Digital Credentials

Validate skills and share achievements anywhere, anytime

People and organisations can grow more effectively when all skills are visible

Digital credentials, also known as “digital badges or open badges,” unlike a paper certificate are backed by metadata, they contain comprehensive data including who has earned the badge, its criteria, learning evidence and who has endorsed it.

Our digital credentials issued on Credly platform allows individuals and organisations to recognise and communicate learning achievements and certifications online in a secure way.

Digital credentials allow us to recognise and communicate all skills consistently. We do this by using the open badge standard, a universal format that creates data that can be validated quickly and easily.

Whether you are a college looking to help your learners share their success and achievement online, or an employer looking to showcase the quality of your in-house training programme, our digital credential service can open opportunities for you.

Request a demo to find out more

Read our centres and employers' success stories on how digital credentials helped them with new opportunities to represent the skills and knowledge at a click of a button.

We understand that your learners work tirelessly to achieve success in their programmes. So, it’s important that their skills and achievement are shared quickly and are widely recognised.

City & Guilds and ILM will award a digital credential on successful completion of their programmes, so that they can let the world know what they’ve achieved in a fast, shareable and credible way.

We have prepared an easy to use guide to help you input your learners' details on Walled Garden. Follow our simple steps guide on how to upload your learners’ email addresses.

In addition to the existing online certificates of achievement for individual components and the final overall grade, we’ll be issuing learners with a graded digital credential when they complete their programme with us.

Explore our end-point assessment (EPA) and qualifications to find out how your learners can benefit from our digital credentials.

end-point assessment - enabling apprentices to showcase their achievements and appeal to potential employers.
let your learners showcase their achievements and celebrate their Functional Skills and 18th edition success.

Enable your learners to become brand ambassadors and reach new audiences with your programme offer, as your participants share their achievements on social media across the web in a secure and verifiable way.

We have prepared an easy to use guide to help you input your learners' details on Walled Garden. Follow our simple steps guide on how to upload your learners’ email addresses.

Request a demo to find out more

Whether you need to see all relevant skills in your current and future workforce, or want to supply individuals to the workforce with the skills employers demand, we have a wide range of services to help you realise the potential and make all skills visible. Investing in frontline workforce development can cut the costs associated with employee retention and attracting talent and improve employee engagement and customer satisfaction.

Ways in which we can benefit you:

Our Assured service allows you to showcase the quality of your in-house training programmes with recognition from us. The Assured service ensures your programmes are benchmarked against our quality standard – giving you the confidence and reassurance that your in-house training is the best it can be.

Your employees are your brand ambassador, carrying your brand to market. So, it is important that your skills and achievements are sharable online. Through the Assured service - your digital credentials will be co-branded with City & Guilds/ILM alongside your organisation’s logo.
Design consultancy we have experts who will help you to explore, create and implement successful and scalable credential programmes. We work with you to explore the skills, behaviours and competencies you would like to recognise and pilot credentials in one area or across a whole organisation to amplify their impact. Our services include visual and credential taxonomies, recognition framework design and communication strategies.
Badging service through Acclaim by Credly we support you to design, build and issue your own badges. As Credly’s UK and EU implementation partner we train, onboard and support you to use Acclaim by Credly’s platform to transform knowledge, skills and achievements into digital credentials that carry your brand and empower individuals to capture and share their skills.

As an issuing organisation, you can start to measure impact and analyse your training programme and reach new audiences as your credentials are shared online. Our Client Support team will support you through an ongoing process to design, launch and continually monitor your credential programme.

Ready to kick start your credentialing?

Request a demo to find out more

Individuals can now let the world know what they have achieved, with instant one-click authentication and explanation of what they have done. Bringing an end to lost certificates, CV’s filled with unverifiable claims, and most importantly, an end to hidden skills and talents that are so valuable.

Learners who achieve their credential have a secure way to share a detailed view of their skills with potential employers. There has been significant interest from employers, especially locally who are keen to have more visibility of the skills that align with businesses’ core values in candidates. View our flyer, to find out more on the value of a digital credentials.

Download our getting started guide a step by step process on how digital credential learners can accept and ensure they make the most of their credentials.

Some credentials we have worked on

learning achievement scope tools essentials badge

Frequently asked questions

What is a digital credential?

Digital credential is an easy way to help you communicate a skill or achievement online in a secure way.

They contain comprehensive data including who has earned the badge, its criteria, learning evidence and who has endorsed it. All of this information is packaged within a small badge image file that can be displayed via online CV’s and social networking sites.

What information does a digital credential include?

Each credential earned contains data about the individual’s skills within a portable image file. This data can be viewed when they display and share their credentials. Data within a digital credential includes:

badge name
badge URL (description)
badge image
issuer
issue date
alignment
expiry date
evidence URL
details on the skills learned
earning criteria for the achievement

How are digital credentials issued?

A digital credential is issued to a learner upon successful completion of their City & Guilds/ILM qualification, where a valid learner email address has been provided. A digital credential cannot be issued without a learner's email address.

We treat personal data with the utmost care and privacy. To find out more about how we process personal data concerning the issuing of learners' digital credentials, please read our privacy policy.

How does it work?

A digital credential is simply the online representation of a credential. They are a visual, data-rich and secure format that communicates and verifies the knowledge and skills attained. By using the open badge standard, no matter who the issuer is, the earner can collect and showcase and share all of their achievements together.

How do I know if I’m eligible for a digital credential?

We will send you an email via Acclaim by Credly to let you know you have been awarded a digital credential. You simply need to set up an account and accept your badge – then you’re ready to go.

How do I use my digital credential?

Once you’ve been awarded and have accepted a digital credential, you can embed the image online wherever you like. On your digital CV, on social networks like LinkedIn or Twitter, or on your website or blog and share it with friends and colleagues via email. People viewing these sites can click onto the credential, and it will take them through to the Acclaim by Credly website, where they can see all of the information on that skill or achievement.

Please refer to our Getting Started Guide - a step by step process on how earners can accept, share, and ensure they make the most of their credentials.

How to upload learners email addresses on Walled Garden?

We have prepared an easy to use guide to help you input your learners' details on Walled Garden. Providing learners' email addresses on Walled Garden ensures we can issue the credential directly to them. Follow our short guide on how to upload your learners’ email addresses below.

Watch the video

Download the how-to guide

How can centres ensure their learners receive a digital credential?

When registering the learner's mandatory details, please ensure to add in the learner's email address found under the 'add optional details' section within Walled Garden. Upon successful completion of their course, learners will receive an email from City & Guilds/ILM via Acclaim by Credly platform, which will enable them to accept their badge.

A digital credential cannot be issued without a learner's email address.

How does Acclaim by Credly protect my information?

To claim your digital credential, you are required to share your name and email address with Acclaim by Credly. However, although Credly is a US based organisation, the platform is fully GDPR compliant, you can find further information on this here.

And remember, you are in control of what you share and make visible to other users. Define what you choose to share by opting for private or public to determine if your credentials can be seen by others.

Just watch out for these eye icons – closed means private and open means it is public and can be seen by others if you choose to share your profile.

Where do I go if I have questions about my digital credentials?

Please email us at digitalsupport@cityandguilds.com.

There’s also lots of useful resources within the Acclaim by Credly platform, visit the Help Centre that includes support articles and video available 24/7.