What are the four levels of digital credentialing?

The four levels are: Level 1 — PDF and paper certificates with no digital infrastructure; Level 2 — branded digital badges for social sharing and recognition; Level 3 — standards-based verifiable credentials built on Open Badges 3.0 and W3C Verifiable Credentials, independently verifiable by employers, institutions and systems; Level 4 — a full credential and skills ecosystem including Comprehensive Learner Records (CLR), skills taxonomy, learning pathways and workforce intelligence.

What is the difference between a digital badge and a verifiable credential?

A digital badge (Level 2) is primarily a branded, shareable image used for recognition on social platforms like LinkedIn. A verifiable credential (Level 3) is a standards-based, cryptographically signed digital credential built on Open Badges 3.0 or W3C Verifiable Credentials. Unlike a badge, a verifiable credential can be independently verified by employers, institutions, software systems and increasingly AI-powered applications — without contacting the issuing organisation.

What is Open Badges 3.0?

Open Badges 3.0 is an open standard for digital credentials maintained by 1EdTech. It defines a structured, machine-readable format for digital credentials that includes cryptographic signing, independent verification, and interoperability across platforms. CertifyMe is 1EdTech certified for Open Badges 3.0 and Comprehensive Learner Records (CLR), with support for W3C Verifiable Credentials.

When does an organisation need Level 3 digital credentials?

An organisation needs Level 3 credentials when the credential must do more than look good — it needs to be trusted and verifiable. This includes when employers, institutions or systems need to independently verify the credential; when the program's reputation depends on the credibility of its credentials; when credentials should be machine-readable and portable beyond the issuing platform; or when the organisation wants its program to be globally recognised through open standards.

What is a Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR)?

A Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR) is a structured digital record that connects all of a learner's credentials, achievements, skills and experiences into a single, verifiable record. CLR is a standard maintained by 1EdTech. At Level 4, CertifyMe connects individual credentials into CLRs, which can then be linked to skills taxonomies, learning pathways and workforce intelligence systems.

What is the difference between Level 3 and Level 4 digital credentialing?

Level 3 focuses on issuing individual trusted, standards-based, independently verifiable credentials — the credential represents the program, achievement and standards behind it. Level 4 extends this foundation by connecting credentials to Comprehensive Learner Records (CLR), skills taxonomies, learning pathways and workforce intelligence. Level 4 is for organisations that need credential data to feed program analysis, skills gap identification and workforce planning.

DIGITAL CREDENTIALING FRAMEWORK

The Four Levels of Digital Credentialing

Not every organization needs the same credentialing infrastructure. The important question is: what does your credential need to do?

Recognition Branding Trust Intelligence

Find Your Level Talk to a Credential Expert

What Are You Actually Trying to Achieve?

Read each quadrant. One of these is your organisation. Your level is the answer.

I just need to issue certificates

Paper records, PDF awards, attendance documents. The credential is an admin output — not a program asset.

You are here if…

Your events or programs are physical-only
No employer or institution needs to verify the credential
Recipients don't need to share or carry the credential forward
Simplicity and low cost are the only requirements

Typically owned by Admin team · Event coordinator · Programme administrator

CertifyMe is not the right tool for this

I want branded digital badges recipients can share

Digital recognition, custom branding, LinkedIn sharing. The goal is engagement — not trust or portability.

You are here if…

Free webinars, short workshops or community participation
Completion does not require a graded assessment
No employer or third party needs to verify the credential
Social sharing on LinkedIn is the primary value

Typically owned by Marketing team · Community manager · Event coordinator

Watch out: Most badge platforms stop at Level 2. They are not built on open standards — once you issue at scale, switching costs are high and credential data is locked inside the vendor's system.

CertifyMe would be overkill

CERTIFYME STARTS HERE

I want my program to be trusted and recognised globally

The credential represents the program. Its credibility is your program's credibility. Employers, institutions and systems need to be able to trust and verify it — without calling you.

You are here if…

You run paid programs with graded assessment
Employers or other institutions receive your graduates
You issue professional, compliance or regulatory certifications
You want global recognition built on open standards (Open Badges 3.0, W3C VC)
You need credentials to be machine-readable and AI-understandable

Typically owned by L&D Director · Program Director · VP of Education · Compliance Officer

The cost of getting this wrong: Credentials issued on a proprietary platform cannot be independently verified. Employers can't trust them. Recipients can't carry them. Your program's reputation is tied to a vendor's continued existence.

