New Economy Skills 2025

Credentialling digital skills Credentialling digital skills is challenging, as recognition needs to be robust, transferable and trusted across regions and sectors. While some qualifications are well-established, newer forms like micro-credentials still struggle with limited transferability and inconsistent recognition. Set shared standards : Traditional qualifications like degrees and certificates are trusted indicators of digital competence but often measure theory rather than practice. In contrast, micro-credentials, digital badges and endorsements are rapidly growing in popularity for certifying skills like data analysis, programming, cybersecurity and networking. Flexible and stackable, they offer more direct pathways for educational and career advancement but still need universal standards and widespread employer acceptance. Yet, the rise of vendor-specific and internal organizational credentials has led to credential inflation, a crowded landscape of overlapping, opaque qualifications. It is therefore crucial to create global and national validation frameworks that ensure consistency and interoperability. Prove it in practice : Digital competence is best shown through what people can do. Practical evidence, such as curated GitHub repositories, documented projects, peer feedback or digital journals, provide powerful evidence of applied skills but often lack formal recognition. To improve validation, hybrid models now combine traditional qualifications with modular, skill-based credentials that emphasize targeted digital abilities and lifelong learning. For instance, a developer might pair a university degree with an open-source portfolio endorsed by peers. Emerging technologies can further enhance credibility. Digital platforms, blockchain verification and smart badges now allow employers and institutions to confirm authentic achievements. Badge what matters : For digital credentials to be meaningful and portable, they must clearly communicate context, process and outcomes. Further, digital skills required by employers are frequently changing, technology vendors widely develop their own credentials, and traditional qualifications often fail to capture the breadth and depth of practical abilities. Metadata-rich badges and portfolios show how skills were developed, tested and applied, helping employers and educators interpret qualifications accurately and ensure skills are aligned with industry needs and standards.Emerging technologies can help. Blockchain-based ledgers and secure digital portfolios make digital credentials portable, transparent and verifiable across borders. QR-coded badges and embedded metadata link credentials to verified evidence of learning and assessment. Offline and hybrid solutions ensure that digital skill credentialling remains equitable and accessible for all. To translate these principles into practice: –Educators : can highlight specific digital competencies in transcripts and course descriptions; encourage learners to showcase their projects; and align with industry leaders on standards. –Employers : can recognize digital portfolios and skills transcripts in recruitment, promotion and internal mobility, and collaborate within and across industries to set shared standards for digital skills. –Governments : can develop national guidelines and standards for digital credentials and incentivize tools that make recognition transparent, traceable and accessible. Enabling conditions for a digital skills ecosystem These approaches will only succeed if supported by conditions that guarantee equity and trust. First, it is crucial to ensure that all learners, regardless of background, have access to digital skill development, assessment and recognition. Equally important is to align learning outcomes, hiring practices and recognition across systems. This shared understanding is reinforced by designing assessments, development pathways and credentials to recognize diverse cultural and gender perspectives, while actively minimizing bias. Inclusivity strengthens trust in digital skill recognition and ensures relevance across sectors and borders. Finally, technology should function as an enabler, extending access, supporting scalability and promoting reflection. By embedding these principles in development, assessment and credentialling systems, and by anchoring them in conditions of equity, shared language, context awareness and responsible technology use, societies can ensure that digital skills are visible, valued and nurtured for the future of work and lifelong learning. New Economy Skills: Building AI, Data and Digital Capabilities for Growth 32