13 October 2025
Ufi commission calls for new approach to digital badging – unlocking skills, productivity and growth
A new report launched today by the Digital Badging Commission sets out a plan to make skills more visible and drive economic growth.
From skills to growth: A plan for digital badging in the UK, addresses the critical challenges of a skills system that is fragmented, opaque and inefficient – in which employers struggle to find the talent they need, whilst individuals cannot adequately prove the skills they have.
The Commission’s recommendations set out a practical plan to create a modern, transparent, skills-led system that works for everyone. They include:
- Digital badges and credentials should be integrated into post-16 formal education and training.
- A national skills wallet should be established that supports lifelong learning, using interoperable open standards.
- A national registry for digital credential quality assurance should be established.
“Too many people in the UK are locked out of opportunities because their skills aren’t visible. A national badging wallet, linked to any national digital ID scheme, can change that – they give individuals proof of what they can do, employers the clarity to hire with confidence, and government the tools to target skills investment where it’s needed most. For educators, they also offer a way to capture and showcase learning that happens outside the classroom – from enrichment activities in colleges to placements through apprenticeships and higher education.”
- Rebecca Garrod-Waters, Chief Executive of Ufi VocTech Trust, and co-chair of the Digital Badging Commission
Economic analysis commissioned for the report estimates that faster hiring and better skills matching could unlock between £1.6 billion and £5.3 billion in productivity gains annually across the wider UK economy.
But this is not only about economic benefit. It’s also about inclusion. Digital badges give people, especially those furthest from opportunity, a way to be recognised and rewarded for the skills they already have and to see the next step they can take to thrive.
Ufi is ready to support experimentation, adoption and deployment at scale across all four nations as the UK moves from a fragmented system to a shared national vision for skills recognition.
Now is the moment to act. Together we can build a fairer and more productive future for the UK.
Background
As part of Ufi’s Strategic Partnership with the RSA, the Digital Badging Commission brought together leading experts from across higher and further education, commerce and technology to broaden the understanding, development and adoption of digital badges and credentials.
The report was published on 13 October 2025 with a live event at RSA house. You can watch the event here:
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