In today’s business climate, it’s increasingly a worker’s skill set, rather than his or her degree, that counts. The education community has responded by ramping up skills training and retraining programs for learners of all ages, often working in partnerships with regional and national employers. The Manufacturing Institute, for instance, has launched a national skills certification program aimed at helping workers acquire and demonstrate particular talents in certain industries. And in the vein of video game rewards and Scout badges, a number of educators, companies, and organizations are developing digital student “badges” that show skills learned or specific objectives met. This panel will explore how skills certification programs and online badges can help shore up the STEM pipeline.
