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Exploring employer perceptions of open badges in supporting young unemployed people into education, employment or training. 21/07/16. Vicky Foley, City & Guilds. The UK Skills Gap. Lack of employability skills. Competencies. What are open badges?. How do open badges work?.
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Exploring employer perceptions of open badges in supporting young unemployed people into education, employment or training • 21/07/16 Vicky Foley, City & Guilds
Reducing the Skills Gap ProgrammeSo what was missing and why open badges?
Open badges pilot • The pilot explored whether employers believe that badges are successful in providing a new currency for employers and unlocking opportunities for young people. • This pilot took place from June-October 2015 with 26 young people (aged between 17-25). • There are approximately 80 young people due to take the programme this year.
Research questions • How do employers value open badges compared to traditional credentials? • What are the opportunities and challenges of using open badges to recognise skills around employability? • What kind of evidence makes a difference to supporting young people into education, employment, or training? • What is City & Guild’s role in the process?
Methodology • Online questionnaire was completed by the young people participating in the pilot. • Three focus groups were held with eleven young people. • The young people participated in various interactive activities during the focus groups to help them answer the questions. • Ten employers took part in a focus group and one took part in an interview. • Detailed presentation given to the employers about badges, their uses and the pilot. Two young people who had engaged with the pilot also presented their badges to the employers.
Questionnaire analysis • The questionnaire was intended to give us a platform to talk to employers and young people in detail during the focus groups. • Key findings • Overall the young people were extremely positive about the badges. 93% had not been awarded a badge previously. • Open badges have more value if they are approved by someone like C&G. • Open badges are a fresh look on how employers see employees – every YP thought that further employers will look positively at the badges. • YP intend to use their badges to help gain employment by placing them on their CVs and showing them to employers. Although there does still appear to be some ambiguity about how to use them.
Analysis of employers focus groups • The focus groups found that the concept of badges and their ability to evidence the skills that young people have, was well received by employers. • Evidence was a key theme throughout the discussions, employers are looking for evidence of young people’s skills, they want proof that they can do what they say the can do: • ‘Absolutely, anyone will put a CV forward and give me a job history but they don’t give any evidence that they’ve got the various skills that she is looking for badges have that evidence.’ • The focus groups also found that there was a lack of understanding form employers about badges which has meant they have not yet been integrated into their recruitment processes.
How do employers value digital credentials compared to traditional credentials? • Employers saw the appeal of open badges for young people. Young people have grown up using technology, so they thought having their credentials online would be attractive to them. • The young people agreed and preferred to have credentials digitally rather than on paper. However, they did not think badges should be viewed differently by employers compared to traditional credentials. • Employers noted that the grades students achieve in traditional qualifications are not always relevant to them. The skills they have are more important.
How do employers value digital credentials compared to traditional credentials? • Employers were unsure whether the validation of badges was comparable to the stringent processes used in formal qualifications. • Employers needed to feel comfortable that the same level of validation takes places with open badges. This would increase the credibility of open badges.
What are the opportunities and challenges of using professional credentials to recognise skills around employability • Badges give young people the opportunity to evidence and show off their skills to employers and education/training providers, which may not have necessarily been achieved through traditional qualification routes. • Badges give the young people the extra boost that they needed to talk about their credentials and provide evidence which showed these skills. • For employers the fact that these skills have been verified by somebody to confirm that an individual has those skills was very appealing. • One of the main challenges of using badges to recognise skills is employers lack of awareness or understanding of what badges are.
What are the opportunities and challenges of using professional credentials to recognise skills around employability • The employers said they would support badges once they were integrated into the recruitment process as they provide a thorough understanding of an individuals skills. • The challenge is how badges can be incorporated within recruitment processes, so that young people can show employers the skills which make them employable. • Badges have also been used to help young people enter into further education and/or training. A number of the young people in this study have used badges in their university applications.
What kind of evidence makes a different to supporting young people into education, employment or training? • The evidence contained within a badge is seen by both the young people and the employers as an integral part of the badging process. • The young people said this was especially valuable when showing their badges to employers and providing evidence to prove to employers that they actually have those skills. • Employers would like to see practical evidence of the skills the young people have. • However, one consideration to make is whether employers will actually look at this evidence and where it would fit in the recruitment process.
What is City & Guilds role in the process? • Positive response from both the young people and employers about City & Guilds role in the process. They believe the link between C&G and the badges added value and credibility for both parties. • C&G’s logo is recognised both across the country and internationally. • There is a belief that having a qualification provider endorsing a badge will mean that the badges will have gone through a rigorous quality standards procedure.
Recommendations • The responses given by the young people and employers in this study indicate that badges have not yet been fully acknowledged by employers and integrated into the recruitment process. • More work needs to take place on • the engagement of both employers and young people in open badges, what they are; their purposes and the benefits of badges. • how the evidence provided within a badge is assessed. • the incorporation of badges within the recruitment process.
