§ 10a-35b — Credential database.

(a) As used in this section: (1) “Credential” means a documented award issued by an authorized body, including, but not limited to, a (A) degree or certificate awarded by an institution of higher education, private career school or provider of an alternate route to certification program approved by the State Board of Education for teachers, (B) certification awarded through an examination process designed to demonstrate acquisition of designated knowledge, skill and ability to perform a specific job, (C) license issued by a governmental agency which permits an individual to practice a specific occupation upon verification that such individual meets a predetermined list of qualifications, and (D) documented completion of an apprenticeship or job training program; and (2) “Credential status type” means the official status of a credential which is either active, deprecated, probationary or superseded. (b) Not later than January 1, 2023, the Commissioner of Higher Education, in consultation with the advisory council established pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, shall create a database of credentials offered in the state for the purpose of explaining the skills and competencies earned through a credential in uniform terms and plain language. In creating the database, the commissioner shall utilize the minimum data policy of the New England Board of Higher Education's High Value Credentials for New England initiative, the uniform terms and descriptions of Credentials Engine's Credential Transparency Description Language and the uniform standards for comparing and linking credentials in Credential Engine's Credential Transparency Description Language-Achievement Standards Network. At a minimum, the database shall include the following information for each credential: (1) Credential status type, (2) the entity that owns or offers the credential, (3) the type of credential being offered, (4) a short description of the credential, (5) the name of the credential, (6) the Internet web site that provides information relating to the credential, (7) the language in which the credential is offered, (8) the estimated duration for completion, (9) the industry related to the credential which may include its code under the North American Industry Classification System, (10) the occupation related to the credential which may include its code under the standard occupational classification system of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor or under The Occupational Information Network, (11) the estimated cost for earning the credential, and (12) a listing of online or physical locations where the credential is offered. (c) There is established an advisory council for the purpose of advising the Commissioner of Higher Education on the implementation of the database created pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. The advisory council shall consist of (1) representatives from the Office of Workforce Strategy, Office of Higher Education, Office of Policy and Management, Labor Department, Department of Education, Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, The University of Connecticut and independent institutions of higher education, and (2) the Chief Data Officer, or such officer's designee. The Chief Workforce Officer, the Chief Data Officer and the Commissioner of Higher Education, or their designees, shall be cochairpersons of the advisory council and shall schedule the meetings of the advisory council. (d) Not later than July 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, each regional workforce development board, community action agency, as defined in section 17b-885 , institution of higher education, private career school, provider of an alternate route to certification program approved by the State Board of Education, and provider of a training program listed on the Labor Department's Eligible Training Provider List shall submit information, in the form and manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Higher Education, about any credential offered by such institution, school or provider for inclusion in the database created pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. Such information shall include, but need not be limited to, the data described in subdivisions (1) to (12), inclusive, of subsection (b) of this section, except an institution of higher education may omit the data required pursuant to subdivisions (6), (9) and (10) of subsection (b) of this section if such data is not applicable to a credential offered by such institution. (e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require any state agency or department to submit credential information to the database created pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. (f) The Labor Department may, in consultation with the advisory council established pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, require any program sponsor of a preapprenticeship or apprenticeship program registered with the department to submit information about such program to the Office of Higher Education for inclusion in such database.

Legislative History

(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 264; P.A. 22-123, S. 31; P.A. 24-81, S. 163.) History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 effective July 1, 2021; this section was originally published as Sec. 10a-34h in the 2022 Supplement to the General Statutes; P.A. 22-123 changed “private occupational school” to “private career school” throughout, effective July 1, 2022; P.A. 24-81 amended Subsecs. (b) to (d) by replacing references to executive director of the Office of Higher Education with Commissioner of Higher Education, effective May 30, 2024.