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?
Digital credentials open new pathways to employment and are an important tool in today’s competitive job market. They are industry-recognized and represent skill, knowledge, and competency achievements that are meaningful for their earners, and essential to employers.
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
Overview
Types of digital credentials
Explore SkillsBuild digital credentials
Agile Explorer
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, 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.
Analyze Open Data Sets with Python
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 65+ hours
This credential earner demonstrated their applied knowledge in wrangling and analyzing open data sets with Python. The earner has performed data loading, cleaning, transforming, and visualizing using Python, to help improve services. The earner will build and develop their transferable skills and gain real industry experience and be able to start their career as an entry-level data analyst, data engineer, or data scientist.
Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Czech, Chinese (Traditional), French
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.
Be an Entrepreneur
Audience: All learners
Languages: English
Duration: 35 hours
This badge earner demonstrates an entrepreneurial mindset and the skills needed to build and test a business idea to create a valid business opportunity. They know how to build a business model for an idea, pitch it, and launch it. This badge is designed for individuals who have not previously considered themselves entrepreneurs and who are now interested in developing entrepreneurial skills.
Career Fit Achievement: Customer Engagement Specialist
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, Arabic
Duration: 45+ minutes
This badge earner has completed an assessment, the results of which indicate the individual has the skills, abilities, and personality traits to consider a career as a Customer Engagement Specialist. The badge earner shows proficiency at the Customer Engagement Specialist career readiness level. Badge earners can use this knowledge to pursue further education about this career path.
Career Fit Achievement: Cybersecurity Professional
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, Arabic
Duration: 45+ minutes
This badge earner has completed an assessment, the results of which indicate the individual has the skills, abilities, and personality traits to consider a career as a Cybersecurity Professional. The badge earner shows proficiency at the Cybersecurity Professional career readiness level. Badge earners can use this knowledge to pursue further education about this career path.
Career Fit Achievement: Data Analyst
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, Arabic
Duration: 45+ minutes
This badge earner has completed an assessment, the results of which indicate the individual has the skills, abilities, and personality traits to consider a career as a Data Analyst. The badge earner shows proficiency at the Data Analyst career readiness level. Badge earners can use this knowledge to pursue further education about this career path.
Career Fit Achievement: IT Design Thinking
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, Arabic
Duration: 45+ minutes
This badge earner has completed an assessment, the results of which indicate the individual has the skills, abilities, and personality traits to consider a career in IT Design Thinking. The badge earner shows proficiency at the IT Design Thinking career readiness level. Badge earners can use this knowledge to pursue further education about this career path.
Career Fit Achievement: IT Support Technician
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, Arabic
Duration: 45+ minutes
This credential earner has completed an assessment, the results of which indicate the individual has the skills, abilities, and personality traits to consider a career as an IT Support Technician. The earner shows proficiency at the IT Support Technician career readiness level, and can use this knowledge to pursue further education about this career path.
Career Fit Achievement: Mainframe System Administrator
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, Arabic
Duration: 45+ minutes
This badge earner has completed an assessment, the results of which indicate the individual has the skills, abilities, and personality traits to consider a career as a Mainframe System Administrator. The badge earner shows proficiency at the Mainframe System Administrator career readiness level. Badge earners can use this knowledge to pursue further education about this career path.
Career Fit Achievement: Project Manager
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, Arabic
Duration: 45+ minutes
This badge earner has completed an assessment, the results of which indicate the individual has the skills, abilities, and personality traits to consider a career as a Project Manager. The badge earner shows proficiency at the Project Manager career readiness level. Badge earners can use this knowledge to pursue further education about this career path.
Career Fit Achievement: Web Developer
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, Arabic
Duration: 45+ minutes
This credential earner has completed an assessment, the results of which indicate the individual has the skills, abilities, and personality traits to consider a career as a Web Developer. The earner shows proficiency at the Web Developer career readiness level, and can use this knowledge to pursue further education about this career path.
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.
Comunicación con clientes: soporte y gestión telefónica
Audience: All learners
Languages: Spanish
Duration: 24 hours
This credential earner demonstrates a knowledge of communication and customer management skills for a contact or service center environment. The individual understands communication and its nuances, and knows the most effective approaches and tools to use in telephone support. The earner can apply business skills in client situations, and understands the sales process and its relationship to marketing strategies and market considerations.
Conduct a Vulnerability Report of a Website
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 268+ hours
This credential earner demonstrated their applied knowledge in developing a vulnerability report of a client website. The earner has completed a threat assessment by conducting global cyber risk research, identifying risks faced by the clients industry, analyzing recent incidents in the industry, and providing a final report to share their findings and recommendations. The earner will build and develop their transferable skills and gain real industry experience.
Customer Engagement: Communication and Personality Dynamics
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, German, French, Japanese
Duration: 6+ hours
This badge earner understands methodologies and best practices for building rapport and engaging in productive communication. They know communication skills that are clear and concise, understand when and how to say “no,” and effectively collaborate with colleagues. They know personality and behavioral characteristics critical to customer success, show an ability to self-evaluate personality strengths and weaknesses, and can apply strategies to improve upon these attributes.
