Skills Badges 101: Everything You Need to Know (Ultimate Guide)

Today, you can't always tell if someone really ‘knows their stuff’ straight away. Determining whether someone truly possesses a particular skill – or not – can be challenging.

You can ask them, but words often fall short of proving expertise.

That’s where skills badges come in. These expertise badges validate specific skills and technical abilities backed by actual skill assessments. Instead of guessing, badges offer a clear, visual proof of competence. Ready to see how they work and why they're essential? Let’s break it down.

What are skill badges?

A skill badge is a digital credential that verifies specific skills and technical skills through skill assessments. It goes beyond traditional learning, offering a more flexible way to showcase expertise. Skill badges have long become a must-have tool for proving your abilities – and for assessing those by employers and business partners.

Unlike traditional methods of demonstrating knowledge, such as certifications or degrees, digital badges for skills focus on:

granular abilities (technical skills like programming or machine learning)

soft skills (like problem-solving and teamwork)

Why is it worth leveraging skills badges?

Skill badges bring value to both – the organizations that issue them and the individuals who earn them. Here's a clear breakdown of how each side gains value.

For issuers: Strengthen the brand and engage learners

Issuing skill badges offers organizations a unique way to improve brand visibility and make it premium – all while keeping learners motivated and engaged.

Build brand visibility as recipients showcase badges on LinkedIn and other platforms, reaching potential employers and peers in the LinkedIn learning community.

Keep learners engaged by rewarding successful completion of skill assessments and online courses.

Offer a visual representation of achievement that enhances your organization's reputation.

Benefit from free branding when recipients add badges to their email signatures.

Reinforce your position as a leader in promoting lifelong and continuous learning.

For recipients: Showcase skills and advance careers

For recipients, LinkedIn skill badges provide verified proof of their abilities, helping them stand out to potential employers and advance in their careers.

Prove your specific skills with verified digital credentials that make you stand out in the job market.

Highlight your individual skills and abilities on your LinkedIn profile and skills page, attracting potential employers.

Get badges for learning new skills and completing challenges.

Demonstrate your expertise in areas like data analysis, technical skills, and other competencies developed through continuous learning.

Skill badge types and examples

Skill badge types are like skills – those are plenty of them! Read about them below in our sections.

01 Course completion badges

Course completion badges are awarded when an individual successfully finishes an educational course, such as those offered by LinkedIn Learning or Google.

These skills badges validate that the learner has absorbed the certification content and can demonstrate a certain level of expertise in a subject.

Typically, they are earned after completing a course or module, ranging from short workshops to programs lasting six months or more. These skill badges are valuable for showcasing commitment and continuous learning, and can often be added as skills badges LinkedIn to boost the results tab of one's profile.

02 Pro skills badges

Skill-specific badges focus on verifying an individual's proficiency in a particular area, such as coding, data analysis, or project management. They're usually earned after completing an exam or assessment focused on a particular skill.

So, why is issuing these skill badges valuable for those who hand them out? It’s straightforward – they highlight the effectiveness of training or educational programs.

When recipients use pro skills badges to advance their careers, it reflects well on the issuer. And if displayed professionally, they boost credibility and showcase the commitment to high-quality, relevant training.

Just look at the example. Here's a digital wallet created with Certifier that highlights the badges' specific skills. It’s customized to the particular program and provides a quick glimpse into the skills earned (not to mention that all these details are super easy to set up!).

03 Project-based badges

Project-based badges are all about showing off what the recipient can do, not just what they know. They're earned by completing real-world tasks or projects. Setting up a complex cloud infrastructure or designing a sleek, user-friendly website – these are the kinds of projects that test one's skills in a hands-on environment.

Such a type of skill badges can emphasize problem-solving skills or be a strong indicator of how well an individual can perform in real-world scenarios – which potential employers highly value.

04 Track or pathway completion badges

These types of skills badges represent the successful completion of a series of related courses or a comprehensive learning track, such as a leadership development program.

Unlike a single course completion badge, track badges indicate a more extensive commitment. For example, Google offers learning paths that culminate in a badge upon completing a set of courses on digital marketing.

They are ideal for showcasing a deeper level of mastery and are typically valued more highly by organizations and hiring managers because they reflect a broader range of skills and knowledge in specific areas.

05 Achievement or milestone badges

Achievement or milestone badges are awarded when learners reach significant milestones, such as earning multiple badges or demonstrating extensive experience in a particular domain.

These skills badges not only celebrate a learner's ongoing efforts and achievements but also encourage them to keep pushing forward in their learning journey.

These badges are often used in programs that encourage long-term engagement, such as multi-step leadership tracks or certifications that build over time. Milestone badges are valuable for demonstrating a sustained effort in self-improvement and skill development.

