Talent is everywhere; opportunity is not

— Transforming Learning Employment Records

Why we are transforming the workforce through LERs

We believe that how we recognize and communicate skills can—and must—change. Learning and Employment Records are digital records that allow individuals to securely collect, own, and share their validated education, training, and work experience.

Much like electronic health records (EHRs), LERs create a portable, lifelong resource for capturing and communicating learning—across institutions, jobs, and time.

At the heart of this work is our belief that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not.

Too often, higher education credentials act as gatekeepers rather than gateways—blocking otherwise qualified, skilled individuals from accessing meaningful work simply because they lack a degree. This disproportionately impacts low-income, first-generation students and students of color, many of whom fall into the “some college, no degree” category despite having real-world experience and valuable skills. 

We’re working to change that.

By bridging the gap between employers and education/training providers, we help design and implement skills-based credentialing systems that recognize what people can do, not just where they’ve been. LERs are the foundation of that system—housing digital credentials that are validated, verifiable, meaningful, and aligned with industry standards.

For individuals, LERs offer ownership and agency over their career story—making it easier to identify growth opportunities, showcase abilities, and pursue mobility.

For employers, LERs offer a faster, more equitable way to find talent whose skills match job demands while adding real-world, industry value to employer-designed training(s).

For education and training partners, LERs offer a roadmap to ensure that programs are aligned to what the labor market needs—making learning more relevant and credentials more valuable.

And for policymakers, LERs offer better data for making strategic decisions about workforce development and equity.

This isn’t just a technical innovation. It’s a shift toward transparency, equity, and dignity in how we recognize learning and value people.