This is where CertifyMe starts →

CERTIFYME

I need credential data connected to skills, records and workforce intelligence

Individual credentials are not enough. You need structured data that connects learning outcomes to skills, workforce planning and program ROI — across your entire organisation.

You are here if…

You run multi-course programs or degree pathways
Employer or government partnerships require skills evidence
You need a Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR)
Skills gap analysis and workforce reporting are program requirements
You need credential data to feed talent systems and HR platforms

Typically owned by CLO · CHRO · VP Talent Development · University Registrar

The cost of getting this wrong: Without structured skills data, you cannot demonstrate program impact. You cannot answer what skills your programs build — and increasingly, employers and funders are asking exactly that.

CertifyMe becomes a skills ecosystem →

What Level of Credentialing Does Your Organization Need?

The right level depends on what the credential needs to do — not just what it costs. Here's how common scenarios map.

Level Organisation type What they issue Why this level

Level 1 — PDF & Paper

Primary school

Swimming level award

Physical milestone record. No employer need, no verification required — a paper certificate is perfectly appropriate.

Community centre

Event attendance certificate

Proof of presence, not assessed competence. Recipients keep a paper copy; no digital sharing or verification expected.

Internal HR

Employee service anniversary award

Internal recognition only. The record stays in the HR system; it never needs to travel beyond the organisation.

Level 2 — Digital Recognition

Online workshop provider

Free webinar appreciation badge

Recognition and social sharing is the entire goal. No assessment, no employer use — a branded badge is the right tool.

Hackathon organiser

Participation badge

Community engagement, not an assessed outcome. Shareable on LinkedIn is the primary value — verification is irrelevant.

Corporate L&D team

Internal soft-skills acknowledgement

Morale and recognition within the organisation. Not employer-facing externally, so portability and standards don't matter yet.

Level 3 — Verifiable Credentials CERTIFYME STARTS HERE

Online course platform

Graded course completion certificate

Employers need to trust and verify this. A badge-only approach fails here — the credential must be independently verifiable and structured.

Professional body

Industry certification (project management, cloud, finance)

Program credibility depends on the credential being trusted. Must be portable, machine-readable and verifiable by third parties.

University

Executive education / continuing education micro-credential

External recognition is the entire value proposition. Open standards (Open Badges 3.0, W3C VC) are required for global portability.

Corporate training team

Compliance certification (data privacy, health & safety, AML)

Regulators and auditors need a verifiable record. The credential must be independently verifiable with a permanent audit trail.

Level 4 — Skills & Program Intelligence CERTIFYME

University

Comprehensive Learner Record across degree programs

All skills, courses and achievements in one portable, structured record. Connects to employer skills systems and workforce matching platforms.

Bootcamp / EdTech platform

Multi-skill learning pathway with employer reporting

Employers need a structured view of skills, not just individual certificates. Pathway data connects to hiring and skills gap analysis.

Enterprise L&D

Workforce upskilling programme

Skills intelligence feeds workforce planning. The organisation needs to track skills gaps, pathways and program ROI — not just issue certificates.

Government / public sector

National skills programme with verified attainment records

Funding accountability and policy reporting require structured, auditable skills evidence across cohorts — not just individual certificates. Credentials must connect to national skills taxonomies and workforce data.

Level 1 — PDF & Paper

Static certificates and paper documents. Suitable when verification is manual, records are static and no credential infrastructure is required.

Manual verificationStatic recordsNo portabilityNo open standards

CertifyMe fit

If this is all you need, you probably don't need CertifyMe.

Level 2 — Digital Recognition

Branded digital badges with social sharing and recipient engagement. Appropriate when the primary goal is recognition, branding and sharing.

Digital badgesCustom brandingSocial sharingRecipient engagement

Best for: events, workshops, short courses, community recognition, basic training programs.

CertifyMe fit

Good for recognition. Limited when credentials become business-critical.

Most badge platforms stop here — and that creates a problem.