Customer Engagement: Problem Solving and Process Controls
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, German, French, Japanese
Duration: 5+ hours
This badge earner knows best practices essential to resolving client problems through organization, retrieval, and usage of resources and information essential to customer success operations. The individual understands concepts and methods related to Service Level Agreements (SLAs), application of support ticketing systems, Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS) methodology, and application of effective typing and dictation skills.
Cybersecurity Fundamentals
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, Czech, Dutch, Polish, Italian, Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Ukrainian, Turkish
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 cyber security risk management 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.
Cybersecurity Pre-Apprenticeship
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 86+ hours
The credential earner demonstrates basic proficiency in security tools used to configure, monitor, track, and analyze network systems and applications. The individual has gained foundational knowledge of security compliance standards along with a demonstrated soft skill for design thinking, agile, and professional skills including problem solving and collaboration. The earner is prepared for an apprenticeship and has completed all the foundational skills.
Data Analytics and Visualization Camp
Audience: Learners working with Laboratoria
Languages: Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese
Duration: 25+ hours
This badge earner understands basic statistical concepts such as measures of central tendency, dispersion, and linear regressions. The individual uses spreadsheets and database engines to handle, clean, and analyze data, and generates visual reports using data visualization tools such as Microsoft Power BI.
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.
Data Scientist Pre-Apprenticeship
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 93+ hours
This credential earner demonstrates basic proficiency of data fundamentals, statistics, Python, SQL, and machine learning. The individual has an understanding of soft skills for design thinking, agile, and professional skills (including problem solving and collaboration). The earner is prepared for an apprenticeship and has completed all the foundational skills.
Develop an Agile Cloud Computing Solution
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: Japanese
Duration: 48+ hours
This credential earner demonstrated their applied knowledge in implementing a complete lift -and- shift solution using key cloud computing concepts and associated Amazon Web Services (AWS) solutions. The earner has set up a CI/CD pipeline that builds and deploys software and documentation with each release, and provided a final recording to share their solution. They have built and developed transferable skills in addition to gaining real industry experience.
Enterprise Computing Pre-Apprenticeship
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 130+ hours
This credential earner demonstrates basic proficiency of mainframe hardware, operating systems, security, and features. The individual has an understanding of soft skills for design thinking, agile, and professional skills (including problem solving and collaboration). The earner is prepared for an apprenticeship, and has completed all the foundational skills.
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, creating a marketing strategy 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.
Explorations into Mindfulness
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Polish
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.
Explore Emerging Tech
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, Polish, Italian, Turkish, Traditional Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Ukrainian, Japanese
Duration: 7+ hours
Digital 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.
Foundations in Effective Mentoring
Audience: Learners who want to develop foundational skills in mentoring adult learners in educational or professional contexts
Languages: English
Duration: 7+ hours
This credential earner has knowledge of mentoring, its benefits, and the stages in the mentoring process. The earner understands the skills required to be an effective mentor, how to apply effective communications skills to foster relationship building, and how to help evaluate mentees’ needs and provide appropriate feedback. The earner is aware of two approaches that mentees use in professional or educational contexts and how to mentor using them: project-based learning and design thinking.
Front-End Web Development
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 17 hours
This credential earner has advanced web development skills and the ability to craft interactive web pages using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The earner can identify software engineering principles and can handle errors within JavaScript. The individual has practical Command Line Interface skills for development environments and has practiced essential workplace skills.
Fundamentals of Sustainability and Technology
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, Brazilian Portuguese, French
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.
Generative AI in Action
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 5+ hours
This credential earner has applied technical knowledge of principles of generative AI, prompt engineering techniques, and Python libraries. The individual has demonstrated general knowledge of the methods, applications, and ethical considerations of using GenAI models. The earner has practiced essential workplace skills and explored generative AI career pathways.
Hardware Components and Troubleshooting
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 15 hours
This credential earner has the advanced skills to apply troubleshooting techniques to hardware components for desktop computers, mobile devices, and networks. The individual has the technical knowledge and practical skills to review symptoms, diagnose the issue, establish a theory of probable cause, follow a troubleshooting methodology, and troubleshoot to resolve the hardware issue. The earner has practiced essential workplace skills.
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.
IT Support Specialist Pre-Apprenticeship
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 63+ hours
The credential earner demonstrates basic proficiency of computer hardware, networking, operating systems, and foundations of virtualization and cloud computing. The individual has an understanding of general troubleshooting strategies and methodologies, and has also demonstrated soft skills for design thinking, agile, and professional skills (including problem solving and collaboration). The earner is prepared for an apprenticeship, and has completed all the foundational skills.
Job Application Essentials
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Traditional Chinese, French, Italian, Turkish, Czech, Ukrainian
Duration: 7+ hours
This badge earner demonstrates a strong understanding of how to position themself effectively for their initial job opportunities. The individual knows how to build a strong, professional social media and online presence; how to conduct thorough and effective workplace research personalized to their interests and skills; and how to create a strong entry-level resume, even without any prior work experience. The earner has also practiced interviewing professionally.
