Labor Department Removes Affirmative Action From Apprenticeship Rules, Effective January 5
A final rule removes Part 30 affirmative action duties for Registered Apprenticeship sponsors from January 5, 2027 and sends discrimination complaints to the EEOC.
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Inside an Open Badges 3.0 Credential, and How an Employer Can Check One
by Credentials Wave ·Open Badges 3.0 makes every digital badge a signed verifiable credential. What one contains, how verification and revocation work, and what it does not prove.
Engineering vs. Engineering Technology Degrees: What ABET's 2026-27 Criteria Require of Each
by Credentials Wave ·Complex, broadly defined or well-defined problems: how ABET's EAC and ETAC criteria for 2026-27 differ on outcomes, mathematics, curriculum and capstones.
Graduated Before Your Program Was Accredited? How ABET's Two-Year Retroactive Window Works
by Credentials Wave ·Initial ABET accreditation normally covers one academic year before the visit, and at most two. What the 2026-27 APPM requires, and how graduates can check.
Federal Agencies Must Screen Applicants With Job-Specific Tests by December 2027
by Credentials Wave ·The Chance to Compete Act requires federal agencies to screen applicants with job-specific technical assessments from December 23, 2027, and orders a review of degree rules.
Using the GI Bill for Licensing and Certification Exams: Limits, Retakes and Forms
by Credentials Wave ·VA reimburses up to $2,000 per licensing or certification test, including retakes and failed attempts. What it costs in entitlement and how to file Form 22-0803.
NCES Opens Its Survey Portfolio to Public Input, With Comments Due December 3
by Credentials Wave ·The National Center for Education Statistics asks how to redesign its surveys and data collections, weighing respondent burden against timeliness. Comments close December 3.
Ten Accreditors Face Federal Recognition Review. How to Comment Before December 5
by Credentials Wave ·HLC, Middle States, NECHE, WSCUC and six more agencies are up for federal recognition renewal. Here is what a comment must address and how to file by December 5.
NCEES Adds a Second Ethics Course for PEs and Surveyors, Worth Two Hours
by Credentials Wave ·Moral Literacy for Professional Engineers and Surveyors is a five-part online course worth two continuing education hours, logged automatically in CPC tracking.
New PMP Training Rule Starts December 1: What Still Counts Toward Your 35 Hours
by Credentials Wave ·From December 1, live PMP training must come from a PMI Authorized Training Partner or accredited program. Earlier courses and self-paced study still count.
Oberlin Students Can Now Earn a Penn Engineering Master's in Five Years
by Credentials Wave ·The Oberlin-Penn Engineering 4+1 opens in fall 2027 with five pathways, from materials science to systems engineering, and three courses of credit.
ECU and Lenoir Community College Open a Home-County Path to an Engineering Degree
by Credentials Wave ·A new agreement moves Lenoir engineering associate graduates into ECU's BS in engineering, with scholarships and capstones at the Global TransPark.
Education Department Finalizes AIM Accreditation Rule, Effective July 1, 2027
by Credentials Wave ·The Education Department's final AIM rule rewrites accreditor recognition, ends the two-year rule and geographic scope limits, and takes effect July 1, 2027.
Zambia Gains Provisional Washington Accord Status at IEA Meetings in Cape Town
by Credentials Wave ·International recognition news from the June 2026 IEA meetings in Cape Town: Zambia joins the Washington Accord as a provisional signatory, and more.
Revised Information Systems Program Criteria Clear Final ABET Vote, Effective Fall 2027
by Credentials Wave ·ABET's Computing Area Delegation approved revised Information Systems program criteria on Nov. 6, 2026, CSAB reports. The changes take effect in fall 2027.
STEM Careers to 2035: What BLS Projects for Five Engineering and Computing Jobs
by Credentials Wave ·BLS projections for 2025 to 2035 for civil, electrical, mechanical, software and security jobs: growth, openings, median pay and entry paths for STEM careers.
From January Request to July Vote: How an ABET Accreditation Review Runs
by Credentials Wave ·A guide to ABET self-study & site visits: the January request, the July 1 report, the fall visit, the draft statement, due process and the July decision.
How a Siemens and CU Boulder Microcredential Won ABET Recognition for All Three Pathways
by Credentials Wave ·The Siemens and CU Boulder Design for the Circular Economy microcredential now has ABET recognition on all three pathways. How the industry partnerships worked.
NCEES Exam Changes Through Spring 2027: Architectural, Structural, Civil, Controls, Fire
by Credentials Wave ·New PE Architectural Engineering specifications took effect in October 2026; Structural, Civil, Control Systems and Fire Protection exams change in April 2027.
