Explore IBM SkillsBuild digital credentials
Next generation of learning recognition designed for aspiring career seekers and professionals
Your guide to digital credentials
What is a digital credential?
The value of digital credentials
Why digital credentials?
Expand talent pool
Employers can identify talented professionals from a variety of backgrounds, including those who may have traditionally been undervalued.
Skills validation
Provides a standardized and verified way to assess a candidate's skills and knowledge, making it easier for employers to identify qualified candidates.
Better matching
Allows employers to more effectively match the right candidate with the right job, ensuring that they have the necessary skills and qualifications to perform the role.
Portability
Stored online and accessed from anywhere. Earners can share their credentials with potential employers, educational institutions, or anyone who needs to verify their achievements.
Security
More secure than paper certificates or transcripts. They can't be lost or damaged. They incorporate encryption and verification measures to ensure they are authentic and cannot be forged.
Increased visibility
Can be shared on social media, professional networking sites, or personal websites, increasing the visibility of the earner's achievements.
Steps to earn digital credentials
Create your account with Credly.
Complete a learning activity on SkillsBuild that offers a digital credential.
Check your email inbox and accept your digital credential from your Credly dashboard.
Share your digital credential across social platforms from your Credly dashboard.
Overview
Types of digital credentials
Explore SkillsBuild digital credentials
Agile Explorer
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, French, Japanese, Traditional Chinese
Duration: 7 hours
Agile Explorer badge earners have a foundational understanding of the Agile values, principles, and practices that help change culture and behaviors in the way that people work. These individuals can initiate an Agile conversation with team members and colleagues, and can apply the Agile method to the operations and programs work that they do in a family, academic, or work environment.
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AI Foundations: A Collaboration of ISTE and IBM
Audience: All learners
Languages: English
Duration: 14 hours
This badge earner has the key knowledge, skills, and values necessary to understand and work with artificial intelligence (AI), and is aware of the implications of AI for the future of work and society in general. Earners have applied their knowledge through an AI Design Challenge, using design thinking to create a prototype for an AI-powered solution that helps people improve their skills.
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Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, Chinese (Traditional), French, German, Hindi, Spanish, Japanese
Duration: 10+ hours
This credential earner demonstrates knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) concepts, such as natural language processing, computer vision, machine learning, deep learning, chatbots, and neural networks; ethical AI; and the applications of AI. The individual has a conceptual understanding of how to run an AI model using IBM Watson Studio. The earner is aware of the job outlook in fields that use AI and is familiar with the skills required for success in various roles in the domain.
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Basic Principles of Design: A Collaboration of Adobe and IBM
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, French, Traditional Chinese
Duration: 3 hours
This badge earner has an understanding of foundational visual design elements including emphasis in contrast, color, balance, proportion, rule of thirds, alignment and proximity cohesion through repetition, and consistency. Badge earners can use these skills as a foundation to be applied in future projects at school or at work.
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Cloud Computing Fundamentals
Audience: All learners
Languages: English
Duration: 10 hours
This credential earner demonstrates knowledge of cloud computing, including cloud services, deployment models, virtualization, orchestration, and cloud security. The individual is aware of cloud benefits for users and businesses. The individual has a conceptual understanding of how to create a container, deploy a web app to the cloud, and analyze security in a simulated environment. The earner is aware of the job outlook in cloud computing and the skills required for success in various roles.
Cybersecurity Fundamentals
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, Spanish, German, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Polish, Turkish, Dutch, Czech, Italian, Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Ukrainian
Duration: 7.5 hours
This badge earner demonstrates a foundational understanding of cybersecurity concepts, objectives, and practices. This includes cyber threat groups, types of attacks, social engineering, case studies, overall security strategies, cryptography, and common approaches that organizations take to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber attacks. This also includes an awareness of the job market. Badge earners can use this knowledge to pursue further education for a variety of roles in cybersecurity.
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Data Fundamentals
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, French
Duration: 7 hours
This credential earner demonstrates knowledge of data analytics concepts, methodologies and applications of data science, and the tools and programming languages used in the data ecosystem. The individual has a conceptual understanding of how to clean, refine, and visualize data using IBM Watson Studio. The earner is aware of the job outlook in data and is familiar with the skills required for success in various roles in the domain.
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Development for Cognitive Robots
Audience: All learners
Languages: Spanish
Duration: 10+ hours
This badge earner has developed knowledge in the Internet of Things, web development, and chatbots through hands-on activities. Using current industry technologies, earners can build robots that interact with their environment, devices, and people.
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Development with AI and Web Services
Audience: All learners
Languages: Spanish
Duration: 10+ hours
Earners of this badge know how to integrate Watson artificial intelligence and web services using Node-RED as a programming tool. Earners understand the basics of cloud-based software and web services communications using API REST protocol, and can build their own programs to consume data from the internet and integrate them with AI capabilities.
