CREATES Act

The bill, known as the CREATES Act, directs the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, to establish a competitive grant program for States. These grants, awarded for a period of three years and not exceeding $10,000,000, are intended to help States establish, expand, or improve a State credential repository. The amount of each grant will consider the number of credentials and training providers within the State.

The primary purpose of these repositories is to collect, develop, analyze, and share information on all credentials offered in a State, their quality, and the education and career pathways they support. States receiving grants must ensure their repositories are publicly accessible, continuously updated, and interoperable with other State repositories. Mandatory uses of funds include establishing a data policy, assisting training providers with performance indicator collection, and guiding counselors on repository use, all while ensuring no personally identifiable information is collected.

Each credential repository must identify all credentials and training providers in the State and include detailed information such as:

• process and outcome quality indicators for training providers
• competencies and skills developed by programs
• cost of enrollment and assessments
• postsecondary credit transfer value recommendations
• career pathways and associated outcomes, including earning and employment status

This comprehensive data aims to provide transparency and enable individuals to make well-informed choices regarding their education and career paths.