Workforce development is a profession built on skills—and credentials are a powerful way to validate those skills, support career mobility, and strengthen the workforce system as a whole. This workshop uses a career pathways framework to help workforce professionals understand how industry-recognized credentials align with progressive roles, responsibilities, and competencies across the field. The session will focus on skills validation—how competencies gained through education, training, and on-the-job experience can be assessed, documented, and leveraged to advance along a professional career pathway. Through guided discussion and practical examples, attendees will learn how to identify their current skill level, map credentials to short- and long-term career goals, and use portable credentials to support advancement within the workforce system. The workshop will also highlight how competency-based credentials can enhance professional credibility, improve service delivery, and create clearer talent pipelines for workforce organizations.