This article is part of the Learning by Association blog series, featuring insights from Fusion, D2L’s annual user conference. Throughout the series, you’ll hear directly from association leaders and industry experts as they share practical strategies, emerging trends and real-world experiences to help organizations strengthen member education and create lasting value through learning.
As industries evolve and workforce expectations shift, associations have an opportunity to redefine how they recognize competence. At D2L Fusion, Rebecca Achurch, Founder and CEO of Achurch Consulting, sat down with Denise Roosendaal, Executive Director of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE), to explore why micro-credentials and digital badging are becoming essential tools for lifelong learning and workforce readiness.
Why associations need a credentialing strategy that keeps up with the pace of change
The rise of AI is reshaping workforces at a rapid pace. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, nearly 40% of the core skills employees need to perform their jobs today are expected to change or become obsolete by 2030. The report pinpoints skills gaps as the biggest barrier businesses are up against—a finding that can present an opportunity for associations prepared to cease it.
It’s not an alarm bell; it’s a wake-up call. This is an opportunity for associations.Denise Roosendaal Executive Director, the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE)
For associations, one trait that sets them apart in their industries is trust. Members look to associations as reliable, proven sources of knowledge, community, and professional development. They need flexible, skills-based learning to stay competitive in their careers, which is why micro-credentials can be valuable pieces of an association’s education strategy.
What makes micro-credentials appealing to associations and learners alike
Certification programs often remain the gold standard for validating professional competence. They can be foundational pillars for the associations that offer them and set the bar for industries they serve.
Today’s learners want options. In addition to accreditation, they want smaller, faster, more flexible ways to gain skills and demonstrate progress.
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The learner has changed. They no longer want to go immediately to certification.
Rather than replacing certifications, micro-credentials complement them by supporting:
- entering a profession
- reskilling or upskilling
- continuing professional development
- exploring emerging specializations
- preparing for advanced certifications
Think of micro-credentials as stepping stones. They allow learners to build their expertise one competency at a time, making learning more accessible and creating pathways toward larger career goals.
Micro-credentials and digital badging
One of the session’s key takeaways was the importance of understanding the credentialing landscape and using the right terminology to talk about it.
Broadly, credentialing is the umbrella term that encompasses certifications, diplomas, and apprenticeships as well as micro-credentials and digital badges—each of which serves a different purpose:
- micro-credentials recognize a demonstrated achievement of a narrowly defined skill or competency
- digital badges provide a way to verify and share those accomplishments
If someone adds a badge to their LinkedIn profile and an employer clicks on it, the employer will be able to see information like the issuing organization, demonstrated skills, assessment details, and renewal requirements. That transparency helps employers better understand exactly what a learner has achieved.
Start with strategy
As enthusiasm for micro-credentials grows, it’s tempting to begin by selecting a digital badging platform or launching a new learning initiative.
The speakers encouraged associations to do the opposite.
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The key—the number one key—is strategy.
Successful micro-credential programs begin by answering fundamental questions:
- What workforce problem are we solving?
- Which competencies matter most?
- How does this fit within our broader learning ecosystem?
- How will employers recognize and value these credentials?
Technology needs to support the strategy, not define it.
What skills can micro-credentials help learners develop?
Perhaps the biggest shift discussed wasn’t about technology at all. It was about people.
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We’re not talking about technical skills anymore. The future is about durable skills.
Although AI, big data, cybersecurity and digital literacy took prominent spots, the Future of Jobs Report 2025 found that six of the top 10 skills on the rise over the next five years had little to do with technology, including:
- creative thinking
- resilience, flexibility and agility
- curiosity and lifelong learning
- leadership and social influence
- analytical thinking
These competencies can be difficult to measure within traditional certification models but are well suited to focused learning experiences supported by micro-credentials.
Why associations should lead
Associations occupy a unique position as trusted leaders with deep expertise in defining and championing industry standards and professional competencies.
Associations are particularly well positioned because they are the neutral party.Rebecca Achurch Founder and CEO, Achurch Consulting
Credentials issued by associations carry credibility beyond any single employer. They remain portable throughout a person’s career while helping establish consistent professional standards across an industry.
That reputation may become one of the greatest advantages associations have in the evolving learning landscape.
Unlocking the potential of micro-credentials
For associations, micro-credentials offer more than a new learning product. They provide a way to strengthen member value, respond quickly to changing workforce needs, and reinforce the association’s role as the trusted authority for defining professional competence.
The question isn’t whether skills will continue to change. That’s inevitable.
The question we need to focus on is who will define competence for the future, and that’s something associations are uniquely positioned to do.
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