Why It Matters
Two Utah congressmen introduced legislation aimed at overhauling the nation’s workforce infrastructure by creating state-run digital platforms that match workers to jobs based on verified skills and credentials rather than traditional resumes. The measure would authorize states to build talent marketplaces that emphasize demonstrated competencies over formal degrees, a shift proponents say could expand employment opportunities and improve hiring efficiency.
What Happened
Representatives Blake Moore and Burgess Owens introduced the Modernizing Access to Talents, Credentials, and Hiring Act of 2026 on April 10. The legislation authorizes states to develop digital platforms that connect workers with jobs and training programs by verifying skills, credentials, and work experience. The bill would support portable learning records that allow workers to carry verified credentials across employers and state lines.
Under the proposal, states would establish credential registries defining what degrees, certificates, and training programs represent in terms of actual skills. The measure creates a Workforce Data Quality Initiative grant program using existing funds from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to help states build and improve workforce data systems.
By the Numbers
The legislation would use existing WIOA appropriations rather than creating new spending authority. It focuses on interoperability standards to ensure systems function across state lines. The bill requires states to provide workforce information through searchable public websites. States would maintain credential registries cataloging degrees, certificates, and training programs. The measure emphasizes portable records that workers control across multiple employers.
What They’re Saying
Moore said the current workforce system relies on degrees and resumes that often fail to capture actual skills and experience. He argued verified credentials would increase opportunities for both workers and employers by matching talent to jobs based on proven competencies rather than paperwork.
Owens framed the legislation as restoring the promise that education and hard work lead to meaningful employment. He said the bill ensures every achievement is valued and creates opportunities beyond what appears on a resume.
House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg said the measure addresses the gap between employers struggling to find qualified candidates and job seekers unable to effectively demonstrate their abilities. He noted valuable skills are gained through multiple pathways beyond traditional degrees.
Zoom Out
The legislation enters broader national discussions about credential recognition and skills-based hiring as alternatives to degree requirements. Several states have moved to eliminate bachelor’s degree mandates for certain government positions, focusing instead on demonstrated competencies. Private sector employers have similarly begun piloting skills-based hiring programs to expand talent pools.
The push for portable credentials and interoperable systems reflects concerns about worker mobility in an economy where career changes and geographic relocation are increasingly common. Advocates argue centralized verification systems reduce duplicative credentialing processes and help workers translate experience gained in one context to opportunities in another.
What’s Next
The bill now moves to the House Education and Workforce Committee for consideration. If advanced, the measure would require passage in both chambers before reaching the president. Implementation would depend on state participation, as the legislation authorizes rather than mandates the creation of talent marketplaces and credential registries.