Open Badges is the global standard for capturing and communicating skills across the web. Launched in 2012 by Mozilla, the organisation organisation behind Firefox, 15M badges have now been issued worldwide. Simply put, Open Badges are a way to describe and communicate a piece of learning.  They include a short description of the learning, information on who has issued the badge, links to evidence and other useful data.  

All of this data is ‘baked’ into an image file so it can travel across the web and be viewed by humans or read by machines e.g. recruitment platforms. Badges have been created to recognise every skill from developing blockchain solutions to serving up a perfect crème brûlée, and awarded at every level, from informal learning to degrees.   

On the one hand, badges are a visual way of communicating and verifying skills and on the other, a rich source of of machine-readable data which is redefining how people an organisations connect based on skills. One of the principles of Open Badges is that learners maintain ownership of their own learning data and are able to store and display their badges to different audiences on different platforms .   

Unique technology features of the cities of learning model 

The RSA and DigitalMe have created a new and unique model for designing and implementing place based learning. The model engages local organisations to co-design badges and skills frameworks, uses pioneering open badges technology (that links badges with real-time labour market information and jobs) with the endorsement from local leadership.  

Key features:  

• Co-designed in three cities in the UK to meet UK needs 

• A partnership between RSA, Digitalme and City and Guilds providing research and design innovation, digital transformation and accreditation expertise 

• Technology designed and tested by user groups in Brighton, Plymouth and Manchester 

• Underpinned by award-winning industry leading badging platform Credly + Acclaim 

• Real-time links to labour market information and related jobs via Acclaim 

• Provision of full API integrations (to allow integrations into existing platforms 

• From 2019 use of machine learning to determine the most effective work pathways for individuals