Texas independent colleges and universities now have the opportunity to add their programs to the Texas Credential Library. Information about credentials may include competencies, costs, quality indicators, occupation and industry alignment, education and career pathways, transfer value, outcomes and links to job skills. This information will support statewide goals such as development of education and career pathways and signaling credentials of value.
Background
The Texas Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative – which brings together the Texas Education Agency (TEA), Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), and Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) – are establishing a publicly accessible, web-based library of credentials that are delivered, issued, funded, or governed by the state.
Credential Engine, a non-profit with a mission to map the credential landscape with clear and consistent information, is supporting the Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative with the development and maintenance of the Texas Credential Library. Credentials include diplomas, digital badges, micro-credentials, credit or non-credit certificates, certifications, apprenticeships, licenses, and degrees of all types and levels.
Credential Engine developed a linked, open, interoperable data format called the Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL) and established a Credential Registry. Currently 36 states, and credential providers around the globe are using these CTDL and the Registry to make information on credentials, competencies, and pathways more accessible to learners, aligned to the skills needed by businesses, and to create more effective result-oriented education and workforce policies.
What’s the value of publishing to the Credential Registry?
- Inclusion in the largest Registry of linked, open and interoperable data about providers, credentials, competencies, and related essential data anywhere.
- By publishing once, your information will be available to all states, countries, and providers so more people will find the education, training, and credentials you offer.
- More tools are being developed that will consume and utilize these data, including which in-demand credentials meet the current workforce needs of employers, and your information needs to be accurate and well reflected in those tools.
- Your credentials will also be more easily included in the emerging number of “Learning and Employment Records” (LERs) around the country, and around the world.
- Credential Engine does not harvest information about credentials, so you’d have “ownership” of the publicly available and essential data about the credentials you offer in the marketplace.
- In sum, including your – and all – credentials as public, linked, open data empowers everyone looking for education and training options with the data they need to make well-informed decisions.
How to Publish to the Texas Library
Email accounts@credentialengine.org to be added as a user on your institution’s account. A user account will allow you to update information about your institution and manage your credential data in the Texas Credential Library. Or view more information on how to get started.
Data is published to the Credential Registry using spreadsheets in CSV format. A pre-filled credential template has been created for your organization using publicly available data on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Program Search.
The Credential Engine team will provide you with this template to review, along with suggestions for additional data to make available in the Texas Credential Library.
Once you have reviewed your template, let us know and we will upload it into our Publisher so that your information can be published to the Texas Credential Library.
You will receive a confirmation email when the credentials are published.
Please approve your template by May 15, 2026 if you would like to be included in the Texas Credential Library.
With a user account, you can access the Credential Publisher at any time to make updates or changes to your institution’s credential information. Just follow these instructions.
You are responsible for keeping your credential information up-to-date in the Texas Credential Library.
Need Help
Please reach out to accounts@credentialengine.org.