About Us
Workforce Transformation
The National Accreditation Commission's mission is to use data-driven insights and cross-sector collaborations to enhance the quality, relevance, and impact of noncredit workforce development programs and credentials needed for the future of work.
Our Vision
NAC is an emerging programmatic accrediting agency that seeks to leverage its uniquely drafted and workforce-focused accreditation and policy manuals, a consortium of workforce development experts, peer evaluators, education and training providers, and industry leaders to design and engineer an Accreditation Information Hub (AiHub). AiHub will utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to guide program development and assess alignment with market needs more effectively and expeditiously. AiHub will aggregate and integrate available program, federal, state, employer, and public achievement data to verify the validity and reliability of noncredit training programs. Furthermore, it ensures that acquired knowledge, skills, and conferred credentials remain interoperable, portable, and continuously validated.
Theory of Change
NAC is addressing a critical gap in the educational landscape by focusing on noncredit programs, which are essential for providing low-income learners with access to higher education and the potential for increased earnings. By leveraging advanced technologies, NAC's AiHub is poised to revolutionize program development and approval processes, enhancing the quality and transferability of noncredit education. This innovative approach not only aligns with labor market demands but also promises to improve outcomes for students, employers, and the public at large. However, the challenge remains significant, as traditional accreditation bodies have historically overlooked noncredit programs, despite their importance in opening doors to federal financial aid and Pell grants for those who need them most. NAC's commitment to cross-sector collaboration and workforce-focused standards is a commendable step towards filling this void and ensuring that noncredit education receives the recognition and support it deserves.
Scope
Scope: NAC accredits postsecondary noncredit and non-degree programs throughout the United States, including distance education and correspondence programs offered at those institutions.
General Eligibility: Accreditation applicants offering a NAC-accredited program should be accredited by a national institutional accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (ED). NAC also accredits organizational entities within larger programs that provide workforce development programs with clear objectives, such as (1) corporate training divisions and (2) workforce development programs departments/divisions of colleges and/or universities. These organizational entities may qualify for accreditation if they are separate units with distinct management, budgets, and clear accountability for the promotion and delivery of the education offered, including but not limited to enrollment, curriculum, faculty, student outcomes, and refunds, as applicable.
Programmatic Accreditation: NAC accredits programs that offer workforce development, apprenticeship, career and technical education, and adult education, including those that provide distance and correspondence education. This definition of workforce development programs has four main applications:
- to acquire new job skills,
- to obtain credentials that are required to advance in one’s career,
- to qualify for licensure, re-licensure, and certification, and
- to pursue personal development through avocational professional development activities.
The primary purpose of a workforce development program, regardless of its form or size, is to provide new knowledge, insights, and skills for adults. Within this context, NAC accredits programs that:
- provide workforce development programs for professional, vocational, and leadership training;
- personal and occupational development in volunteer service, apprenticeship, work-based, or paid employment; and,
- preparation for licensing, certification, or admissions examinations.
NAC grants program accreditation to programs operated by institutions, organizations or divisions of organizations whose main function is for educational purposes. NAC-accredited programs are located in the United States and abroad. Organizations that are typically eligible for accreditation include:
- Community Colleges, Universities, and private career colleges and schools
- Organizations that offer workforce training programs
- Workforce development programs departments/divisions in corporations
- Trade and professional associations
- Social service, volunteer, and personal development organizations
Like other programmatic accrediting agencies, NAC does not grant academic credit or any other unit of educational measurement. Academic credit can be granted only by programs licensed or chartered to do so by federal or state governments. Additionally, the transferability of academic credit between programs is at the sole discretion of those programs directly involved.