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Digital Mindset
Audience: All learners
Languages: English
Duration: 4.5 hours
This credential earner demonstrates knowledge of the reasoning and factors for developing a digital mindset, and the required attributes and strategies for cultivating one. The individual knows about ways of working and thinking to use digital tools to their advantage. The earner has a conceptual understanding of the importance of having a digital mindset and applies strategies to be a confident and competent digital citizen.
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Entrepreneurship Business Essentials
Audience: All learners
Languages: Spanish
Duration: 17 hours
This badge earner demonstrates a foundational understanding of entrepreneurial concepts required to launch a new business, product, or service. This includes decision-making, entrepreneurship skills, using tools and models for business, context analysis, planning, and social impact. This is designed for new business owners, individuals wanting to grow a business already launched, or learners interested in entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship Marketing Essentials
Audience: All learners
Languages: Spanish
Duration: 18 hours
This badge earner demonstrates a foundational understanding of marketing to support entrepreneurs and individuals launching new businesses, products, or services. This includes using the Lean Startup methodology, conducting a market analysis, innovative strategies in marketing and plan, as well as understanding sales skills and tools. This badge is designed for new business owners, individuals wanting to grow a business already launched, or learners interested in entrepreneurship.
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Explorations into Mindfulness
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Polish, Simplified Chinese
Duration: 3 hours
This badge earner understands mindfulness concepts and techniques and has learned how to apply mindfulness practices to manage various situations. The individual understands how to further develop focus and self-awareness. Badge earners can use these specific skills as a foundation for further study in mindfulness and to apply mental and emotional management in any career path they choose.
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Explore Emerging Tech
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Korean, Polish, Italian, Turkish, Traditional Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Czech, Ukrainian, Japanese
Duration: 7+ hours
Badge earners have an understanding of six emerging technologies that power today’s jobs. Individuals know foundational concepts, terminology, and how technologies are applied to solve problems in organizations and businesses. Badge earners can use this knowledge to explore job roles and careers in tech.
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Fundamentals of Sustainability and Technology
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Hindi, Japanese
Duration: 10+ hours
This credential earner demonstrates knowledge of how data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and hybrid cloud computing are revolutionizing ways that humans support each other, while protecting Earth’s resources. The individual has a conceptual understanding of how to select and apply advanced technologies to sustainability issues and is familiar with the skills required for success in various technology roles.
IBM AI Foundations for Educators
Audience: Educators
Languages: English
Duration: 14 hours
This badge earner is an educator who has participated in a series of online institutes to become fluent and knowledgeable in artificial intelligence (AI). They have an understanding of AI applications such as machine learning and natural language processing, along with how it is used to solve problems, collect data and identify bias. They are equipped to share the foundational knowledge of artificial intelligence with their colleagues and students in their classrooms.
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IBM SkillsBuild for Students Ambassador
Audience: IBM volunteers, IBM employees
Languages: Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese
Duration: Days
This badge is awarded to IBMers who demonstrate specific leadership skills in support of IBM talent and business priorities, and promote IBM educational initiatives on the IBM SkillsBuild for Students platform through volunteering and advocacy. Badge earners actively advocate through their actions and activities, sharing expertise and knowledge with students and organizations about the skills that are needed to succeed in business and careers. This badge is only available to IBM volunteers responsible for organization registration and advocacy on IBM SkillsBuild for Students.
Information Technology Fundamentals
Audience: All learners
Languages: English
Duration: 11 hours
This credential earner demonstrates knowledge of information technology (IT) basics, methodologies of troubleshooting, and the tools and resources that IT professionals use. The individual has a conceptual understanding of computer basics, networking, hardware, software, computer security, and has experience supporting a customer with a simulated remote connection tool. The earner is aware of the job outlook in IT and is familiar with the skills required for success in various roles.
Job Application Essentials
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Polish, Turkish, Italian, Traditional Chinese, Czech, Ukrainian
Duration: 7+ hours
Badge earners demonstrate a strong understanding of how to position themselves effectively for their first job opportunity. Earners can build a strong, professional social media and online presence; conduct thorough and effective workplace research personalized to their interests and skills; create a strong entry-level resume, even without any prior work experience; and have practiced interviewing professionally. This digital self-paced content is designed especially for youth entering the workforce, or non-traditional applicants looking to refresh their job application skills.
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Ocean Science Explorer
Audience: All learners
Languages: English
Duration: 5 hours
Badge earners have engaged in online ocean science education created by OrcaNation. They have an awareness of the important role that oceans play in the global environment. Earners are able to describe how human interactions affect the health of the world’s oceans, marine animals, coral reefs, and mangroves; they have foundational knowledge of marine, orca, and shark biology and ecology; and they can articulate the threats of microplastics and ghost gear to ocean environments. The education seeks to ignite a passion and awareness in young adults for environmental stewardship and ocean sustainability.
