Celebrating 100 Million Credentials: Empowering Skills That Matter

    We’ve reached an incredible milestone—100 million unique digital credentials issued through Credly by Pearson. Each represents a journey of achievement and a step toward growth. Join us in celebrating the earners and organizations who make these skills truly matter.

    100 Million Unique Credentials

    Hear from Melissa Matlins as we reflect on this incredible achievement and the impact of Credly in shaping a skills-driven future.

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    In the AI era, and across industries where precise and transparent skill recognition is crucial  for assessing talent, matching individuals to the right roles, and closing skills gaps, digital badges are powerful tools for validating professional development. Credly’s credentials represent the acquisition of skills that are critical for the  future workforce, especially as AI reshapes job roles and industry standards.

    Vishaal Gupta

    President - Pearson Workforce Skills

    We couldn't have reached this 100 million credential milestone without the trust and support of our customers and learners. Your achievements are what make this milestone possible, and you remain at the heart of everything we do. We are deeply grateful for the role you play in this journey. 

    Melissa Matlins

    Global Head - Pearson Workforce Solutions

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    Credly by Pearson’s 100th Million badge was issued by...

    Engineers Australia, the national body for engineering in Australia. 

    With 130,000-plus members, Engineers Australia supports the engineering profession in every capacity; representing it in policy and advocacy, upholding professional standards, nurturing talent and celebrating achievement. 

    Engineers Australia uses Credly to issue and recognise their members credentials and professional development from Chartered and Engineering Executive, through to micro-credentials and career support programs. 

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    And the 100th Million badge was...

    Issued for the Global Engineering Talent Program.

    This professional development program is Engineers Australia’s offering for migrant engineers entering the Australian employment market, preparing them with local skills and knowledge. 

    Delivered online over six-weeks, the program focuses on Australian engineering context, legislation, and workplace expectations, English language for engineers, contract management, teamwork, and renewable energy solutions.

    Milestone metrics

    100 Million and Growing

    Credly's journey to 100 million unique credentials reflects the transformative power of verifiable skills. Explore the numbers behind this milestone and the impact it has made on learners, students, professionals, and organizations worldwide.

    A History of Credly


    Discover the milestones that have shaped
    Credly’s journey over the past decade, from ground-breaking partnerships to industry-leading innovations.
    Nov 02, 2012

    Credly is Founded Jonathan Finkelstein starts Credly and officially forms the company as a Delaware business based in NYC.

    Jan 23, 2013

    First Credential The first credential issued on Credly was a participation badge issued by EDUCAUSE.

    Mar 18, 2013

    First International Customer The first international customer to join Credly was Roy Group Leadership Inc., based in Canada.

    Feb 05, 2014

    First Multi-lingual Credential The first credential marked as translatable is the ‘IC3 Digital Literacy Certification’, by Certiport.

    May 07, 2014

    First Cloud Computing Credential The first credential related to Cloud Computing was the ‘Oracle Certified Professional, Database Cloud Administrator’.

    Apr 08, 2015

    1 Million Credentials The 1 millionth credential was issued by GED Testing Services and it was a GED Credential.

    Feb 10, 2015

    IBM joins Credly Global tech leader IBM becomes one of Credly's earliest partners, setting a standard for credentialing in digital skills and innovation.

    Aug 14, 2015

    ICS2 joins Credly Leading cybersecurity organization (ISC)² partners with Credly, advancing credentials for IT and security professionals.

    Aug 17, 2015

    Cisco joins Credly Global networking giant Cisco partners with Credly to certify expertise in networking and IT infrastructure.

    Jan 20, 2016

    SAS joins Credly Analytics leader SAS collaborates with Credly to recognize advanced skills in data analytics and business intelligence.

    Aug 26, 2016

    First Blockchain Credential IBM’s ‘Blockchain Essentials for Developers’. This is before Bitcoin’s rally in 2017.

    Mar 08, 2017

    Project Management Institute joins Credly The Project Management Institute (PMI) partners with Credly to credential expertise in project management and leadership.

    Mar 31, 2017

    Alpine Testing Solutions Join Credly Alpine Testing Solutions partners with Credly to offer digital credentials for IT certification and testing expertise.

    Oct 12, 2017

    First AI Credential The first credential with ‘Artificial Intelligence’ in their title was created by EY. Their badge ‘EY Artificial Intelligence’ came in three levels.

    Jul 13, 2017

    Open Badge Certified Credly is first platform to be officially certified by IMS Global Learning Consortium as compliant with the Open Badges specification, ensuring global interoperability and portability of digital credentials

    Sep 25, 2017

    SAP joins Credly Global enterprise software leader SAP partners with Credly to recognize skills in enterprise resource planning (ERP) and business technology.

    Apr 12, 2018

    Acclaim Acquired Credly acquires Pearson's badging business, Acclaim.

    Mar 29, 2018

    First Quantum Computing Credential The first credential related to Quantum Computing was the ‘IBM Quantum Senior Ambassador’, created by IBM.

    Nov 06, 2018

    CompTIA joins Credly Leading IT trade association CompTIA partners with Credly to offer digital credentials for a wide range of tech certifications.

    Nov 18, 2019

    McKinsey & Company joins Credly Global consulting firm McKinsey & Company collaborates with Credly to credential leadership and strategic skills in business consulting.

    Jan 14, 2020

    AWS joins Credly Amazon Web Services (AWS) partners with Credly to offer digital credentials for cloud computing, infrastructure, and technical expertise.

