How higher ed institutions can build career-readiness skills with digital badges and credentials

To give students a leg up in a competitive job market, colleges and universities are looking to equip them with sought-after career-readiness skills as well as ways to showcase those skills to potential employers.

In our third Adobe Express + Firefly webinar of the school year, we explored how educators can combine micro-credentialing with creative digital coursework to help students stand out and land their dream jobs.

Research shows the value of digital credentials in the job market.

Dr. Brian Johnsrud, Director of Education Learning & Advocacy at Adobe, provided some context around the credential ecosystem and how it’s evolved. “Every campus is thinking about this,” he said. “They get that this is a phenomenon, that the job market has become more competitive, that the traditional degree often doesn’t really help students get a job with the title of the degree itself.”

Johnsrud noted that job descriptions are evolving in part due to AI. Not only are AI skills becoming important, but skills like creative thinking and creative problem-solving — things that AI doesn’t do well — are becoming more important, too. And according to the World Economic Forum, creative thinking tops the list of skills that are important for career success.

He shared research that Adobe recently conducted to look at how micro-credentials stack up against traditional degrees and other ways in which students, early career-seekers, and hiring managers unlock critical job skills in the age of AI. Here are highlights from his presentation:

Dr. Brian Johnsrud, Director of Education Learning & Advocacy at Adobe, provided some context around the credential ecosystem and how it’s evolved. “Every campus is thinking about this,” he said. “They get that this is a phenomenon, that the job market has become more competitive, that the traditional degree often doesn’t really help students get a job with the title of the degree itself.”

Johnsrud noted that job descriptions are evolving in part due to AI. Not only are AI skills becoming important, but skills like creative thinking and creative problem-solving — things that AI doesn’t do well — are becoming more important, too. And according to the World Economic Forum, creative thinking tops the list of skills that are important for career success.

He shared research that Adobe recently conducted to look at how micro-credentials stack up against traditional degrees and other ways in which students, early career-seekers, and hiring managers unlock critical job skills in the age of AI. Here are highlights from his presentation:

• Types of credentials include:

  • Micro-credentials: Compact, specialized certifications that validate a specific skill or competency, typically earned through a short course or assessment.

  • Certificates: Structured learning pathways through multiple courses or long modules, often granted by an online provider or alternative offering from an institution.

  • Professional certifications: Formal recognitions granted by an industry organization or governing body to demonstrate expertise, knowledge, or skill in a profession or field.

• The study showed that 82–83% of hiring managers and 71–74% of career seekers highly value digital and creative skills like digital document creation and organization, visual and multimedia communication skills, and multimedia content creation.

• When asked to name the most trusted signals that job applicants have in-demand digital and creative skills:

  • 88% of hiring managers said relevant professional experience.

  • 86% of hiring managers said professional portfolios and examples of work.

  • 75% of hiring managers said professional certifications.

  • 66% said a Bachelor’s or post-graduate degree.

• When asked why digital credentials are valuable to employers:

  • 81% of hiring managers said credentials make it easier to assess whether candidates have the necessary skills.

  • 80% said credentials signal a high-quality candidate.

  • 77% said their organizations seek candidates with these credentials.

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University of Utah promotes digital credentials with a business competition

Next, Holly Johnson, Associate Director of Digital Learning Experience Innovation and Outreach at the University of Utah, shared the ways in which her institution has promoted digital badging and credential programs on campus.

She and her team began by holding tabling events and giving away swag to encourage students to sign up for badging programs, but soon realized they wanted to go bigger. They launched a social impact challenge competition in partnership with the business school, inspiring teams of students to research a local nonprofit and create marketing campaigns to help the organization extend its reach.

The competition attracted 80 students who formed 36 teams. The teams used data and assets from the nonprofit as well as the Adobe Express content creation app to build their web pages and presentations. As part of the challenge, each team member was required to complete at least one of the following Adobe digital skills badges: Presentation Design, Community Event Marketing, Social Media Content Creation, and Small Business Marketing. (See all course offerings.) They shared their learnings with one another and then used their new skills to create their campaigns.

The program was a win-win, with the nonprofit benefitting from innovative and actionable ideas like partnerships with grocery stores, and the students developing practical business, design, and collaboration skills. Students also left the challenge with amazing real-world projects for their portfolios and digital badges for their resumes.

Johnson noted that, because the University of Utah is an Adobe Creative Campus with a dedicated Creative Commons facility staffed by student consultants, it was easy to get the word out about the social impact challenge and Adobe’s digital credential programs in general. She shared a few recommendations for institutions that want to get micro-credentialing off the ground:

• Individual faculty members can incorporate badging and creative digital projects into their courses.

• Academic advisors in career services centers can encourage students to get credentials to upskill and set themselves apart.

• Administrators and faculty can incorporate credentials into on-campus internship programs.

• Study abroad program managers can encourage students to get credentials so they can learn to share their experiences via presentations, videos, and other media.

New Adobe initiative will help 30 million young people develop essential career skills

Next, Holly Johnson, Associate Director of Digital Learning Experience Innovation and Outreach at the University of Utah, shared the ways in which her institution has promoted digital badging and credential programs on campus.

She and her team began by holding tabling events and giving away swag to encourage students to sign up for badging programs, but soon realized they wanted to go bigger. They launched a social impact challenge competition in partnership with the business school, inspiring teams of students to research a local nonprofit and create marketing campaigns to help the organization extend its reach.

The competition attracted 80 students who formed 36 teams. The teams used data and assets from the nonprofit as well as the Adobe Express content creation app to build their web pages and presentations. As part of the challenge, each team member was required to complete at least one of the following Adobe digital skills badges: Presentation Design, Community Event Marketing, Social Media Content Creation, and Small Business Marketing. (See all course offerings.) They shared their learnings with one another and then used their new skills to create their campaigns.

The program was a win-win, with the nonprofit benefitting from innovative and actionable ideas like partnerships with grocery stores, and the students developing practical business, design, and collaboration skills. Students also left the challenge with amazing real-world projects for their portfolios and digital badges for their resumes.

Johnson noted that, because the University of Utah is an Adobe Creative Campus with a dedicated Creative Commons facility staffed by student consultants, it was easy to get the word out about the social impact challenge and Adobe’s digital credential programs in general. She shared a few recommendations for institutions that want to get micro-credentialing off the ground:

• Individual faculty members can incorporate badging and creative digital projects into their courses.

• Academic advisors in career services centers can encourage students to get credentials to upskill and set themselves apart.

• Administrators and faculty can incorporate credentials into on-campus internship programs.

• Study abroad program managers can encourage students to get credentials so they can learn to share their experiences via presentations, videos, and other media.