Over the past three years, licensure and credentialing have undergone a quiet but profound transformation. What once functioned primarily as a gatekeeping mechanism — signaling eligibility or compliance — has evolved into something far more dynamic: a stabilizing force in an increasingly volatile education and workforce landscape. 

The ETS Human Progress Report, now in its third year, offers a rare longitudinal view into how people around the world experience and value credentials. Taken together, the data from 2024, 2025 and 2026 tells a clear story. Licensure and credentialing have shifted from static checkpoints to living proof — essential not only for entry into professions, but for ongoing relevance, mobility and confidence in a world shaped by rapid change. 

In 2024, credentialing entered the Human Progress conversation primarily as an aspiration. People recognized the importance of proof — proof of skills, proof of learning, proof of readiness — but access remained uneven and often unclear. 

Licensure and credentials were still closely associated with formal education and regulated professions. At the same time, there was growing global belief that traditional degrees alone were no longer sufficient to signal job readiness. The data revealed strong interest in nontraditional credentials, including certifications and microcredentials, alongside rising skepticism about whether existing systems measured what truly mattered. 

Crucially, 2024 surfaced a tension that would define the years ahead: people wanted credentials that reflected real world competence, but they lacked clarity about which credentials were trusted, valued or worth the investment. Licensure signaled legitimacy —but not always opportunity. 

At this stage, credentialing was seen as important, but largely external to individuals’ sense of agency. It was something people pursued to meet requirements, not yet something they used to actively navigate change.

By 2025, the role of credentialing sharpened. The data showed that credentials — both licensure and skills based certifications — were no longer peripheral to career advancement. They were becoming a form of evidential currency. 

This was the year credentialing crossed a psychological threshold. A strong majority of people globally reported that certifying their skills improved their chances of securing better or higher paying jobs. Skills credentials began to approach parity with degrees, and employers increasingly aligned around skills based hiring practices. 

Licensure and credentialing also emerged as a lever for equity. Those who held credentials — especially when combined with formal education — reported lower barriers to advancement, even among groups that historically faced systemic obstacles, including women, rural workers and people with disabilities. 

At the same time, a new anxiety took hold. As technological change accelerated, so did the fear of becoming obsolete. Credentials became a way to combat that fear. They offered proof in a market where job titles changed quickly and experience alone no longer guaranteed relevance. 

Still, challenges persisted. While interest in credentials surged, understanding did not. Many people reported uncertainty about how their skills compared to others in their field, reinforcing demand for standardized, trusted and portable forms of credentialing.

In 2026, licensure and credentialing moved from signal to infrastructure. 

The data no longer frames credentials as optional enhancements. Instead, they appear as a core mechanism through which people attempt to stabilize their careers amid continuous disruption. A strong majority of workers now say credentials are essential for career survival as skills evolve faster than roles can be defined. 

What changed most dramatically in 2026 is the relationship between credentials and adaptability. Workers increasingly define job security not by tenure, but by their ability to continuously update and validate their skills. Licensure and credentialing provide the mechanism for doing so — turning learning into recognized progress. 

Yet this year also exposed a structural gap. While interest in credentialing is high, access is not. A significant share of workers report wanting credentials but lacking affordable, credible, or available pathways to earn them. Cost, uncertainty about which credentials employers value, and lack of institutional support all slow adoption. 

At the same time, expectations have shifted. Workers now look to employers, governments and educational institutions not just to offer credentials, but to guide them — helping individuals understand which licenses and certifications matter, how to obtain them, and how they connect to real opportunity.

Across all three years, AI has acted as an accelerant — but by 2026, its impact on credentialing is unmistakable. 

As AI becomes embedded in daily work, workers increasingly want formal ways to verify AI literacy and related competencies. The data shows a growing gap between the importance of AI skills and confidence in possessing them. Licensure and certification are emerging as the preferred way to close that gap. 

This has profound implications. Workers who can document AI related skills are significantly more optimistic about their futures. Those who cannot feel mounting pressure. In this context, credentialing does more than validate skills — it shapes confidence, opportunity and momentum. 

AI has not diminished the value of licensure. It has expanded it.

Looking across the data, three conclusions stand out:

1. Licensure and credentialing are no longer endpoints. They are ongoing tools for navigating change.
2. Proof matters as much as learning itself. In volatile markets, validated skills reduce uncertainty for individuals and employers alike.
3. Access is now the defining challenge. Demand for credentials is high; systems must catch up.

Human progress, as measured over three years, shows steady improvement — but that progress depends increasingly on whether people can access trusted, meaningful ways to prove what they know and can do.

The future of opportunity will belong to those who can adapt. The future of systems —education, workforce and policy — will depend on whether licensure and credentialing evolve fast enough to support them.

To find out more about licensure and credentialing in 2026, download the latest ETS Human Progress Report.