(1) As used
in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) Apprenticeship certificate of completion means a certificate awarded
to an apprentice in recognition of the successful completion of a registered
apprenticeship program.
(b) Colorado talent report means the report prepared pursuant to section
24-46.3-103.
(c) Department means the department of higher education created and
existing pursuant to section 24-1-114.
(d) Industry certification means a credential awarded by an industry-recognized third party or industry-governing board based on an individual
demonstrating by assessment that the individual has acquired the designated
knowledge, skills, and abilities related to a specific occupation or skill. Industry
certifications may be time-limited dependent upon the occupation or industry.
(e) International standard classification of education or ISCED means a
comprehensive framework for organizing education and training programs that
applies uniform and internationally agreed-upon classifications to facilitate
comparisons of education and training programs across countries.
(f) Nondegree credential means a postsecondary certificate,
apprenticeship certificate of completion, professional license, or industry
certification.
(g) Postsecondary certificate means a credential awarded by an institution
of higher education at an undergraduate level based on completion of all
requirements for a program of study, including coursework and exams.
Postsecondary certificates are not time-limited and do not require renewal.
Postsecondary certificate does not include a degree or a credential awarded by
an institution of higher education after completion of a bachelor's degree in the
same pathway.
(h) Quality nondegree credentials framework means the quality and in-demand nondegree credentials framework developed pursuant to section 23-5-145.6 (2) to assess certifications, occupational licenses, apprenticeship certificates
of completion, non-credit certificates, micro-credentials, and sub-baccalaureate
for-credit certificates and establishes a rubric for evaluating credentials in state-recognized programs.
(i) Stackable credential pathway means a sequence of degree or
nondegree credentials earned through various means, including through
assessment of prior learning, that may be accumulated over time and move an
individual along a career pathway or up a career ladder.
(j) State institution of higher education or institution has the same
meaning as set forth in section 23-1-135.
(2) (a) The state of Colorado formally recognizes the quality nondegree
credentials framework developed pursuant to section 23-5-145.6 (2) as the primary
tool for evaluating and ensuring the quality of nondegree credentials offered within
the state.
(b) The department, in collaboration with the state work force development
council, the department of education, the department of labor and employment, the
Colorado office of economic development, and the Colorado community college
system shall ensure the effective integration of the quality nondegree credentials
framework within the state's education and workforce systems.
(c) [ Editor's note: This version of subsection (2)(c) is effective until July 1,
2026. ] Beginning January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the department, in
collaboration with the state work force development council, the department of
education, the department of labor and employment, and the Colorado office of
economic development, shall evaluate nondegree credentials offered through
state-recognized programs to ensure the credentials meet the quality standards
set forth in the quality nondegree credentials framework. State-recognized
programs that are required to ensure nondegree credential offerings meet the
quality standards set forth in the quality nondegree credentials framework include,
but are not limited to:
(I) The career development success program created pursuant to section 22-54-138; and
(II) The stackable credential pathways identified pursuant to section 23-5-145.6 (3).
(c) [ Editor's note: This version of subsection (2)(c) is effective July 1, 2026. ] Beginning January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the department, in
collaboration with the state work force development council, the department of
education, the department of labor and employment, and the Colorado office of
economic development, shall evaluate nondegree credentials offered through
state-recognized programs to ensure the credentials meet the quality standards
set forth in the quality nondegree credentials framework. State-recognized
programs that are required to ensure nondegree credential offerings meet the
quality standards set forth in the quality nondegree credentials framework include,
but are not limited to, the stackable credential pathways identified pursuant to
section 23-5-145.6 (3).
(d) Beginning January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the department, in
collaboration with the department of education, the department of labor and
employment, and the Colorado office of economic development, shall supply the
state workforce development council with a list of quality nondegree credential
programs that meet the quality standards set forth in the quality nondegree
credentials framework for inclusion in the Colorado talent report produced
pursuant to section 24-46.3-103 (3)(a) and in a credential registry endorsed by the
state.
(3) (a) The department shall engage state agencies, educational institutions,
international organizations, industry associations, and other stakeholders to study
and make recommendations concerning the adoption of ISCED as the state's
standard framework for classifying nondegree credentials and ISCED's wider
application in the state's education and workforce systems. On or before July 31,
2025, the department shall complete a stakeholder engagement process to inform
a report. The stakeholder engagement process must:
(I) Solicit input from employers and their industry or trade associations;
(II) Solicit input from state institutions of higher education;
(III) Solicit input from the Colorado department of labor and employment,
including the office of future of work and the state apprenticeship agency, the
state workforce development council, and the Colorado department of education
student pathways unit; and
(IV) Leverage the resources and tools of the ISCED community.
(b) The department shall study and make recommendations concerning how
ISCED equivalency levels may be:
(I) Implemented as the state's standard framework for organizing and
classifying nondegree credentials;
(II) Assigned to credentials or packages of credentials identified and
approved pursuant to section 23-5-145.6 (3) and (4);
(III) Assigned to registered apprenticeships;
(IV) Widely adopted by stakeholders to facilitate alignment of education and
training programs and associated qualifications; and
(V) Effectively integrated within the state's education and workforce
systems.
(c) On or before July 31, 2025, the department shall report its findings and
recommendations to the education committees of the senate and house of
representatives, or any successor committees.
(d) On or before July 31, 2025, using the process recommended pursuant to
subsection (3)(b) of this section, the department shall assign ISCED equivalency
levels to the credentials included in the stackable credential pathways identified
and approved pursuant to section 23-5-145.6 (3) and (4). The ISCED alignment
process must consider credential program rigor and relevance.
(4) The department shall implement this section subject to available
appropriations.