Authors & Gratitude
This paper was primarily authored by Mason Pashia of Getting Smart and Meghan Raftery of Education Design Lab and couldn’t have been done without the support of numerous partners in the field.
The production of this publication was made possible with generous support by Britebound.
At-A-Glance Summary
The report addresses a critical “experience gap” in the talent market, where employers demand validated work experience for entry-level roles, but traditional documents like resumes and transcripts fail to capture a learner’s full capabilities. The solution proposed is a new, shared Common Language of Experience—a robust, interoperable framework for evaluating, designing, and articulating experience value across any context. This framework is built on three core anchors—Autonomy, Complexity, and Contribution—each of which is measured across a 3-level progression (Follow, Assist, Apply).
In addition, the framework can be implemented in three discrete ways: Evaluation, Design, and Storytelling. When done well, these efforts are aligned and empower learners by validating their experiences and building their confidence. The result is a trusted, high-fidelity talent signal that helps learners understand who they are and what they’re good at, and helps employers move forward with confidence with a digital records infrastructure.
Overview: The Structural Failure
We’re facing a persistent and structural “experience gap”. This gap represents a fundamental market failure: employers increasingly demand candidates with relevant, validated work experience for entry-level roles, yet a systemic chicken-and-egg dilemma prevents learners and job-seekers from gaining and/or communicating this experience. This disconnect is amplified by the rise of skills-based hiring and a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world, rendering traditional signals of capability—resumes and academic transcripts—inadequate. These static documents are often inaccurate and rarely capture both valuable learning experiences and the full breadth of what a learner knows and can do, failing to provide the trusted, contextual evidence employers now require.
Beyond this challenge, too many learners graduate from high school without a clear sense of direction and, more specifically, without support in connecting their strengths to the needs of the world and the market.
This report argues that the solution is not merely new technology, but the establishment of a new, shared Common Language of Experience. This language, or framework, provides a robust, trusted, and interoperable method for evaluating, designing, and articulating the value of experiences had and skills developed in any context, from a formal internship to a client-connected project or volunteerism.
Drawing upon foundational research from the Education Design Lab, Getting Smart, the SFIA Foundation, and the Institute for Working Futures, this report synthesizes a model of progressive responsibility and capability. This framework is anchored by three core anchors to describe the context of an experience:
- Autonomy: the agency to act
- Complexity: the nature of the challenge
- Contribution: the level of participation and impact on outcomes
Each of these three anchors can be evaluated across a 3-level progression, allowing for a nuanced and context-rich assessment of any experience:
- Level 1 (Follow)
- Level 2 (Assist)
- Level 3 (Apply)
In addition, this report demonstrates how this framework moves beyond failed proficiency or career-ladder models by focusing on how the context of skill application changes and deepens over time. We present a practical, three-layer implementation model for employers and educators:
- The Evaluation Layer: Using the framework as a common rubric for reflecting on and assessing experiences.
- The Design Layer: Using the framework as a shared blueprint for co-designing high-impact and real-world learning experiences.
- The Storytelling Layer: Using the framework as narrative scaffolding to empower learners to better understand themselves and articulate their value.
By applying this model, we create a critical, causal chain: structured validation empowers learners, demonstrably increasing their confidence and self-efficacy, which in turn equips them to provide the accurate, high-fidelity talent signals that employers crave.
This model only works if the infrastructure for digital records is built and adopted at the same time. This ecosystem of digital solutions functions as a network of trust, using digital wallets and AI-powered validation to create a portable, verifiable, and equitable record of human capability. It requires a deliberate commitment to three strategic expansions: expanding access (ensuring the system works for all learners, especially those on the margins), expanding experiences (viewing experiences as a core component of verifying skills), and expanding value (ensuring the new credentials and records are valued by both learners and the workforce). This system closes the experience gap, providing a more efficient, transparent, and mobile talent market for all.
The Core Framework: A Shared Lexicon
Before engaging, all stakeholders must understand the language. This understanding is built upon three fundamental anchors (Autonomy, Complexity and Contribution) that can be used to design, evaluate or describe any role, project, or experience, synthesizing the frameworks presented in the source materials into one unified model that extends from K-Gray. Within these anchors, increased proficiency isn’t always better. While these three anchors evolve across time and experiences, each of them has their time, place, and value.
The Three Anchors of Experience:
- Anchor 1 (Autonomy): The level of independence, discretion, and supervision required.
- Anchor 2 (Complexity): The intricacy, novelty, transferability and ambiguity of the challenge.
- Anchor 3 (Contribution): The ability to mobilize others and impact outcomes.
The framework’s true value is in its application. By using the three anchors and the accompanying 3-level progression, stakeholders can universally describe, validate, and communicate the value of all types of experience.
We propose a 3-Level Progression rooted in the first stages of the SFIA framework and Human Capability Standards, two frameworks that move beyond static proficiency and instead measure the context of the experience (i.e., in what capacity, to what degree, in what sector, etc.).
The three levels below correspond to SFIA Levels 1-3 (Follow, Assist, Apply). The SFIA framework extends to Level 7 for senior leadership roles; this framework focuses on Levels 1-3 to address the entry-to-mid-career experience gap while remaining compatible with SFIA for continued growth and workforce development.
The Progression of Experience:
- Level 1 (Follow): Performs routine tasks under close supervision. Focus is on following instruction.
- Level 2 (Assist): Works under routine supervision; uses discretion to solve routine problems. Focus is on independence.
- Level 3 (Apply): Works under general direction; manages own work and solves complex problems. Focus is on ownership.
| Category / Dimension | Level 1 (Follow) | Level 2 (Assist) | Level 3 (Apply) |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXPERIENCE Whether an internship, a client project, a self-directed learning experience, service learning, etc. | Performs routine tasks under close supervision, follows instructions, and requires guidance to complete their work. Learns and applies basic skills and knowledge. | Provides assistance to others, works under routine supervision, and uses their discretion to address routine problems. Actively learns through training and on-the-job experiences. | Performs varied tasks, sometimes complex and non-routine, using standard methods and procedures. Works under general direction, exercises discretion, and manages own work within deadlines. Proactively enhances skills and impact in the workplace. |