Network Protocol and Configuration
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 20 hours
This credential earner has the advanced skills to design, configure, secure, and troubleshoot wired and wireless networks. The individual has the technical knowledge and practical skills to select network services, technologies, internet protocols, typologies, tools, best practices, and troubleshooting techniques to manage and maintain a network. The earner has practiced essential workplace skills.
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.
Software Engineer Pre-Apprenticeship
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 116+ hours
This credential earner demonstrates basic proficiency of computer programming fundamentals and demonstrated skills in programming languages including Java, JavaScript and Python. The earner has also demonstrated soft skills for design thinking, agile, and professional skills (including problem solving and collaboration). The earner is prepared for an apprenticeship and has completed all the foundational skills.
User Experience Design Fundamentals
Audience: All Learners
Languages: English
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.
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.
Web Development with Python
Audience: All learners
Languages: Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese
Duration: 53+ hours
This credential earner demonstrates applied proficiency in web development, Python programming, and debugging in Python. The individual can develop basic web pages, perform version control with Git, code in Python, and automate tests using Python.
Working in a Digital World: Essential Skills
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: Japanese
Duration: 8+ hours
Essential skills represent the industry knowledge and modern ways of working that professionals need to be successful in a digital innovation economy. This badge earner knows how to use and apply agile and design thinking methodologies and practices, and is aware of the key technologies that power today’s jobs, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data and analytics, blockchain, and security.
Working in a Digital World: Professional Skills
Audience: All learners
Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, Polish, Turkish, Czech, Ukrainian
Duration: 8+ hours
This badge earner understands 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.
Apply Incident Detection and Response Techniques
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 10 hours
This credential earner demonstrated their applied knowledge in investigating, identifying, and assessing potential threats in an organization. The earner has implemented hash file analysis techniques, analyzed emails to unveil any concealed threats, and provided a defense containment and recommendation plans. The earner will build and develop their transferable skills and gain real industry experience.
Perform Risk Assessment and Prioritization
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 10 hours
This credential earner demonstrated their applied knowledge in assessing and prioritizing risks for an organization. The earner has identified security anomalies on the system, performed risk assessments, and provided recommendations based on priority risk. The earner will build and develop their transferable skills and gain real industry experience.
Create and Implement Security Controls
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: Japanese
Duration: 100 hours
This credential earner demonstrated their applied knowledge in creating and implementing security measures for a technology company. The earner has implemented essential security controls, identified common threats and attacks, and understood data and access controls. The earner will build and develop their transferable skills and gain real industry experience.
Conduct Threat Modeling for a Cloud Application
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 10 hours
This credential earner demonstrated their applied knowledge in conducting threat modelling for a cloud application. The earner has created threat models, performed stakeholder interviews, and provided recommendations based on conducted models. The earner will build and develop their transferable skills and gain real industry experience.
Respond and Mitigate Security Threats
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 10 hours
This credential earner demonstrated their applied knowledge in handling and mitigating threats based on the NIST Incident Response Framework. The earner has identified threats, investigated its nature, responded with a containment plan, eradicated further threat, and created a follow-up report. The earner will build and develop their transferable skills and gain real industry experience.
Assess Network Vulnerabilities
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 10 hours
This credential earner demonstrated their applied knowledge in conducting a vulnerability assessment for a clinic. The earner has analyzed network scans, conducted an internal and external vulnerability scan, and delivered a report of the findings and recommendations to the stakeholders. The earner will build and develop their transferable skills and gain real industry experience.
Apply Descriptive Analytics to Uncover Insight
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 10 hours
This credential earner demonstrated their applied knowledge in analyzing data to provide informed guidance to the stakeholders. The earner has conducted stakeholder interviews, used descriptive analytics to uncover patterns, and made recommendations based on the analysis. The earner will build and develop their transferable skills and gain real industry experience.
Implement Predictive Analytics Techniques
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 10 hours
This credential earner demonstrated their applied knowledge in implementing predictive analytics techniques to analyze data and optimize decision making. The earner has knowledge of supervised machine learning practices such as linear regression and logistical classification, and the knowledge on how to optimize these models using different methods such as decision trees. The earner will build and develop their transferable skills and gain real industry experience.
Implement Zero Trust Security
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 20 hours
This credential earner has the advanced competencies to implement a zero trust security architecture based on insights gathered from a simulated stakeholder interview. The earner has knowledge of modeling a zero trust framework and the practical strategies to enhance organizational security. The earner has developed transferable employability skills and gained real industry experience in a project-based learning opportunity.
Analyze Data and Implement Decision Modeling
Audience: Learners working with an NPO
Languages: English
Duration: 10 hours
This credential earner has the advanced competencies to analyze data to provide informed guidance to stakeholders. The earner has effectively collected, cleaned and analyzed data to derive insights for predictive modeling. The earner has developed transferable employability skills and gained real industry experience in a project-based learning opportunity.
Notice
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/.
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