Mainebiz reports on expanded study of digital badge initiative

Mainebiz reported the University of Maine is participating in an expanded study of the use of digital “badges” to connect students and employers. The new initiative, BadgedToHire, builds on a pilot project led by Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Education Design Lab. UMaine, Bangor Savings Bank and Northern Light Health were part of that pilot project, working to identify essential, but difficult to measure, qualities of entry-level employees, such as intercultural fluency, communication skills and resilience, the article states. Digital badges would signify to employers that job applicants have those skills. Education Design Lab will work with UMaine, Central New Mexico Community College, San Jose State University and employer partners over the next two years to study acceptance of the credentials and improve hiring outcomes among underserved students, Mainebiz reported. The industry publication HR Dive also wrote that the Education Design Lab will implement a two-year study and expanded pilot program on the value of “mobility skills credentials” in hiring, particularly for historically underserved learners. Education Dive also carried the HR Dive report.