Credentials, Bootcamps, and Workforce Learning

A credential is a signal that a holder has some knowledge, skill or persistence. Its value depends on what the programme taught, whether employers believe the credential separates capable people from others, and whether it unlocks something specific, such as a licence, a job requirement or a promotion. The bachelor's degree remains the dominant US signal, with holders earning roughly 1.6–1.8 times the median weekly earnings of high-school graduates. Each wave of alternative credentials has attacked it differently, and each has worked partly.