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Open Source Origin Stories: Adventures in hybrid cloud, AI ethics, and open source technologies
Audience: All learners
Languages: English
Duration: 5+ hours
Badge earners have acquired foundational knowledge in hybrid cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI) ethics, and open source technologies. They know the differences between private and public clouds, the functionality of Kubernetes and data containers, and the attributes of a hybrid cloud; the types of human ethical behavior, how they relate to AI ethics, how AI ethics can fail, and ways to reduce the resulting harm; and open source history, roles, responsibilities, and components in open source projects. Badge earners can use this knowledge as a springboard to explore career paths in these twenty-first-century technologies.
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P-TECH Mentor
Audience: Adults
Languages: English, French
Duration: Weeks
The P-TECH Mentor badge earner is recognized by the P-TECH Career Mentoring Program for developing and cultivating a mentoring relationship with a P-TECH mentee (student). The earner has taken relevant training to ensure quality feedback and guidance is provided to students. Mentoring is an important career development opportunity, which any individual can use to enhance skills and achieve long-term career aspirations. This course is designed for adult mentors in the P-TECH network, or any adult wishing to become a mentor in the P-TECH network.
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Project Management Fundamentals
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, Italian, Traditional Chinese
Duration: 3.5 hours
This badge earner demonstrates a foundational understanding of project management concepts and processes. This includes knowledge about the value of project management, approaches to project management, and the role and responsibilities of the project manager across the project lifecycle to initiate and plan, execute, and close a project. Badge earners can use this knowledge to pursue further education.
User Experience Design Fundamentals
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish
Duration: 12 hours
This credential earner demonstrates knowledge of UX design concepts, processes, and tools that UX designers use. The individual has a conceptual understanding of user personas, wireframes, prototypes, usability testing, working collaboratively with a UX design team, and has experience reviewing a UX design case study to make conclusions about redesigning a website. The earner is aware of the job outlook in UX design and is familiar with the skills required for success in various roles.
Watson va a clase: Fundamentos de Inteligencia Artificial
Audience: All learners
Languages: Spanish
Duration: 13 hours
Earners of this badge (Watson Goes to School: Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals) use basic principles of coding and understand key concepts of artificial intelligence. Earners are able to develop applications on Node-RED with Watson AI services and to connect them with external devices. They know how to develop and train chatbots with Watson Assistant and are familiar with the IBM Cloud.
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Web Development Fundamentals
Audience: All learners
Languages: English
Duration: 12+ hours
This credential earner demonstrates knowledge of web development concepts, processes to develop, deploy, and test websites, and the tools and programming languages that web developers use. The individual has a conceptual understanding of how to develop an interactive website using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in a simulated integrated development environment (IDE). The earner is aware of the job outlook in web development and is familiar with the skills required for success in various roles.
Wellbeing Academy for Students
Audience: All learners
Languages: English
Duration: 5 hours
Badge earners have developed an understanding of wellbeing concepts and have learned techniques to further develop focus and self-awareness in their personal wellbeing. Individuals also have an awareness of the issues that impact the wellbeing of others. Badge earners can use these skills as a foundation for further study in their wellbeing and mindfulness, and to apply coping skills in their everyday life and in any career path they choose.
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Working in a Digital World: Professional Skills
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Korean, Polish, Turkish, Italian, Traditional Chinese, Thai, Ukrainian
Duration: 8+ hours
This badge earner has an understanding of key skills for professional success and core soft skills needed in the information technology workforce. This knowledge of skills and behaviors includes creating and delivering presentations; using agile approaches for working professionally to deliver quality work and experiences to customers; collaborating effectively with teams; communicating with impact; dealing with challenges in a controlled and focused manner; and solving problems and implementing solutions.
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Zintegrowany System Kwalifikacji
Audience: All learners
Languages: Polish
Duration: 3 hours
Badge earners understand how to translate their skills into valid qualifications in the modern labor market. Through digital learning and knowledge validation, they demonstrate the benefits of lifelong learning, and they know the importance of the Integrated Qualification System and can use it to build their professional careers. Earners know which informally acquired skills they can validate with reliable certificates and they understand how to create a professional portfolio.
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IBM leverages the services of Credly, a 3rd party data processor authorized by IBM and located in the United States, to assist in the administration of the IBM Digital Badge program. In order to issue you an IBM Digital Badge, your personal information (name, email address, and badge earned) will be shared with Credly. You will receive an email notification from Credly with instructions for claiming the badge. Your personal information is used to issue your badge and for program reporting and operational purposes. IBM may share the personal information collected with IBM subsidiaries and third parties globally. It will be handled in a manner consistent with IBM privacy practices. The IBM Privacy Statement can be viewed here: https://www.ibm.com/privacy/us/en/.
IBM employees can view the IBM Internal Privacy Statement here: https://w3.ibm.com/w3publisher/w3-privacy-notice.