06 General digital skills badges

Digital skills badges are focused on validating technical expertise in modern, technology-driven fields.

These badges are typically awarded for mastery in areas like coding, cloud computing, or data analysis. Digital skills badges are essential for professionals in fields where demonstrating up-to-date technical skills is critical.

These skill badges stand out because they are often directly tied to current industry needs and are the proof of gaining current knowledge in rapidly evolving sectors.

07 Education skills badges

Education skills badges recognize achievements in educational settings, such as the completion of teaching certifications, classroom management skills, or even digital literacy. Educational skill badges are, of course, particularly valuable for educators who want to validate their expertise in the field of education.

Whether earned through formal training or by completing specific online courses, education skills badges show a commitment to lifelong learning.

Often, these badges are used by teachers, instructional designers, and trainers to demonstrate their competency in delivering quality education and adapting to new teaching technologies.

08 Digital badges for leadership skills

Digital badges for leadership skills are the ticket to showing off the ability to lead, whether that’s in a boardroom or on a project site. Earning these badges means the recipient demonstrated solid skills in managing teams, making strategic choices, and handling conflicts with finesse.

The recipient can, for example, complete a set of courses on Udemy that focus on effective communication, savvy decision-making, and leading with integrity. Once they nail these, they earn a badge that’s a visual token of their capabilities.

These skills badges are particularly valuable for those looking to climb the ladder into management positions, as they provide a clear visual representation of leadership capabilities that can be shared with potential employers as LinkedIn skills badges.

09 Digital badges employee skills

Digital badges employee skills can be awarded for obtaining specific workplace skills, such as communication, teamwork, or customer service – all of those that are essential for success in a corporate environment.

Unlike general educational badges, employee skills badges are often tailored to the company's needs and reflect the skills that directly impact job performance.

They serve as a tool for recognition and motivation, encouraging employees to continuously improve their competencies and contribute to the organization's overall success.

10 Expertise badges

Expertise badges validate an individual's deep knowledge in a particular subject or field. These badges go beyond just completing a course – they signify mastery in a specialized area, such as cybersecurity, data analysis, or a niche programming language.

Expertise badges are often earned through extensive training or by passing highly specialized generating exams that assess advanced knowledge.

These skill badges are ideal for professionals who want to demonstrate their deep, specific skills to recruiters or potential employers. Expertise badges are a mark of authority in a subject and can enhance one’s credibility in the industry.

11 Competency badges

Competency badges are awarded when individuals demonstrate proficiency in key areas required for their job roles. Skills badges like these focus on measurable outcomes, like finishing a task or completing a process.

Competency badges are often used in industries where specific competencies are tied to certification requirements or regulatory standards. For example, in healthcare or engineering, competency badges can validate that an individual has met certain standards of practice.

These badges are valuable for both employees and employers, as they clearly demonstrate the individual’s ability to perform essential job functions to a recognized standard.

How to issue skills badges?

Issuing skill badges can be a perfect method to recognize achievements – whether you're a company, educational institution, or professional organization. And, while you can manually issue badges, doing so on a larger scale can be time-consuming and inefficient.

That's where digital platforms like Certifier come in, making it easy to create and distribute badges efficiently.

To start this hassle-free process, first sign up to Certifier for free.

Step 1: Define the skills you want to reward

For organizations looking to set up a badging program, it's important to have a structured process. Start by defining the skills or achievements that will be recognized. You'll need to decide what specific skills or milestones will be rewarded with skills badges. A detailed plan ensures that the badges issued are meaningful and reflect actual accomplishments.

Step 2: Choose the template or create from elements

Now, you can create visually appealing skill badges that align with your brand and objectives. Choose from free badge templates or mix and match the elements like bases, ribbons, and icons. With the drag-and-drop feature the process is super easy and intuitive. Add and remove elements, change fonts and colors, until you find your perfect combination.

Step 3: Upload recipients list and send in bulk

With automated tools, you can upload a recipients list and generate badges in bulk so that your skill badges will be ready to each recipient in seconds (this is particularly valuable for associations and organizations running extensive programs).

Then, you can send skill badges to multiple recipients at once and scale your efforts in just one click. Your recipient will get the email with a link to their personalized digital wallet.

Get a quick overview of the digital badging process with this video:

Skills badge is the future

Skill badges can help you make a real impact. Don’t stop at one badge – keep pushing for more to reflect a broader range of skills and achievements.

Improving your badging program should be a priority, and Certifier can support you in this process.

Creating visually appealing skill badges or issuing them efficiently at scale – no matter your goal, Certifier has everything you need to make your badging program a success. Try for free!