    Jun 15, 2020

    Certiprof joins Credly Certiprof, a leader in professional certifications, partners with Credly to offer digital credentials for agile, project management, and business transformation skills.

    Nov 17, 2020

    Deloitte joins Credly Global consulting and auditing firm Deloitte partners with Credly to credential skills in business, technology, and digital transformation.

    Jan 31, 2022

    Pearson Acquisition Credly rejoins Pearson to enhance it's newly formed Workforce Solutions division and talent mobility products.

    Mar 15, 2023

    First ChatGPT Credential The University of South Florida Office of Corporate Training and Professional Education launched a credential called ‘AI and ChatGPT Impact and Possibilities Certificate’.

    May 23, 2023

    First Large Language Models (LLMs) Credential The first badge with related to LLMs was the Supply Chain Machine Learning Expert by InterSystems.

    Dec 05, 2023

    Google Cloud joins Credly Google Cloud partners with Credly to offer digital credentials for cloud technologies, data analytics, and AI expertise.

    Dec 18, 2024

    100 Million Credentials Engineers Australia issues the 100th million unique credential.

    "The history of Credly can be told through the lens of the gradual evolution of online learning. Early customers of the Credly were in the education space. Then, those in Education Tech. Then those in consulting who were looking for specialized talent in areas such as cybersecurity. With the acceleration of digital transformation, we also see an explosion in interest for cloud computing and project management. 

    That drives the second phase of Credly’s life, and the post-COVID boom. In the third phase of Credly’s life, we are likely to be the driving force behind AI and the recognition of credentials in AI, as well as programs in internal mobility as companies retrain and retain their workforce."

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    Rafa Galvao Guerra

    Head of Product Analytics - Pearson

    GenAI learning is expected to be a big trend following the boom in cloud and data science certificates

    Over the last five years, historical and on-time issuing for PMP, AWS, and cybersecurity cemented tech certifications as the backbone of Credly. As those markets mature, GenAI credentials are likely be the new hot trend to obtain.
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    Fun facts


    Discover some fun and surprising statistics behind
    Credly’s 100 million credentials—highlighting trends and patterns along the way.
     

    Top 3 Countries for Credential Issuance

    1

    8,621,020

    United States

    2

    4,433,675

    India

    3

    1,296,973

    United Kingdom

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    The Day with the Most Issued Credentials

    December 10th 2018 - 687,000 credentials were issued

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    The Most Popular Season for Issuing Credentials

    Fall

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    The Most Popular Day for Sharing Credentials on Social Media

    Tuesday

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    Credly's Top Badge Earner

    Osamu Iwata
    A Senior Architect from IBM Japan with over 1,200 badges

    Osamu

    Top 5 Skills validated by Credly

    Leadership, Communication, Collaboration, Problem Solving and Project Management

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    Top 5 Most Popular Badges


    Explore the top badges that have captured the attention of learners worldwide, showcasing the most-sought after skills and accomplishments on Credly.

    2.3 million

    Project Management Professional (PMP)®

    Issued by Project Management Institute

    Learn More

    1.5 million

    Cisco Network Routing & Switching

    Issued by Texas State Technical College

    Learn More

    1.2 million

    Introduction to Cybersecurity

    Issued by Cisco

    Learn More

    1.1 million

    Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals

    Issued by Microsoft

    Learn More

    1 million

    Verified International Academic Qualifications

    Issued by World Education Services

    Learn More

    Skills that Matter

    Hear from our badge earners as they share how Credly credentials have helped them advance their careers, make a difference on resumes or an impact in their workplace.

    Real Stories, Real Impact

    "As one of the most credentialed users on the Credly platform with over 700 digital badges from 250+ unique issuers, I am looked up to by my students, faculty and even competitors. My achievements have led me towards forming lasting partnerships with top organisations, such as the IBM Silver Business partnership and Arcitura authorised partnership, amongst others."

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    Mohammad Umaid

    Director - Al-Fateh Institute of Health Sciences

    "One specific story that stands out about how my Credly badge helped me achieve a goal involves my recent transition to a new role at Hitachi Energy. During the interview process, the hiring manager noticed my Credly badge and was immediately impressed by the skills and knowledge it represented. This recognition played a crucial role in building their confidence in my abilities. Overall, the Credly badge has been instrumental in enhancing my career mobility and opening doors to new opportunities at Hitachi Energy."

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    Arnab Sen

    Senior Application Engineer - Hitachi Energy

    Credly's Pioneers

    Meet the dedicated individuals who have been with Credly since the beginning. In this video, our longest-serving employees share their journeys and the pivotal role they've played in building the platform that’s now trusted by millions.

    "This milestone is just the beginning of the impact we can create. It reflects the growing recognition of verified, portable, and data-rich credentials as a powerful tool for individuals, businesses, and institutions. It’s a testament to the idea that what someone knows and can do is ultimately more important than traditional markers like education pedigree or personal networks."

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    Ed Guardaro

    Vice President of Sales - Pearson Workforce Solutions

    "It's a huge milestone but it's still just the beginning. I see Credly being the centralized credential holder for all credentials in the world. As the world shifts to training of specialized skills over more broad fields of study, I think Credly is in a key place to be at the front of that. Words can't express how it feels. To know that my work has had an impact on millions of users like this makes it all worth it at the end of the day."

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    Nathan He

    Senior Software Engineer - Pearson Workforce Solutions

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