The 2026–2027 Credentials of Value List Has Been Released: What Schools Should Know
By Kimba Rund Indiana has officially released the updated 2026–2027 High School Credentials of Value (CoV) List, along with additional implementation guidance connected to the state’s redesigned diploma requirements. While many of the overall structures remain the same, this year’s release includes several important updates designed to improve clarity, organization, and long-term planning for schools. […]
From Compliance to Clarity: Rethinking Career Readiness Data
By Brennan Martin Schools are collecting more career readiness data than ever before—tracking participation hours, logging work-based learning experiences, and meeting state reporting requirements. But a critical question remains: Is this data actually improving student outcomes? Too often, the answer is no. Despite the volume of information collected, many schools still lack clear insight into […]
Credentials of Value: What It Looks Like in Practice
By Kimba Rund Over the last couple of years, one thing has become very clear: implementing Credentials of Value is complex. Schools are working through a lot of moving pieces, and much of the clarity only emerges when building real student plans. Part of that is because this is still relatively new. Indiana’s official Credential […]
Beyond the Checklist: Building a Sustainable, Data-Driven Career Coaching Journey
by Eric Davis & Brady Kalb Across Indiana, career readiness is often delivered through isolated experiences: a career fair in the fall, a guest speaker in the spring, a short-term job shadow. These events create exposure—but they do not always create sustained direction. Students may briefly engage, but without continuity, those experiences rarely compound into […]
Why Indiana Schools Are Choosing Career+ Pathways™ for Next-Gen Career Readiness
Why Indiana Schools Are Choosing Career+ Pathways™ for Next-Gen Career Readiness By Brennan Martin • Co-author: Katarina Webb Indiana schools are under increasing pressure to deliver measurable career outcomes — not just exposure. According to national workforce research, students who participate in structured career pathways and work-based learning are significantly more likely to graduate, persist […]
Scaling Career Coaching at Statewide Speed: How Skyepack Is Powering Indiana’s Work-Based Learning Future
By Eric Elming, VP of Growth Indiana is moving fast and so is Skyepack This year marks a defining moment for Skyepack and for career-connected learning across the state of Indiana. Through six awarded Career Coaching and Navigation grants, Career+ Pathways™ by Skyepack, is expanding from 18 schools to more than 130 statewide. In less […]
How Microcredentials Turn Engagement into Career Readiness
By Nisa Gül • Co-Author: Katarina Webb & Bailey Grams Student engagement is often treated as the end goal. If students are participating, clicking through lessons, or showing up to experiences, the work is considered successful. But engagement alone is not enough. What matters is whether that engagement leads into clearer decisions, stronger skills, and […]
Confidence as an Outcome — How Hands-On Practice Shifts Student Self-Perception
By Nisa Gül · Co-author: Katarina Webb A student arrives at a half-day Skills Bootcamp unsure if a certain career is the right “fit” for them. They try a short, guided task, get immediate feedback from an employer, and leave saying the work felt do-able—and that they want to try something related next. Career+ Pathways™ […]
Hero Spotlight: Jason Padgett — Helping Students Use AI as a Human-Centered Tool
By Nisanur Gül When students in Greater Lafayette step into Career+ Pathways™ experiences that involve artificial intelligence, healthcare, and marketing, there’s a good chance they’ll meet Jason Padgett. Jason bridges two worlds that don’t always overlap: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and community health on one side, and emerging AI tools on the other. As a […]
Hero Spotlight: Kara Webb — The Connector-in-Chief Behind Greater Lafayette’s Talent Engine
When you ask employers across Greater Lafayette how the region keeps producing talent for advanced manufacturing, healthcare, chemicals, logistics, and (increasingly) semiconductors, one name surfaces again and again: Kara Webb. Today, Kara serves as Director of Workforce Development at Greater Lafayette Commerce. Her remit is deceptively simple: pull employers, schools, higher ed, and workforce partners […]
