Learning and Employment Records are digital badges or credentials that can be issued to individuals by organizations to recognize achievements, confirm key pieces of information, or certify competencies related to education, skills, work qualifications, and more. Examples include:
Credentials associated with learning, employment, or employment qualifications are known as Learning and Employment Records. They can be issued to individuals in a collection of data formats that make them verifiable, portable, and controlled by individuals in a decentralized manner. The United States spends trillions of dollars on training and education annually. Capturing the results of that training and education at the individual level is a key initiative to minimize skills gaps, recognize talent, and get the right talent into the right jobs for our economy to grow.
Employers have long struggled to trust the accuracy of resumes, a challenge that has intensified with the growing use of AI-powered resume-building tools. These trust issues extend beyond resumes, as AI is increasingly used to impersonate individuals on social media, conduct sophisticated fraud, and assist job seekers in remote interviews. To address these challenges, verifiable credentials are emerging as a solution to ensure authenticity, empower job seekers to present themselves effectively, and help employers assess the reliability of information in resumes and talent marketplaces.
Traditional trust anchors, such as driver’s licenses, professional certifications, transcripts, and skill validations, are rapidly being digitized into verifiable formats. This shift is reshaping education and hiring systems, profoundly impacting how individuals and organizations manage credentials. For more insights into the Learning and Employment Record (LER) ecosystem, refer to our ecosystem map and report.
Platforms like SmartResume enable individuals to compile their verifiable credentials, building a comprehensive record of lifelong learning and career achievements. SmartResumes eliminate the need for arbitrary page limits, presenting concise, top-level information for human review while offering deeper layers for detailed inspection. These resumes also include machine-readable data, clearly distinguishing verified claims from self-attested information, enabling seamless integration with modern hiring and education platforms.
Technologies within the LER ecosystem will accelerate hiring processes, enhance hiring decisions, and support talent management. Job seekers will gain greater control over their data, leveraging personal AI agents to streamline job applications, interact with HR systems, and efficiently address skill gaps.
The transformative potential of these technologies goes far beyond simplifying job applications or streamlining HR processes—it redefine trust in the modern workforce. By enabling individuals to showcase their verified skills and achievements transparently, these tools empower job seekers to stand out in a crowded marketplace, while giving employers the confidence to make data-driven hiring decisions. The result is a more equitable, efficient, and dynamic labor market where unparalleled precision matches opportunities to talent. As this ecosystem continues to evolve, it will foster innovation, drive economic growth, and create a future where every individual’s unique journey of learning and work is fully recognized and valued.
If you would like to learn more about the Learning and Employment Record Ecosystem, and its enormous potential to drive positive social and economic outcomes for all Americans, please email hello@smartresume.com.