The majority of digital badge platforms operate at Level 2. Cost is low, but so is the value ceiling. More importantly, most Level 2 platforms are not built on open standards — which means your credential data, designs and recipient records are locked inside a proprietary system.

Credentials cannot be independently verified outside the platform
Recipient data is owned and controlled by the vendor
Switching platforms means losing credential history and portability
No structured data — credentials are invisible to systems and AI

If your program's credibility matters — or may matter in the future — a proprietary badge platform is a strategic dead end.

Where Level 2 stops — the questions it can't answer:

Can the credential be independently verified? Is the data structured and machine-readable? Is it built on open standards? Do you want your program to be globally recognised? Do you want AI systems to understand and verify your credentials? Can achievements connect to skills? Can it integrate with workforce systems?

If branding and recognition are your only requirements, Level 2 may be sufficient. If trust, verification and interoperability matter, you need Level 3.

Extend the Value of Every Program You Deliver

You have invested heavily in your courses, certifications and training programs. The value of those programs should not stop at your website, LMS or internal database. A standards-based digital credential creates a structured digital representation of the program and achievement — one that can be understood by compatible credential platforms, software systems, search and discovery systems, and increasingly AI-powered applications.

Your Program CertifyMe Open Standards Structured Digital Credential Compatible Systems Greater Program Value & Recognition

LEVEL 3 VERIFIABLE CREDENTIALS CERTIFYME

LEVEL 4 SKILLS ECOSYSTEM CERTIFYME

CERTIFYME PLATFORM — LEVEL 3

Trusted, Verifiable & Interoperable Credentials

Your organisation is not simply issuing a badge. You are creating a standards-based digital representation of your program and the achievement it delivers.

For organizations that need trusted, standards-based, independently verifiable credentials — and want their program's credibility to extend beyond their own platform.

This is where credentials become trusted, portable, machine-readable evidence.

Institution — the authoritative issuer

Cryptographically Signed Credential

Open Standards (OB3, W3C VC)

Independent Verification

Machine-Readable Evidence

What Level 3 Does for Your Program

Strengthen Program Credibility

Your credential represents not only the recipient, but the organisation, program, achievement criteria and standards behind it.

Extend Program Recognition

Standards-based credentials are designed to make achievements more portable and usable across a broader credential ecosystem.

Make Programs Machine-Understandable

Structured credential data gives compatible systems — and increasingly AI-powered applications — clearer information about your programs, achievements and skills.

Build Long-Term Program Value

Move beyond issuing a certificate toward a credential infrastructure that can evolve into records, skills, pathways and workforce intelligence.

Independent Verification

Recipients, employers and partners can verify the credential independently — without contacting your organisation.

Global Recognition

Credentials built on Open Badges 3.0 and W3C VC are designed for broader recognition across institutions, employers and compatible systems worldwide.

Enterprise-Scale Issuance

Issue, manage and track credentials at scale across your entire credential program — with full auditability and lifecycle control.

Built on Standards. Designed for Trust.

Open Badges 3.0 1EdTech Certified

W3C Verifiable Credentials Supported

Comprehensive Learner Records 1EdTech Certified

If You Issue Credentials as Part of a Serious Program, You're Probably Here.

Level 3 is the common starting point for organizations where the credential itself needs to be trusted and verifiable.

Enterprise L&D

Employee learning, certifications and compliance credentials that need to be verifiable and portable.

Typical: Level 3

Certification Bodies

Professional certifications and credential lifecycle. Credentials must be independently verifiable.

Typical: Level 3

E-learning Providers

Course and professional credentials built on open standards for portability beyond the platform.

Typical: Level 3

Professional Associations

Member certifications and professional achievements that carry weight with employers and regulators.

Typical: Level 3

University Departments

Course certifications, micro-credentials and specialized programs that need to be trusted by employers and institutions.

Typical: Level 3

Training Organizations

Professional development and skills recognition credentials portable across CPD portfolios and careers.

Typical: Level 3

CERTIFYME PLATFORM — LEVEL 4

From Credentials to Program & Skills Intelligence

Level 4 starts with the same trusted credential foundation — then connects credentials to records, skills, learning pathways and workforce intelligence.

This is where credentials become infrastructure for program intelligence, skills insight and workforce planning.

