RSA Region of Learning
Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) in partnership with Tees Valley Creative Education Partnership (TVCEP) is working with The Royal Society of the Arts (RSA) to pilot an approach to transforming Tees Valley into a place where creative learning provision is highly visible and accessible, the value & transferability of creative skills is recognised by young people, parents, educators and employers and there are clear pathways to creative careers in the region.
We will do this through the power of digital badging – a new skills currency – to capture learning which takes place outside of formal education and in workplaces.
Digital badges will help:
- employers to recognise hidden talent;
- individuals to articulate their skills;
- the creative and cultural sector to widen and reach new audiences;
- track and demonstrate engagement, and
- raise the profile and transferrable value of creative education & skills.
Cities of Learning – learning happens everywhere from The RSA on Vimeo.
Join us – Get Badging!
Digital badges recognise skills that individuals achieve and accomplish, and include those outside of formally accredited qualifications. They can help motivate learning and ambition and then through the Navigatr app, dynamically connecting young people to training and work-related opportunities.
There is no accreditation or recognition for many types of learning. Much of this learning results in the development of ‘soft’ or ‘transferable’ skills. These skills can also be hard to communicate and prove on job applications, even though 1 in 3 UK employers regard soft skills as more important than academic achievements!
More than one in five 18-24-year-olds admit writing and submitting a CV is where they’re least confident in the job hunt, and so it isn’t surprising that two-thirds of employers reject young candidates because they are unable to articulate their skills.
Enter the digital badge. Every digital badge is constructed with meta-data outlining the skills an individual has developed when undertaking a particular activity. Badges are then easily shareable and compatible with all major platforms searched by employers and educators, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter. They can also be added directly to personal websites, blogs and digital CVs, and are instantly accessible through the Navigatr app.
Over time, individuals will have a visual portfolio of all the different skills they’ve gained, all explained in employer-friendly language. This not only supports the individual in their growth and development but also employers, helping to ensure they have applicants equipped with the skills they need.
We are working with a pioneering cohort of brilliant Badge Issuers across Tees Valley in this pilot year to digitally badge their creative learning activity.
These are
- TVCA
- MIMA + Teesside University
- Tees Valley Museums
- ARC
- Stockton International Riverside Festival
- North East Screen
- Darlington Hippodrome
- Middlesbrough Council Events
- Northern School of Art
- Musinc
- Tees Dance
- Stockton Globe
- Catcote School (SEND)
- Release Potential
- Blast Furnace Projects
- Tees Valley Festivals Network
If you are interested in the Region of Learning project and digital badging please contact Heather Walker, Creative Place Development Officer, [email protected]