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Microsoft launches free badges recognising practical software skills
Microsoft has launched free Pro Badges to recognise practical experience with its products, starting with GitHub Copilot. The credentials respond to calls for a way to demonstrate workplace skills without taking a separate exam, and complement Microsoft’s existing certifications.
Users sign in to GitHub’s learning site, where Microsoft’s system assesses product-use signals against a proficiency framework. There are five levels, from beginner to expert, and users must reach “proficient” to earn a badge, demonstrating consistent hands-on use across projects and time. The first badge can be added to LinkedIn profiles; Microsoft says Pro Badges will add to, rather than replace, its other credentials.
In short
- Microsoft has launched free Pro Badges for practical product skills.
- The first badge recognises GitHub Copilot proficiency.
- Usage data determines eligibility, with no separate exam.
Explained simply
GitHub Copilot is a tool made by GitHub, which Microsoft owns, that uses artificial intelligence to help people write computer code. It is used by software developers in their day-to-day work, and experience with it can be useful in some jobs.
Microsoft already offers certifications, which usually involve formal assessment, to show knowledge of its products. Its new Pro Badges are intended to recognise practical use instead, based on activity measured against a scale from beginner to expert. A badge requires reaching the proficient level.
The first badge is for GitHub Copilot and can be displayed on a LinkedIn profile. Microsoft says the badges will sit alongside its existing credentials, giving people another way to show work-related software skills.
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Originally published by The Register as “Microsoft admits certifications can be a drag, launches creds that recognize skills”.