Tennessee to Develop Stackable Credential Strategies Through Lumina Partnership

Tennessee has been named one of 12 states selected for FutureReady States, a new national initiative from the Lumina Foundation and Education Strategy Group focused on making postsecondary education more accessible, stackable, and aligned with the workforce.

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) will use the planning grant to evaluate and improve how credentials, particularly short-term and non-degree ones, can be better tracked, defined, and used as pathways into degrees and quality employment. Some examples of short-term and non-degree credentials include a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant), pharmacy technician, or patient care technician certificates, and many more.  

“There was a competitive process that THEC stood out in, and thankfully, we were accepted,” Julie Roberts, Chief Academic Officer at THEC, told The Tennessee Firefly regarding the application process for the partnership.

Julie Roberts, Chief Academic Officer at Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC).

Rethinking Stackable Credentials

A central part of Tennessee’s work will be to define and develop stacked credentials, which currently lack a consistent definition across institutions, noted Roberts.

“There’s not really a definition for the term 'stackable credentials' right now,” Roberts said. “We don’t have an official way to delineate what a stacked credential is consistently. So, we’re working with this team to develop a definition for the term and figure out a way to track and measure that so that these stackable credentials are leading to good jobs.”

The term can refer to many combinations of learning, from an undergraduate plus a graduate degree to multiple short-term credentials earned over time, she noted. But Tennessee’s current focus is on the shorter-term side of that spectrum, according to Roberts.

“One of the reasons we’ve been focused on short-term credentials is that a stacked credential could be an undergrad and grad degree, but when we talk about stacked credentials in the wild, it’s really the shorter-term types of trainings,” Roberts explained.

She said the explosion of training options outside traditional college pathways, including certificates, bootcamps, and online micro credentials, has changed how people are accessing education and employment.

“The world out there of short-term training is so vast that we want to make sure that it will have value to them.”

Bridging Non-Degree and Degree Pathways

Part of the initiative includes exploring ways to make non-degree learning count within formal postsecondary systems. Roberts noted her interest in enabling tools like online courses to have more institutional value.

“I’m really interested in aligning non-degree credentials, so where, if I get a Coursera Excel course, can I get credit in a postsecondary system?”

THEC is also drawing on its history of cross-agency collaboration to inform this work, ensuring a broad view of who benefits from workforce training, whether it's someone holding a Ph.D. or a CPR certification.

“One of the things we’re doing really well in Tennessee is pulling together state agencies to look at what workforce training looks like,” Roberts said. “There’s a place for a person with a Ph.D. in physics, but also someone with a CPR certificate still has a place and can get into a bachelor’s or associate degree program.”

Meeting the Needs of Adult Learners

A key driver behind Tennessee’s participation in FutureReady States is increasing access for adult learners, particularly those balancing work, caregiving, or other responsibilities that make traditional education timelines difficult.

“If you look up the research, you’ll see folks who have a lot of responsibilities can’t just sit out and take a four-year break,” Roberts said.

By improving stickability and streamlining how credentials are recognized and transferred, the state hopes to make it easier for adults to return to learning and build toward a degree or promotion without starting from scratch.

Metrics and Next Steps

In the initial planning phase, THEC will work with Lumina and partner agencies to define measurable outcomes for student success and credential value.

“Some early success markers would be getting everyone on the same page across the state,” Roberts said. “Creating a situation where you have someone who can now enter into the higher education system as an easier pathway if they’ve already gotten a certificate.”

That clarity could also help reduce duplication and inefficiencies across the state’s workforce training landscape.

“Creating a clear pathway for folks that want to engage in college education and workforce training is not such a barrier,” Roberts says.

For more information, check out the official press release here.