Sponsored content: How Digital Credentials Support Business Growth for Training Providers

Digital badges are a proven way to measure training while raising awareness and engagement with learners. Read Credly by Pearson’s latest White Paper on digital credentials and how to improve skills in your organization now.

Most organizations put business growth as their top priority, but eight out of ten CEOs say severe skill shortages threaten their companies’ progress. Moreover, recruiters report that it is becoming increasingly challenging to fill in-demand job roles, and global online recruitment company Monster states that 91% of employers are having trouble recruiting the qualified talent they need.

By all reports, the situation is set to worsen. The World Economic Forum predicts that 50% of the workforce will need reskilling by 2025, while Korn Ferry’s Future of Work report forecasts a total talent deficit of 85 million workers in 2030. As demand for skills continues to outstrip the supply, employers must invest in training to adapt to the new skills reality or risk failure. 

However, the global skills gap crisis presents an exciting opportunity for training providers to step up and help customers develop the skills their business needs to thrive. Digital credentials are an identified solution for providers to capitalize on this testing business environment, especially when they face stiff competition and will need to scale effectively to support growth.

How are digital credentials the solution?

Digital credentials are verified proof of a learner’s competency and skills. They’re the online equivalent of paper-based certificates – but unlike traditional certificates, digital credentials are data-rich, easy to create, issue, and share.

Digital credentials are an identified solution for providers to capitalize on this testing business environment

By issuing learners with a digital badge that follows them through career and industry change, training providers can provide customers with more impactful programs that generate their own demand and raise completion rates.

These digital credentials, or digital badges, can be shared by learners on social media, embedded into an email signature, resume, or website, or linked to for full visibility of a person’s verified knowledge, skills, or abilities. These benefits for learners also positively impact training providers in several ways.

Improve brand awareness and reach 

With many competitors in the market, digital credentials are crucial to building brand awareness for training providers’ courses and business. Since earners can easily share digital badges across social media platforms, they drive learner-led brand awareness and increase engagement with those who earn their badges.

With the increased sharing and views, they help drive traffic to the company website.[Read more: How Digital Credentials Can Help Your Training Programs Stand Out] Anyone can click on a credential and then land on a dedicated training page. Here potential earners can see all relevant badges and associated skills, effectively boosting visibility for credentials and programs. Embedded data deliver metrics on which badges are driving the most traffic to the website for measurement of return on investment.

The global data cloud management platform, Snowflake, incorporated digital credentials into its Education Services program at its launch. In a survey of Snowflake certification earners in 2021, 92% had shared their digital badges to LinkedIn and 51% shared them on their resume, portfolio, and email signature. Digital credentials have proved to be a key component in the success of Snowflake’s certification program because of its sharing functionality, with over 125,000 views of their badges. 

Streamline operations and processes

Digital credentials can also lead to easier scalability, instant and more secure verification and faster distribution, all of which improve training providers’ operational efficiency and processes. 

As the credentials can be produced and distributed at scale, issuers can reach a much wider audience while providing more opportunities for learners to document and showcase their skills and achievements. Providers will then be able to operationally meet the increased demand for courses that the organic sharing and increased brand reach will likely generate.

Digital credentials deliver the additional benefit of instant and secure verification through online platforms that use blockchain technology. This important feature not only ensures authenticity to prevent fraud, but also eliminates the need for manual verification processes or third-party intermediaries. The end-result is time and cost savings for both credential issuers and learners.

The fact that the credentials can be distributed instantly through email and other digital channels eliminates the need for physical distribution – another cost-saving benefit that improves efficiency. This seamless experience also makes it easier for earners to share their skills with future recruiters and employers.

Ultimately, the speed with which training providers can create certified programs for new skills and competencies allows training providers to respond quickly to market demand and the upskilling challenge.

Leveraging the Skills Gap Opportunity

The global skills gap crisis presents a unique opportunity for training providers to step up and provide solutions that enable their businesses to thrive. Leveraging digital credentials can help enhance their brand awareness and reach and contribute to a more efficient and responsive training ecosystem. 

To learn more about how your training business can leverage digital credentials to stand out in the market, download Credly by Pearson’s latest whitepaper ‘Strategic Checklist: How Training Providers can Grow their Business Using the Power of Digital Credentials’ here. If you’re ready to get started with digital credentials, discover how you can get started with a demo of Acclaim.

About Credly by Pearson: Credly by Pearson operates the world’s largest and most-connected digital credentialing network; Acclaim. Allowing you to create, manage, and monitor all aspects of your credentialing, certificate, or badge program, Acclaim offers the most comprehensive features to scale and manage digital credentials.

Training Journal

Learn More →
Processing...
Thank you! Your subscription has been confirmed. You'll hear from us soon.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
ErrorHere