Employers Say AI Makes Real Skills Harder to Judge, WGU's 2026 Workforce Decoded Finds
by Credentials Wave ·WGU's second Workforce Decoded survey of 3,128 hiring professionals: AI and skills evaluation, degrees and certificates, for AI in education and work.
Engineering Added 41,000 Undergraduates at Four-Year Colleges in Spring 2026
by Credentials Wave ·Clearinghouse data show engineering added about 41,000 undergraduates at four-year colleges in spring 2026, one of the two largest gains of any major field.
Closing the Loop: A Practical Walk-Through of ABET Criterion 4
by Credentials Wave ·What ABET Criterion 4 asks for in continuous improvement: documented processes, evaluation of results, and evidence that findings led to program changes.
How Many Employers Use Skills-Based Hiring? Reading NACE's Job Outlook 2026 Numbers
by Credentials Wave ·NACE's Job Outlook 2026 says 70 percent of employers use skills-based hiring. What the survey measured, how GPA screening changed, and the limits of the data.
Out-of-State Online Enrollment Hits a Record 1.72 Million: The Data and ABET's Rules
by Credentials Wave ·NC-SARA counts a record 1.72 million out-of-state online students in fall 2025. Federal IPEDS figures and ABET's rules for online and hybrid learning.
The Seven Student Outcomes in ABET Criterion 3, and How Programs Measure Them
by Credentials Wave ·A plain guide to assessment & student outcomes under ABET EAC Criterion 3: what each of the seven outcomes covers and how programs gather evidence on them.
1.85 Million Credentials: Credential Engine's Latest Count, Broken Down by Type
by Credentials Wave ·Research & data from Credential Engine's Counting Credentials 2025: 1,850,034 unique U.S. credentials from 134,491 providers, with badges the largest category.
ISACA's Revised CISM Exam Is Live: New Domain Weights and Two Architecture Topics
by Credentials Wave ·ISACA's updated CISM exam, in effect since November 3, 2026, reweights four domains and adds architecture topics. What changed for industry certifications.
Battelle Survey of 3,629 Finds Employers and Educators Split on Workforce Readiness
by Credentials Wave ·Battelle surveyed 3,629 Americans on workforce development and AI. Educators rate curricula far higher than employers do; apprenticeships top the fix list.
Is This Program Accredited? A Step-by-Step Check Using ABET, DAPIP and CHEA
by Credentials Wave ·Choosing a program means checking the program, not just the college. How to use ABET's search, the federal DAPIP list and CHEA, and why boards care.
ISO 9001:2026 and ISO/IEC 17024:2026 Are Out. Here Is What Each Revision Changes
by Credentials Wave ·Two quality & standards revisions arrived in 2026: ISO 9001:2026 in September and ISO/IEC 17024:2026, for personnel certification bodies, in March.
Record CS Degrees, Fewer New Majors: What the Taulbee and Clearinghouse Data Show
by Credentials Wave ·Computing education data: the CRA Taulbee Survey counts record CS degrees as new majors drop, and Clearinghouse figures show CS enrollment falling.
Microcredential Adoption Stalls at 53 Percent While Workforce Design Climbs, Survey Finds
by Credentials Wave ·UPCEA's 2026 survey on microcredentials and badges finds institutional adoption flat at 53 percent while workforce-focused design rose to 85 percent.
Want to Review Engineering Programs for ABET? How Program Evaluators Are Chosen
by Credentials Wave ·How engineers, computing professionals and faculty become ABET program evaluators: society nomination, eligibility, training hours and the time each visit takes.
Pittsburg State Keeps ABET Accreditation for Six Technology Programs Through 2032
by Credentials Wave ·Pittsburg State University says ABET renewed accreditation through 2032 for five engineering technology programs and its construction management program.
Learning Hours Up, Budgets Down: Inside ATD's 2026 State of the Industry Report
by Credentials Wave ·ATD's 2026 State of the Industry data on corporate training & L&D: 16.7 learning hours per employee in 2025 as direct spending fell to $846 per person.
Graduate Engineering Applications Climbed as Computing Fell, CGS Survey Shows
by Credentials Wave ·CGS and Clearinghouse data on graduate degrees and pathways in engineering, computer science and the physical sciences: applications and new enrollees.
How PE Continuing Education Works: PDH Hours, Carryover and State Board Rules
by Credentials Wave ·A guide to continuing education for licensed PEs: the NCEES model of 15 PDHs a year, what counts, carryover and records, and how Texas and Florida differ.
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