Employers New Currency: Digital Badges and Micro Certifications

This volume of ReportOUT focuses on the accelerating adoption of digital badges and micro certifications and its impact on employers and prospective employees. But the long view of education and the dilution of undergraduate degrees, argues for a significant increase in the use of micro-certifications in technical and soft skills. It’s not that the “non-degree” credentials are rare; more than a quarter of the employed U.S. population holds a license or certification, on top of any degrees they may hold. Certifications can be precisely tuned to industry needs, and they hold the promise of reducing the need for employers to rely on imperfect proxies, like college degrees. In certain occupations, certifications outline career ladders that define industries and give employers and job seekers alike guidance about what skills are necessary to advance. Those occupations, however, are the exception, and if the nation is to close the skills gap, perhaps they should become the norm.