To implement Utah House Bill 260, which was signed into law last year and requires high schoolers to have a stackable credential in order to graduate, the Utah State Board of Education (SBE) is working with YouScience to deliver a First Credential Career Mapping Tool, according to a news release today. Built on the existing Brightpath platform, the system includes aptitude-based assessments to help students identify strengths, such as vocabulary and brainstorming, and connect those skills to credential pathways.
The news release said the tool will also connect with Utah education infrastructure, like the state system of higher education, the 16 colleges and universities that offer guaranteed acceptance through the Admit Utah program, and a master list of recognized credentials, which was also mandated by HB 260 and is currently in progress. With this information, the tool will connect students with scholarship opportunities and show how high school credentials translate into workforce and postsecondary settings.
“By creating a unified, longitudinal system, the state is ensuring students graduate not only with a diploma, but with verified credentials connected to real opportunity,” YouScience CEO Edson Barton said in a public statement.
In addition to sharing career-planning information with students, the platform will share aptitude assessment results and career-planning progress with families, and real-time data on compliance, use and tracking through district and state dashboards.
The First Credential project builds on an existing relationship between Utah schools and YouScience. According to its website, the company has administered industry-recognized certifications since 2006 and provided a common platform for finding career pathways since 2019, counting 3.5 million certifications and 117,000 student users in Utah to date.
According to the news release, the First Credential Career Mapping Tool builds on this foundation, expanding the platform’s use to reduce administrative burden and provide insights into student progress.
“By providing a statewide mapping tool to support the requirements of HB 260, we are helping students better align their education with high-demand career opportunities and strengthening the state’s workforce pipeline,” Jonathan Frey, Utah SBE career and technical education coordinator, said in a public statement.