Level 3 Credential

Level 4 Credential + Record (CLR) + Skills + Pathways + Workforce Intelligence

The Level 4 Capability Stack

Credential Infrastructure

Degrees · Certificates · Badges · Certifications

Comprehensive Records (CLR)

Connected achievements · Structured learner records

Skills Layer

Skills taxonomy · Credential-to-skill mapping · Skill relationships

Learning Pathways

Progression · Stackable credentials · Recommended learning

Workforce Intelligence

Job-skill mapping · Labour-market signals · Workforce demand

Identity — via SkillStory

Skill Passport · Verified CV · Portfolio

What Level 4 Connects for Your Organisation

The primary B2B value of Level 4 is program and skills intelligence — connecting credential data to records, skills, pathways and workforce planning.

For a University

Degrees & Transcripts ↓ Certificates & Badges ↓ Co-curricular Achievements ↓ Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR) ↓ Skills & Skill Passport ↓ Workforce Relevance

For an Enterprise

Learning Programs ↓ Employee Credentials ↓ Skills & Skills Taxonomy ↓ Career Pathways & Job Roles ↓ Workforce Skill Gap Intelligence

For a Certification Body

Certifications & Verification ↓ Skills Represented ↓ Professional Pathways ↓ Credential Lifecycle Value

For E-Learning Providers

Courses & Credentials ↓ Skills Developed ↓ Learning Pathways ↓ Career Relevance

University: From Individual Credentials to a Complete Learner Record

University Department — Level 3

Course Certification

A trusted, verifiable credential — independently signed and issued on open standards. A department issuing one course credential may be Level 3.

University Ecosystem — Level 4

Degree + Transcript + Certificates + Badges + Co-curricular + Skills

CLR → Skill Passport → Career / Workforce Relevance

Enterprise: From Training Completion to Workforce Capability

Training

Credential

Verified Skill

Skills Taxonomy

Career Pathway

Workforce Skill Gap & Intelligence

"Employees can share their certificates" is a supporting benefit. The primary L&D value is workforce capability intelligence.

LEVEL 4 EXTENSION

Extend Credentials Into a Lifelong Skill Identity

CertifyMeThe organization's credential infrastructure

SkillStoryThe learner / professional identity layer

SkillStory is an extension of the credential ecosystem, not a requirement to use CertifyMe.

Learn more at SkillStory.org →

CredentialsSkillsProjectsExperienceAchievements

Skill Passport

Verified CV

Portfolio

Level 3 or Level 4?

LEVEL 3 TRUST

Choose Level 3 when your priority is:

Verifiable credentials
Open standards (OB3, W3C VC)
Cryptographic signing
Independent verification
Machine-readable credentials
Credential lifecycle management
Analytics
Enterprise integrations

LEVEL 4 INTELLIGENCE

Everything in Level 3, plus:

Comprehensive Learner Records (CLR)
Skills taxonomy
Credential-to-skill mapping
Job-skill mapping
Learning pathways
Labour-market intelligence
Workforce intelligence
Skill Passport (via SkillStory)

Not sure? Start with Level 3. Build toward Level 4 as your credential ecosystem grows.

Why Organizations Choose CertifyMe at Levels 3 and 4

Standards, Not Just Branding

Open Badges 3.0, CLR and W3C VC support.

Trust, Not Just Sharing

Credentials designed for independent verification.

Infrastructure, Not Just Individual Badges

Manage credential programs at scale.

Intelligence, Not Just Issuance

Analytics, skills taxonomy and workforce insights.

Growth, Not Vendor Lock-In

Start with verifiable credentials and expand into a broader ecosystem.

Level 2Recognition

Level 3Trust

Level 4Intelligence

Most organizations don't need to implement everything at once. CertifyMe gives you a foundation you can expand as your credential strategy matures.

Extend the Value of Every Program You Deliver

CertifyMe turns your courses, certifications and achievements into standards-based digital credentials designed to strengthen program credibility, extend recognition and create richer digital context for people, systems and the emerging AI-powered ecosystem.

If branding and sharing are your priority:

Level 2 may be enough.

If trust, verification and program credibility matter:

You need Level 3.

If you want credentials connected to skills and workforce intelligence:

You're looking at Level 4.

CertifyMe is built for both Levels 3 and 4.

Discuss Your Credential Strategy Request a Demo