A certificate and a project record answer different questions. A certificate may show that a recognised requirement was completed. A capability ledger shows what a learner says they built, the decisions they made and the evidence they choose to share. Neither automatically validates the other.
The New York Fed's current US data shows a difficult transition for many recent college graduates, but it does not show that credentials have become worthless or that a portfolio guarantees work. A project record is best positioned as complementary evidence: useful context for a conversation, not a replacement qualification.
A careful ledger entry records the goal, the learner's own contribution, what AI helped produce, what changed after testing and a private-by-default artifact or link. ReInvent U calls an entry verified only when its stated evidence checks out; it does not claim employer, school or accreditation-body recognition that has not been earned.
The next step, if you want it: a free family assessment — about 3 minutes, one named profile, every source linked.