General Assembly revealed some big news Wednesday, announcing that after building a network of more than 150,000 alumni, employers, instructors and students worldwide, now they're taking the natural next step and launching a new long-term initiative: The GA Credentialing Network.
The technology training company will create competency-based credentials in partnership with a consortium of more than 20 companies in order to provide "better visibility and understanding into the pathways to jobs in the 21st century economy," CEO and co-founder of General Assembly Jake Schwartz said in a statement.
General Assembly wants to develop these credentials for high-skilled positions in technology, design and business, with the first credential offered for web development skills due to be offered publicly in early 2015.
Schwartz emphasized that the credentialing programs will be available to all job-seekers, not just those enrolled in the General Assembly student community. They will also all be free of charge for job-seekers and employers alike. The GA Credentialing Network plans to help employers find talented new employees, which General Assembly can do by ensuring student earn the credentials they need to prove they have mastered certain competencies.
While a challenging task, General Assembly is ready to take on the credentialing world alongside its partners, including local companies such as 2U, Contactually, iStrategy, Optoro, Social Tables and WeddingWire. Partners from outside the D.C. area who have already joined are: Big Spaceship; Card.com; CoinBase; Elance-oDesk; FCB; General Electric; Glassbreakers; Hired; Joyride Coffee; MDC; Medium; The Muse; NewsCred; PayPal; Relate IQ, A Salesforce Company and YouNoodle.
"I believe we are working to increase the transparency and openness of the new economy, making more entry points for the diverse base of potential tech workers around the world," Schwartz said of the new credentialing initiative. "I’m thrilled about this project and the opportunity it holds to reduce the friction felt by beginners, job-seekers, and employers everywhere, and I hope you are, too. Credentials are the next step in building the 21st century workforce, and I look forward to what they’ll bring to the future of learning."
