Partnerships in workforce education are messy. One apprenticeship program might involve several colleges, a handful of employers, and a couple of state agencies. Each group tracks hours, progress, and sign-offs in their own way, so data gets scattered. The result? Learners lose credit, admins drown in manual reconciliation, and everyone worries about failing audits.
Old-school tracking—think spreadsheets, emails, and paper—just can’t keep up. When data is siloed, programs waste time, learners repeat work, and compliance headaches multiply. The solution? Portable learning records that follow the learner, not the institution.
Why Data Portability Matters
For Learners: No more wondering if a shift “counted.” Progress, feedback, and next steps are all in one spot, so learners see where they stand and what’s next.
For Employers: Immediate access to verified skills and evaluations means faster onboarding and less risk. Supervisors can quickly approve or return activities, making training more connected to real job readiness.
For Education Providers: Standard rubrics and mapped competencies make audits and accreditation easier. No more hunting for scattered documentation or managing placements by hand.
For State Agencies: Real-time, cross-provider analytics help align training with demand and support smarter funding and policy decisions—without sacrificing privacy.
Privacy-First, Always
Privacy isn’t optional. Craft Connect is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant, sharing only what’s needed—competency status, hours, sign-offs, rubric results, and analytics—while protecting everything else. Role-based permissions control who sees what, and every action is time-stamped for audit trails. Data stays encrypted, and consent is always tracked.
This setup means agencies, schools, and employers can work together securely, meeting DOL, WIOA, and accreditation standards.
How Collaboration Gets Easier
Unified tracking makes a real difference. In Michigan, programs using Craft Connect’s real-time tracking hit a 98% completion rate (54 of 55 apprentices) and unlocked $78M in state funding, putting 225 new teachers in classrooms.
What works?
- Standardize competencies: Tag every activity to a competency so daily work maps to outcomes.
- Automate compliance: AutoReg generates required forms, tracks hours, and exports audit-ready packets—no scrambling needed.
- Build feedback loops: Rubric-based coaching between learners and evaluators speeds up sign-offs and improves evidence quality.
Avoid pitfalls like untagged evidence (fix by requiring competency tags), duplicate entry (fix by using one system), and loose permissions (fix with strict role scopes).
Measuring the Impact
- Admin time saved: Programs regularly save 10+ hours per apprentice with automated forms, evaluations, and exports.
- Learner success: Clear progress tracking and mobile submissions help programs reach 95%+ completion rates, compared to the industry’s 50-60%. Learners get job-ready faster.
- Strategic insights: Cohort-level analytics show what’s working by region or provider, so agencies can scale what works.
Quick win: Start with a pilot—one cohort, two employers, one RTI site. Use standard rubrics and cohort tags. In 60–90 days, compare reconciliation time, audit fails, and wage-step progress.
The Future: Systems That Work for People
Craft’s vision is simple: Make job-based learning the norm, not the exception. With portable, privacy-conscious learning records, workforce education finally gets measurable, scalable, and collaborative.
Curious how Craft Connect can simplify your workflow? Schedule a demo and experience the difference for yourself.
Systems should work for the people moving through them—not the other way around.
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