A Plumber Is a Plumber: Improving U.S. Reporting of Certifications and Licenses to International Agencies

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 32
  In Roundtable Session: The Finer Detail of Education Policy

Abstract

In the US, certifications and licenses are considered work credentials rather than educational credentials. Therefore, these credentials have never been included in survey items on educational attainment, making international comparisons of individuals with these credentials challenging, if not impossible. The United States’ inability to capture and map certifications and licenses to educational attainment likely underestimates the stock of human capital among US adults. Beginning in 2015, the US Current Population Survey (CPS) added questions on certifications and licenses that could potentially be used to improve US reporting under ISCED. This paper explores how the series of questions on certifications and licenses in the CPS might be mapped into educational attainment to improve international comparisons.

Authors

• Rachel Dinkes, American Institutes for Research

• Sharon A. Boivin, National Center for Education Statistics

• Melissa Kay Diliberti, American Institutes for Research