As policymakers look to build a more responsive and inclusive skills system, there is one opportunity we cannot afford to overlook: digital badges, says Rebecca Garrod-Waters, CEO Ufi VocTech Trust. These simple, verifiable tools are already helping learners and workers make their skills visible - especially the kinds of transferable, work-ready capabilities that employers consistently say they need, but struggle to find.
The UK is grappling with deep skills shortages across sectors, from construction to care, green industries to digital. At the same time, thousands of people - especially young people - are gaining valuable skills every day through placements, projects, technical education, and life experience. But these skills are often not formally recognised. They don’t show up on a CV, and they’re not captured by traditional qualifications. Digital badges offer a practical, scalable way to close this gap. A badge is more than a symbol - it’s a digital, portable record of achievement. It captures not just what someone knows, but what they can do. For example, a badge might demonstrate someone’s ability to collaborate in a team, communicate with stakeholders, or manage a real-world project.
And these badges can be verified and shared - on portfolios, job applications and learning records. This approach aligns strongly with what the UK needs from its post-16 education system: more flexibility, more inclusivity, and clearer routes into skilled employment. It supports the goals set out in the government’s ambitions for a high-quality, employer-responsive skills system, as well as the Lifelong Learning Entitlement. If implemented well, digital badges could complement qualifications, support local skills improvement plans, and strengthen the links between education and work.
At the UK Digital Badging Commission, we’ve seen first-hand how badges are already working in practice. Colleges are using them . Employers are beginning to issue their own badges for in-house training or onboarding programmes. In both cases, the impact is clear: badges improve visibility, motivation and engagement. Learners feel more confident articulating their achievements. Employers can identify the skills they need more easily. This is not a new or untested idea. Ufi VocTech Trust has been a long-standing champion of digital badging and their potential to support adult learners. Beyond our leadership of the Digital Badging Commission, examples of our support include iDEA (Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award) and Credwriter - developing a fully automated badge writing tool. These projects have shown that digital badges can drive real change in how learning is recognized and valued by employers and society.
But if digital badging is to achieve its potential, we need a clear, coordinated strategy to support it. That includes national standards for badge design, consistent quality assurance, and a trusted digital infrastructure. Without this, we risk fragmentation, where badges vary in meaning and recognition. By recognising badges in public employment and education programmes, embedding them into technical qualifications and careers guidance, and supporting employer uptake, government can help ensure badges are trusted and widely understood. For people who may not thrive in traditional academic pathways, badges offer a way to gain recognition for real achievements. For employers, they offer a clearer line of sight to talent - particularly in communities often overlooked by current recruitment practices.
This is not about replacing qualifications or creating parallel systems. It’s about strengthening what we already have - adding clarity and currency to the skills people gain throughout their lives. It’s also about levelling the playing field.
What’s needed now is leadership and implementation of a system that works across all nations, sectors and skills levels. Let’s ensure that the skills people build - in education, in work, and in life - don’t remain invisible. Let’s give them the recognition they deserve. And let’s make digital badging a central part of the UK’s future skills strategy. The Digital Badging Commission (led in partnership by Ufi VocTech Trust and the RSA) will launch their recommendations “From Skills to Growth: A Plan for Digital Badging in the UK” on 13 October 2025. For details, visit www.badgingcommission.org.
Written by
Rebecca Garrod-Waters, CEO Ufi VocTech Trust, Co-Chair UK Digital Badging Commission, Trustee Edge Foundation