Where the Field
Comes Together
Advancing Quality
through Practice
At the Intersection
of Learning & Work
Advancing Skills, Learning, and Opportunity—Together
CBExchange by C-BEN is the premier convening for leaders committed to transforming learning and work—wherever learning happens and however skills are developed, recognized, and applied.
As education and workforce systems continue to evolve, CBExchange is where educators, employers, policymakers, and innovators come together to make sense of change, share what’s working, and build what’s next. The conference creates space for thoughtful dialogue, practical strategy, and collaboration across sectors to strengthen skills-based and competency-driven systems.
A Place to Learn, Connect, and Move Forward
Whether you are launching, refining, or scaling a competency-based or skills-first approach, CBExchange offers an environment designed for growth. Through expert-led sessions, hands-on workshops, and facilitated discussions, participants gain actionable insights, build lasting relationships, and deepen their capacity to lead change within their organizations and systems.
CBExchange is intentionally designed to support both strategic reflection and practical application—helping participants leave with clarity, confidence, and concrete next steps.
A Cross-Sector Community, United by Purpose
What makes CBExchange unique is the breadth and diversity of its participants. Attendees include leaders and practitioners from postsecondary education, workforce development, K-12, curriculum and learning design, research, accreditation, healthcare, and employer organizations from across the globe.
At a time when collaboration matters more than ever, CBExchange provides a shared space to explore challenges, test ideas, and shape the future of learning and work—together, with intention and purpose.
Powered by C-BEN
Curated and led by the C-BEN team, CBExchange reflects C-BEN’s role as a bridge between education and workforce systems. Grounded in research, practice, and partnership, the conference advances competency-based education and skills-first approaches that expand opportunity and improve outcomes for learners and employers alike.
Join us at CBExchange 2026 and be part of a growing movement connecting learning to opportunity.
2026 Session Themes
Credit for Competency & Learning Recognition
Making learning count—wherever it happens
This track explores how organizations are recognizing, assessing, and translating learning from work, military service, community experience, prior education, and training into academic credit, credentials, and career mobility.
Topics may include:
- Credit for prior learning and competency-based credit models
- Assessment design and validation of learning outcomes
- Faculty leadership and governance in learning recognition
- Access and learner navigation
- Scaling recognition practices with integrity
Designing & Implementing Competency-Based Education
From concept to practice
This track focuses on the design, launch, and continuous improvement of competency-based education models across disciplines and credentials.
Topics may include:
- Program and curriculum design grounded in competencies
- Instructional models and learning experiences
- Assessment strategies and evidence of learning
- Faculty roles, development, and workload
- Technology, data, and systems to support CBE
Quality, Trust & Continuous Improvement
Advancing innovation with credibility
Quality and trust are foundational to sustainable systems change. This track highlights how organizations are ensuring rigor, transparency, and continuous improvement while innovating.
Topics may include:
- Quality assurance frameworks and evidence
- Accreditation, regulation, and compliance considerations
- Assessment validity and reliability
- Communicating quality to learners, employers, and policymakers
- Building trust across institutions and sectors
Work-Embedded Learning & Employer Partnership
Where learning and work reinforce one another
This track centers on models that integrate learning into the flow of work, creating value for learners, employers, and institutions alike.
Topics may include:
- Work-embedded and work-based learning models
- Employer-aligned competencies and curriculum
- Apprenticeship and earn-and-learn pathways
- Partnerships with healthcare, industry, and public sector employers
- Measuring outcomes for learners and organizations
Skills-First Talent Systems & Infrastructure
Building the connective tissue
This track examines the systems, tools, and standards that enable skills-based practices at scale across education, workforce, and talent marketplaces.
Topics may include:
- Competency frameworks and skills taxonomies
- Credential transparency and interoperability
- Talent marketplaces and skills signaling
- Data standards, digital credentials, and portability
- Aligning education outcomes with workforce demand
Policy, Systems & Scaling Impact
Creating conditions for change
Sustainable transformation requires enabling policy and system-level alignment. This track explores how states, systems, and intermediaries are supporting scale without sacrificing quality.
Topics may include:
- State and system policy approaches
- Funding, incentives, and accountability models
- Cross-agency collaboration
- Role of intermediaries and associations
- Lessons from scaling pilots to statewide or systemwide efforts
CBExchange call for proposals closed March 31, 2026.
Full Agenda to be announced in August.