CPL is a model whereby students can earn real classroom credit without stepping foot into a traditional classroom. It leverages their workplace experience and on-the-job training to expedite credentialing for a given role. That allows individuals to qualify for staff positions without navigating traditional classroom requirements by demonstrating their proficiency through other means.
Here are four Credit for Prior Learning examples to show how this can work.
1. Transferring Credits Through MedCerts Partner Solutions
MedCerts partners with prominent universities and educational institutions to exchange college credit for completing certain job training programs. These programs align with high-demand roles in healthcare, from information technology to leadership development courses. Everything is structured around real-world employer demands.
Essentially, MedCerts oversees articulation agreements that specify how the training program covers degree-necessary topics that a classroom would incorporate. Students can receive real college credit for completing the training program, which has the potential to streamline their professional development dramatically.
2. Credential Stacking
Education redundancy often delays qualified candidates from advancing into roles they’re prepared for. However, it’s possible to stack credentials, such as those for a Clinical Medical Assistant, to speed up this process. Instead of students having to repeat topics they have demonstrable proficiency in, they can use their existing certifications as the lower rungs of a ladder leading to more advanced credentials.
3. Military Experience
Two things are simultaneously true: The military teaches valuable skills, and candidates struggle to translate those skills into academic credentials. CPL bridges that gap. Military veterans can use their verified on-the-job experience to quickly advance their academic career and jumpstart their professional career beyond.
4. Professional Experience in Healthcare
Many jobs in the healthcare profession don’t translate clearly to academic credentialing. For instance, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) often engage in peripheral activities that prepare them for other roles in an organization. CPL can go through a CNA’s portfolio and identify the kinds of almost-invisible work experience that could count toward a degree.
MedCerts: Aiding Organizations with CPL Implementation
For all the benefits of CPL, it’s not always straightforward for academic institutions to implement. MedCerts provides structured CPL frameworks that organizations can adapt and customize to meet their needs. With MedCerts, gain access to more than 50 high-quality programs offering ways to translate work experience into real academic progress.
Using Credit for Prior Learning is an important tool in resolving an organization’s staffing challenges. It acts as a simple but highly efficient bridge between real-world experience and the credentialing needed to fill a role. Institutions that partner with MedCerts with CPL are taking an important step toward tackling their workforce and skill gaps head-on.
