2025 Badge Summit

Badging and digital credentials hold immense potential to validate work-ready skills and make them visible to employers. Yet, a surprising disconnect exists for students earning credentials for gig work through Work Simplr: for every badge earned, only a fraction are claimed or showcased by students. This session explores the reasons behind this gap, exploring whether students undervalue badges, lack awareness of their utility, or encounter barriers to leveraging them effectively. We’ll also examine whether employers recognize and prioritize work-ready badges when evaluating entry-level talent.


(NOTE: this session could be built to fit many of the formats above-- a TED style talk, a rapid fire, deep dive, or Dreammakers session. We are willing to build the session for the format CU Boulder thinks is best.)