Hundreds of professionals gathered in Phoenix, Arizona, from November 17th to 20th for the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) Exchange 2025. This conference came at a pivotal time for both organizations and candidates, as credentialing has proven to be more important than ever.
For the credentialing sector, the challenge is to build programs that keep pace with a rapidly changing job market, validate the skills needed for the future, and maintain the integrity that makes credentials meaningful to employers and other stakeholders. These questions and more brought everyone to Arizona, home to Kryterion.
The industry recognizes that workers in a variety of industries increasingly need to update their skills. And, workers certainly agree about the benefits of credentialing. In fact, 91% of digital credential earners consider their credentials valuable, which mirrors the 68% of employers who prefer hiring candidates with both a degree and digital credentials.
Over the years, the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) Exchange has established itself as a major annual gathering for leaders in the credentialing space, with recent editions held in 2023 in Colorado Springs and 2024 in Miami Beach. Its mission is to bring together leaders across the credentialing ecosystem to exchange ideas, anticipate workforce trends, share rigorous best practices, and help professional and trade associations determine how best to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving workforce.
Kryterion, one of the conference’s sponsors, had a large presence at the event. One of the highlights was the insightful and timely presentation from Kryterion’s Chief Psychometric Officer, Leslie Thomas, and Jeanie Cole from Deloitte on AI and the Future of Work. This session drew on research from Deloitte’s 2025 Global Human Capital Trends Report to show how AI is impacting some of the job roles for which conference participants are offering education and credentials.
“Many assume AI’s disruption sits squarely in tech, but the data tells a different story. More than half of AI-related job postings last year came from industries outside of tech and computer science. The shift reaches healthcare, finance, logistics, and even the trades. Our challenge now is not to fear that change, but to prepare workers with skills that endure and credentials that keep pace,” said Leslie
Another session featured Patricia Young from Kryterion, Patricia Muenzen from ACT, and Aaron Stiner from CHC as they discussed running a credentialing program with a small team and a tight budget.
The conference also introduced the Future of Credentialing Summit, a full-day workshop for strategic leaders that brought in voices from outside the industry to talk about where work is headed. Covering a wide variety of tracks, participants reviewed some of the growing trends seen around micro-credentials and how they reflect industry requests for demonstrated skills.
As the industry moves forward, so too does Kryterion through new innovations and partnerships. Their recent sessions at the conference on AI and the future of assessment highlight the importance of staying ahead of trends. With their signature services like AI-assisted dual-camera proctoring and AI-enhanced exam development functionality, they provide the ideal foundation for modern certification.
Events of this caliber are vital for organizations seeking to remain at the forefront of credentialing trends. Beyond keeping companies current, they offer a strategic blueprint for process improvement, ensuring a seamless experience for employees, employers, and clients both now and in the future.