Navigating the Maze of Short-Term Credentials to Boost Young Adult Talent

This brief provides an overview of the burgeoning credential marketplace for young adult talent developers--the community-based, entrepreneurial organizations that work with young people ages 16 to 24, many of whom are seeking a faster and less costly route into the labor market. These organizations play an important role in helping young people select high-quality, achievable, and affordable short-term credentials that local employers value. This brief also highlights the many states and national organizations that are taking steps to increase transparency about short-term credentials and ultimately create a more rational, coherent, and user-friendly credential marketplace.