Crosswalking for Credit: Building Connections Across Industry, Training, and Education

CAEL has long been an advocate for recognizing all learning. From demonstrating the significant benefits of credit for prior learning (CPL) to urging greater use of comprehensive learner records, CAEL supports the seamless movement of adult learners and workers navigating the on- and off-ramps that define rapidly evolving education-employment pathways.  

Credential crosswalks (also called mappings) are one effective way to build CPL into an institution’s academic approach. Credit crosswalks translate learning outcomes from non-collegiate sources (such as industry certifications and employer training) to the course learning outcomes provided in individual courses at postsecondary institutions. Created and vetted by academic experts, the crosswalks are a proactive form of CPL, awarding college credit for pre-assessed training and industry credentials. They allow adult learners to easily review prior learning that aligns with an institution’s existing curricula, creating an entry point for CPL conversations and learning assessment.

How Does a Credit Crosswalk Work?

From a student’s perspective, crosswalks are one of the simplest CPL processes available because most of the hard work has already been done. It just involves one step, and the rest is automated! Crosswalks assess the training, not the student, because the training itself already consists of an evaluation of the student. The student is not assessed twice, much like how a student who has completed an AP course and exam or military credit is awarded credit by turning in their scores or transcript.

For a crosswalk, the student must only submit documentation or other official proof of completing the training (e.g. a certificate, licensure, etc.) to the appropriate office at their institution. For example, it may be that it needs to be sent directly to the registrar’s office or attached to a form requesting credit be awarded and submitted through a student’s advisor or admissions counselor. Institutions should have clearly defined processes for what is acceptable for each crosswalk and to whom it should be sent.

After this, the student is done! The institution is responsible for verifying the documentation, applying it to the student’s degree program and transcript per the crosswalk, and notifying the student of the outcome. For students, all they had to do was to turn in a single document for each crosswalk and then, assuming policies and processes were followed, the credits would appear on their transcript.

The Benefits of Credit Crosswalks

While credit crosswalks are best used in the context of a comprehensive CPL approach to address a wide range of prior learning that students may bring, including standardized exams like CLEP, challenge or departmental exams, credit for military training, and portfolio assessment, they can also be deployed as a first step in building the capacity of early CPL programs

As CAEL research has shown, including The PLA Boost and “It’s a little stressful when I think of it …,” CPL saves money and time for students, deficits of which are the two largest obstacles to completing a postsecondary program. Given this impact, crosswalks offer important benefits to students by creating a more streamlined and convenient pathway to credit that eliminates the need to take additional individualized assessments. The crosswalks can be great catalysts of conversations as institutions talk with students about other ways they might qualify for CPL during admissions conversations, enhancing CPL’s potential as a recruitment tool.

In addition, credential crosswalks allow institutions to take a proactive approach, identifying areas for academic opportunity that best align with their programs and their communities. By linking academic programs with work-based learning, the crosswalks help form and sustain critical education-employment partnerships.

Tips for Getting Started with Credit Crosswalks

Dr. Janice Aanenson, executive director at the Minnesota State IT Center of Excellence, has been a consulting partner with CAEL for more than a decade, working closely with us on many industry crosswalk initiatives with postsecondary institutions. She has shared that one of the important first steps for an institution in developing credit crosswalks is to conduct a simple internet search of local job training programs and local employers, which will provide valuable information about regional employment opportunities, student demographics, and what crosswalk opportunities may exist in the area.

Aanenson points out that employers as diverse as Jiffy Lube, McDonald’s, and the American Welding Society (AWS) already provide training and employment opportunities for their workers that may align with auto mechanic, business, or welding courses offered at an institution. If prospective or current students are already engaging with these training and learning experiences, they become an excellent starting point to identify possible crosswalks. Another place to start is to examine whether existing courses offered at your institution have crosswalks built in from the beginning. For example, if an institution’s intro to computer programming course outcomes include being prepared to take an industry certification exam, that certification is an appropriate and reasonable crosswalk to that course.

When identifying the training opportunities, it is important to ensure they are properly vetted prior to the crosswalk analysis. Dr. Aanenson shared several ways to ensure that any external training or certification is appropriate and applicable for a credential crosswalk. She suggested looking at the standards of the organization (Who has oversight or advises the group?), the eligibility of participants (What requirements are in place to participate? What training or experience is expected?), content (What is the time commitment/time to completion? How deep or broad is the content that is covered?), assessments (What is the process and what are the minimum standards), and award and renewal (How long will this stay current/relevant? How is it updated?). Investigating these elements will assist in excluding any irrelevant or inapplicable content from the crosswalking process.

Another important tip is to engage with and maintain relationships with industry and employer partners to learn about potential crosswalks and to ensure that credit crosswalks remain current. Strong connections with these local partners also can help to ensure continued relevance of courses and programs, while potentially creating opportunities for incumbent workers to build on their training and earn formal academic credentials as well. 

While there is great benefit in the use of CPL crosswalks, Dr. Aanenson cautions that they are not intended to be a silver bullet, or to replace all other methods of CPL, but should be considered one part of a larger CPL strategy. Once the process is in place, it is also essential that institutions ensure that it is sustainable, repeatable, and standardized, ensuring equity, access, and consistency for students and faculty.

CAEL can help your institution implement CPL crosswalks – or even an entire CPL program. From enhancing existing programs to building them from the ground up, CAEL partners with institutions and systems throughout the country to maximize CPL’s impact. For more information, contact cael@cael.org.