You’ve launched your credential resell program. Now, how do you know it’s working? Once it’s up and running, it’s important to assess the credential program outcomes to determine whether it’s actually delivering what students need.
Effective evaluation systems allow institutions to assess all points of the student journey. By measuring both learner outcomes and workforce outcomes, program administrators can see where participants started, how they performed during the program and their experience in the workforce after leaving the program.
Which Metrics Matter Most?
When evaluating a certification program, institutions need to focus on the right set of metrics. Effective evaluation goes beyond looking at enrollment and graduation rates. Institutions should track and report both learner and workforce outcomes, and then use the findings to improve the program continuously.
Learner Metrics
Learner metrics look at how programs serve students while they’re enrolled. The foundational learner outcome to measure is program completion rates. If completion rates are low, there may be structural barriers preventing students from staying in the program. Correcting those barriers can improve retention and completion over the long term.
Once program access is well-established, institutions can track enrollment growth and retention trends over time. This will indicate whether a program is resonating with the institution’s target student population and living up to student expectations.
To add context to these metrics, compare enrollment and completion figures with those of similar programs and assess whether growth trends align with existing models.
Workforce Metrics
Workforce metrics assess how students perform in the workplace after completing a credentialing program. These measures help institutions understand how well the material from the credentialing course translates into workforce success.
Institutions can get a good sense of the real-world value of credentials by tracking the student employment rate within 60-90 days of program completion. Low employment or underemployment can indicate that a program is misaligned with current market needs.
Another valuable metric is data on post-program earnings. When possible, collect starting salary data for students who obtain new employment after credentialing. This data demonstrates the program’s ROI to prospective students and serves as a recruiting tool.
In addition to serving as good data points for student recruitment, showing strong workforce outcomes is valuable when seeking state workforce funding or other grants to support institutional programs.
Employer Feedback
Certification programs need to be dynamic and evolve with labor market changes to remain successful over time. Continuous improvement through assessment of learner metrics, workforce metrics and employer feedback keeps it relevant to students. Relevant, well-regarded programs with demonstrable success can drive future enrollment and sustain programs.
To stay current with real-time market demands, institutions should engage with both graduates and employers to gather feedback on the relevance and efficacy of the skills learned in the program.
When combined with program outcome data, this information can guide curriculum updates. Continuous assessment and improvements help ensure that programs remain aligned with workforce needs.
MedCerts Partner Solutions can help your institution measure program outcomes in the higher education setting. In addition to offering credit for prior learning and content licensing, we can help you develop an effective evaluation structure for your certification programs. We’re here to ensure that certification programs remain aligned with changing labor market demands.
