Cambridge City Council has pledged to recognise digital badges in its recruitment and staff development processes, and is calling on local employers to pledge to do the same.
Digital badges are a certified, virtual, global record of someone’s skills or achievements, which are easily shared on platforms such as LinkedIn or linked from a CV. Endorsed by City & Guilds and quality assured to RSA standards, digital badges provide employers with an immediate and trusted way to verify skills – particularly ‘soft skills’, which are highly sought by employers but not as easily recorded as traditional qualifications.
The Region of Learning is a partnership programme led by the council which has been championing digital badges as way to help people access job opportunities and meet local employers’ talent needs.
As a major employer, the council has been working towards incorporating digital badges into its own recruitment process, recognising digital badges achieved by people applying for council jobs. The benefit for employers is an enhanced approach to recruitment in which it is quicker and easier to confirm that candidates have the right skills and competencies that make them suitable for a particular role.
The council will also now be supporting its existing employees to upskill, as it has created its own digital badges – such as Embracing Change Award, Net Zero Champion, and Customer Service Award – which staff can achieve and then record to evidence the skills they have developed.
The ambition is for many more employers across Cambridgeshire to join the global digital badge movement, and the Region of Learning can offer employers support in taking this step.
Cllr Alice Gilderdale, Executive Councillor for Economy and Skills, said: “Digital badges are already in common usage by employers worldwide, and they have so much to offer in terms of modernising how we think about qualifications and skills and people’s readiness and suitability for work. We have developed a new People and Culture Strategy for the council which has an ambition to create a true culture of belonging. Working with Region of Learning to incorporate digital badges into our own recruitment process, and to provide opportunities for current staff to develop and to have their skills formally recognised, will help build this more inclusive culture. It shows our support for lifelong learning and improving social mobility, and provides us with a fairer, standardised method of assessing someone’s abilities and expertise.
“I would encourage any local employers who are wondering how to incorporate digital badges into recruitment and staff development to get in touch with our Region of Learning team who can provide 1-2-1 support to get you started. Digital badging not only helps bridge the skills gap that we know employers are battling, but also gives you the tools to support lifelong learning and improve social mobility in your community.”
Find out more about incorporating digital badging into your recruitment or professional development processes by visiting the Region of Learning website or emailing regionoflearning@cambridge.gov.uk
The Region of Learning programme is delivered by Cambridge City Council, supported by UK Shared Prosperity Funding managed by the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) to enable local employers to explore and implement digital badges.
