems to design LERs that are accessible by all learners and ensure learners can take their skills data with them for use in further education and employment. The principles emphasize the importance of interoperability, learner empowerment, data privacy, and the integration of the array of educational and professional learning opportunities to meet the demands of an evolving workforce.
This initiative aligns with national movements by public and private sector employers and education to shift to skills-first approaches to respond to the growing economy and quickly connect people with good jobs. By prioritizing LERs, the coalition seeks to build upon this momentum and further strengthen the nation's workforce.
“The LER movement continues to grow, and the LER Accelerator’s alignment around shared principles marks an important milestone toward empowering learners and workers with data about their skills,” said Jason A. Tyszko, senior vice president of policy and programs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. “This collaboration is a step forward in creating transparency around learning and increasing the utility of learning outcomes, competencies and skills such that learners and workers can better access opportunity and achieve economic mobility.”
The LER Accelerator
The LER Accelerator initiative launched in 2024 with support from Walmart. The effort is boosting the adoption of Learning and Employment Records (LERs) in postsecondary education by focusing on overcoming implementation delays, raising awareness, and fostering collaboration. The initiative is supported by a coalition of organizations representing various campus stakeholders:
Join the LER Accelerator coalition for a webinar on February 26, 2025, to discuss the principles and their implications for the future of education and employment.
AACRAO
AACRAO is a non-profit, voluntary, professional association working to make higher education more responsive to learners. With a membership of more than 15,000 higher education professionals representing approximately 2,300 institutions in
more than 40 countries, the association provides advocacy, research, and policy-based guidance and training to higher education professionals to smooth the path for learners at every stage of their journey.