Overview
Industry Recognized Credentials (IRCs) provide a means of independently attesting to a learner's level of knowledge and skills in a particular career area. An IRC may be useful in helping learners transition to a postsecondary and training opportunity (e.g., apprenticeship, community college) or directly to career. The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) defines an IRC as follows:
"An education- and work-related credential can be defined as a verification of an individual's qualification or competence issued by a third party with the relevant authority to issue such credentials (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010). The term credential encompasses educational certificates, degrees, certifications, and government-issued licenses." ACTE - "What is a Credential?"
IRC in Oregon: Guidelines and Requirements
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) maintains a collection of state-approved IRCs that CTE programs may access to independently represent what learners completing a Program of Study (POS) know and are able to do.
- The credential is a required or highly desirable element from the perspective of industry.
- The credential reflects
technical knowledge and skills accumulated over the span of the CTE Program of Study.
- The credential reflects employability skills as recognized by business/labor/industry/trades in Oregon and articulated through the Knowledge and Skill Statements in the six Career Learning Areas.
- CTE IRCs are a component of
High Quality Programs of Study.
- CTE IRCs are tracked as a part of the
Secondary Career Pathway process—an Oregon state grant/article of legislation. (OAR 581-017-0287)
Current IRCs
Oregon maintains a comprehensive list of state-approved credentials that is updated on an annual basis. As workforce needs and learner opportunities evolve, we regularly review and refine the list to ensure it meets the needs of learners while remaining responsive to business, labor, industry, and the trades, as described in the definition above.
- Approved CTE IRC List: Displays all approved IRCs, with new for the school year highlighted in green, and updates highlighted in yellow.
- Removed/Denied: Lists removed or denied IRCs.
For a more streamlined view of state-approved credentials and the details needed for reporting IRCs to ODE in the CTE Student Collection each spring, review the
IRC Lookup Table. This public report of IRCs approved for reporting is being updated to reflect credentials in the comprehensive list.
CTE teachers should collaborate with their CTE Regional Coordinator, community college partner, and partners in industry to select and implement credentials that offer the highest value for learners in terms of advancement for future education, training, and career prospects.
Recommending a New IRC
New recommendations and evaluations for IRCs for next school year are currently paused. We are exploring opportunities to strengthen postsecondary and workforce involvement.
If there is a required federal, state, or BOLI IRC that is valued by industry, and it is not on the approved list, please email the IRC team. If you have an IRC you are exploring or learning more about, please have your CTE Regional Coordinator or Perkins Grant Manager email the IRC team.
IRC Reporting Details
CTE IRC Basics
CTE Industry Recognized Credentials (IRC) are reported through the CTE Student data collection each school year. The CTE Student collection opens mid-May and closes in early July. Credentials can only be reported in the year they were earned.
Instititutions should report credential data on all 9th through 12th grade students who attempted to earn a CTE IRC even if they did not meet the requirements. Each attempted credential reported in the CTE Student collection must include data on whether the student met/didn't meet the attempted IRC and the associated IRC administration date. While most credentials are earned during the regular school year, there are some that may be earned only after the learner has attained age 18; this may have an impact on timely reporting. For those who complete age-dependent credentials, school representatives may contact the ODE CTE Industry Recognized Credentials team between July 15 and September 15 to facilitate reporting.
Please check the CTE Collections web page for official CTE Student collection reporting dates and the CTE Submitters Guide for additional technical details on reporting CTE IRCs in the CTE Student collection.
If a program elects to add credentials as a required element (meaning that completing the credential has an impact on the learners' grades in the course and that completion of the credentialling process is required to complete the course), the program and/or school must cover the costs of curriculum and certification testing (and retesting, if required). In the event that the credential is an elective element of the course (e.g., the student can choose to prepare for and take the credentialling test as an optional part of the course--OR--as an event that happens outside or after the course), the costs associated with the credential preparation and testing are the responsibility of the student. While Perkins funds CANNOT be used to pay for the credential for a single student, there are other funding sources (e.g., McKinney-Vento, Secondary Career Pathways) that can help address the costs of credentials for learners who cannot otherwise afford them.
Because this is a complex area, ODE's IRC Team is planning monthly office hours and occasional webinars to help clarify the issues and answer questions.
Please use the links below in IRC: Questions and Answers to connect for help.
IRC: Questions and Answers
If you have questions about IRC, the credential process, and/or data reporting, please contact the following team members to assist you:
IRCs
Secondary Career Pathways and Credentials
CTE Data