2025 Badge Summit

My 25+ year career in L&D—20 years of which were at a membership association—has allowed me to work from the crossroads of three major ecosystems: learning, credentialing, and human resources. As a senior strategist and learning architect, I have spent the past 3+ years bridging these three ecosystems for all types of institutions, including the DoD, associations, employers, and non-profits. My work is rooted in designing dynamic competency models and learner-centric credentialing solutions that facilitate skill portability across the talent pipeline (not just per credential). I see how associations and employers are the biggest players in the credentialing space because that’s where all learning is eventually applied and evaluated/assessed.
 
Having been a part of the badging community for the past couple of years, I understand the transformation taking place. The challenge is, a lot of what I’ve learned is focused on the ‘what’ and the ‘why.’ I need the ‘how.’ How do I help my clients who already have robust skill standards, bodies of knowledge, credentials, and digital badges make the transition, especially when it comes to technology considerations?
 
I’d love for this to be a working session to outline such a roadmap. (This work can eventually align with what Credential Engine and T3 already offer.) As an instructional designer by trade, I can support the development of such a product.

The workforce of the future will rely on talent that is quantifiable and verifiable for everyone, not just a select few. Discover how LERs drive equity by empowering individuals to own, showcase, and leverage their skills and experiences. This session explores TalentPass as a case study, highlighting its role in supporting underrepresented learners and workers. Engage in dynamic activities to identify equity barriers and design solutions that foster inclusion in education and the workforce.

Arizona State University's Trusted Learner Network allows learners to collect, explore, and share digital credentials they have gathered across their lifetimes. In 2024 Arizona State partnered with SmartResume to integrate the SmartResume services into TLN enabling students to leverage their credentials directly on their resumes.  In the Spring Semester of 2025 the partners launched the Sun Devil Talent Marketplace to connect students and their LER resumes with job opportunities on campus. In this session we will review student and employer feedback on the pilot program. Did it work? Did students get jobs? Did the pilot succeed in creating more equitable access to employment? What were the challenges and key learnings and where will these capabilities go next?

What’s the role of assessment in the skills movement? The Partnership for Skills Validation is tackling this question, enabling skills as the currency for learning through principles and best practices. Led by C-BEN and Education Design Lab, this session explores the implications of validated skills for badging, including equity, accessibility, and efficiency. Join us for resources and strategies to advance badging for validated skills.