CHIETA LAUNCHES DIGITAL BADGES, TRANSFORMING SKILLS RECOGNITION IN SOUTH AFRICA
- BEE NEWS
- Oct 14
- 2 min read
Staff Reporter | 9 October 2025
Four South African learners are making history, not just for completing the Coded Welding programme, but for becoming the country’s first recipients of digital badges, a modern credential that could transform how skills are recognised and valued.
The Chemical Industries Education & Training Authority (CHIETA), the national body responsible for skills development in the chemical sector, is behind this pioneering initiative.
For these learners, the badges are more than certificates, they are a ticket to opportunity in a fast-moving digital economy. Unlike traditional paper qualifications, each badge is verifiable online and can be shared across CVs, email signatures, and professional networks like LinkedIn, giving employers instant proof of skills and boosting learners’ confidence as they step into the job market.
“Skills are the currency of South Africa’s future economy. With digital badging, we are not just issuing certificates but creating globally recognisable, instantly verifiable credentials that empower learners and build trust in our national qualifications system,” said Yershen Pillay, CHIETA’s Chief Executive.
CHIETA is reshaping how South Africa measures and validates skills, positioning digital badges as a cornerstone of the country’s transition into a digitally enabled economy. In an era where trust, transparency, and speed define employability, CHIETA’s initiative signals a future in which skills recognition is no longer static but dynamic, verifiable, and globally portable.
A digital badge is a modern, portable, and verifiable credential that recognises a learner’s skills or achievements in a visual, digital format. Unlike traditional paper certificates, each badge carries embedded data that can be instantly authenticated and shared online. This makes badges both proof of competence and a currency of trust in a skills-driven economy.
The rollout of digital badges is part of CHIETA’s broader strategy to future-proof South Africa’s workforce. Alongside the nationwide launch of Smart Skills Centres across the country, which provide cutting-edge training and digital access to underserved communities, CHIETA is bridging the skills, digital, and employability divide. By modernising how skills are recognised, the authority strengthens industry credibility, supports learner employability, and ensures that qualifications in critical sectors such as chemicals, engineering, and advanced manufacturing align with global best practices.
For PrivySeal, the digital accreditation partner powering this initiative, the significance lies in the shift toward recognition systems that are not only modern but transformative. “By embracing digital badging, CHIETA is setting a benchmark for how South Africa recognises skills. This represents a decisive shift toward transparency and lifelong learning—essential ingredients for a workforce that must continuously adapt to digital and economic change,” said Stephen Logan, CEO of PrivySeal.
The first artisans to benefit from the digital badges were the four learners from the Coded Welding programme, whose achievement exemplifies how digital credentials are redefining the bridge between learning and employability in South Africa. By modernising how learning achievements are communicated, valued, and trusted, CHIETA is reinforcing its role as a catalyst in the country’s skills revolution.
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