Relevance and transferability of skills
Demand for digital badges is experiencing rapid growth. According to the ‘Open Badge Count” report’* released in February 2023, the global use of digital badges has surged by 73 percent since 2020. Although specific figures for Australia are currently unavailable, it is probable the adoption of digital badges reflects the global trend.
Digital badges are particularly well-suited for microcredentials and shorter vocational training. These serve as online credentials that signify a learner’s accomplishments in a course or program, providing benefits to students, trainers, and employers. Students can showcase their skills, trainers can validate program quality, and employers can efficiently evaluate skills and qualifications. In the future, digital badges will become commonplace in job applications and included in digital resumes or portfolios.
Notably, the DSO Pilots with DESBT, Canberra Cyber Hub, and the Digital Confidence for Government Executive program, each offer digital badges, allowing participants to showcase their newly acquired skills by displaying their badges on LinkedIn.
Digital badges offer a promising solution to the challenges of assurance and presentation of credentials and skills recognition, through developing common standards, promoting recognition, and providing secure platforms. This benefits lifelong learning, skill development, and employability.
*Published by 1EdTech, a non-profit community of leading educational providers and Credential Engine, a centralised credential registry. A copy of the report is here.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in the use of digital badges and were pleased to work on a pilot with the DSO. Digital badging provides a convenient way for individuals to showcase their skills and achievements to potential employers and the broader community. It also increases recognition, credibility, and validation of an individual’s skills and accomplishments.”
Anatoli Kovalev
VP, Akkodis Academy Australia
“As the first Australian Digital Credentialing Agency, we are delighted to work with the DSO across digital credentialing strategies. As the only Australian provider to take part in the ‘Open Badge Count’, we agree that this need for credentials is growing globally, and specifically within the Australasian region. The future of life-long learning and assisting in the learner-to-work transition relies on the development of metadata standards that are interoperable across ecosystems. This is critical to maintaining a trusted source of truth and is something that we have worked on closely with the DSO.”
Nicholas Alderdice
Founder, Learning Vault
