Valuing today’s skills: Finland’s National Basic Skills Badges

“We need a faster, more flexible way to recognise essential skills people need today – not the ones from years ago,” says Heikki Tulkki, Counsellor of Education at the Finnish National Agency for Education. He is one of the creators of a successful badge system in Finland that gives recognition to the basic and life skills of adults for whom learning is not always easy. We spoke with him and teacher Antti Tuominen about how the system works.

Faster and more up to date

“If you complete a full study programme, some skills may already be outdated by the time you finish,” says Tulkki. “With the labour market changing rapidly – ageing population, green transition, digitalisation – we need faster and more flexible ways for adults to show their skills.”

The badge system was developed by the Finnish National Agency for Education in close cooperation with government, employers, and education providers. “Ask three people what basic skills are, and you’ll get three different answers,” laughs Tulkki. “That’s why we needed a lot of discussion and testing to build a well-accepted, national system.” This led to the creation of 32 digital badges in six themes related to basic and life skills. It is a closed non-commercial system, regulated on a national level.

Tulkki explains, “The badges reflect the skills people need today. They are stored in a national database managed by the government, so they can be easily shared with employers or schools.” Employers are encouraged to recognise the badges when hiring or training staff. Education providers use them to make learning more visible and motivating. “Badges are not meant to replace diplomas,” Tulkki adds, “but to offer a quicker way to prove key skills.”

Strengthening basic skills

The main target group for the badge system is adults who struggle with basic skills, similar to those identified in the PIAAC survey. “These are people who maybe never finished school or have no certificates. Often, there’s nothing on paper that shows what they can do,” says Tulkki. “The aim is to help them get their skills documented – and hopefully increase their chances of employment too.”

Each theme includes different topics that lead to a badge. For example, the theme on numeracy and financial skills includes basic maths, daily money use, budgeting, consumer rights, salaries, and public finance. Other themes include learning skills, language skills, social skills and wellbeing at work, digital skills, and sustainability.

Badges in practice

The Agency’s role ended after setting the learning outcomes and assessment criteria. From there, schools and learning centres take over. One of the first to try the badges in practice was teacher Antti Tuominen. He has long worked in adult education, often teaching Finnish as a second language to migrants – including in prisons. Tuominen works at Kalliola, a non-profit social organisation that has been actively promoting equality and social cohesion since 1919.

Badges can be used as part of a course or as a separate course. They can also be awarded if someone can show they already have the required skills. “I’ve used badges within my regular classes,” says Tuominen. “For example, students come to improve their language skills, and along the way they can earn badges for reading, writing, or social skills.”

Tuominen also used badges for entire courses at Kalliola. “The criteria are very clear. Each badge explains what a student must be able to do. It’s my job to design activities so they can show those skills.”

Supporting personal growth

In Finland, lifelong learning is an important policy goal, strongly connected to the tradition of liberal adult education. This is a form of non-formal learning focused on personal growth, social participation, and equal opportunities. Courses are low-threshold, voluntary, and not linked to formal diplomas. Topics range from art and languages to health and digital skills. The government supports this education to promote inclusion and active citizenship.

Compared to the Netherlands or Flanders, where adult education often focuses on job readiness or catching up with basic skills, Finland puts more emphasis on motivation, personal development, and broad learning.

Motivation through recognition

Tuominen sees how badges help build confidence. “For some students – especially those with negative school experiences – a badge feels like a big win.” He recalls one prison student who said, “This is the first thing I’ve fully completed in years.” For that person, it was clear proof that he could succeed. “And that’s motivating,” Tuominen adds. “Once someone earns one badge, they often want to earn more. We jokingly call them ‘serial learners’.”

Tulkki agrees. “Some learners have said, ‘This is the first proof of learning set in a document I’ve had since I left school.’ That’s powerful.”

Clear structure for teachers too

The badge system doesn’t only benefit students. “As a teacher, badges give me structure,” says Tuominen. “There’s so much to teach. Badges help me focus on the basics – the key skills students really need.”

Each badge describes exactly what to look for – for example, whether someone can listen well, work in a group, or give feedback. “That gives me space and direction. I’m more confident spending 30 minutes on a speaking task about social skills if I know it really counts.’ Still, some skills – like writing – are harder to judge. “Can someone write a text? Yes. But how well? What’s ‘good enough’? That takes judgement. It helps to talk with other teachers, which is difficult to schedule sometimes.”

From badges to jobs?

The badges are listed in a national database, like a diploma register. “For many migrants, this is their first formal proof of skills in Finland,” says Tuominen. “It can really make a difference. Employers can see that someone is active and motivated.’ However, Tuominen adds, “Whether employers use the badges is still uncertain. The system is still new. If the badges don’t have meaning outside the classroom, they lose value. It has to matter in real life too.”

Tulkki agrees. “It’s still early days, but the first results are promising. We hope to expand the system, adding new badges that match future skills needs – like a badge on artificial intelligence. A full evaluation is planned within two or three years.” As of May 2025, 1,633 badges had been awarded. The most popular theme so far is Interaction and Wellbeing at Work, with the top five badges being:

1. Interaction Skills – 234 badges
2. Own Competence – 216 badges
3. Working in a Group – 185 badges
4. Using Feedback – 166 badges
5. Daily Money Use – 100 badges

One badge at a time

“Participants can choose if they want to earn a badge,” says Tuominen. “Some just come to learn for fun – like Finnish as a hobby. It’s up to them if they want recognition.” Tuominen believes the system works best when part of a wider ecosystem – like a national register or formal recognition. “It must not stay only in the classroom. It needs to matter beyond education.”

Tulkki agrees and stresses the importance of collaboration. “You can’t do this alone as a school. Work together with employers, policymakers, and colleagues. Start small, stay flexible, and always focus on the learner.”

Step by step, badge by badge

Tulkki recommends involving all stakeholders when building a badge system – including employers and schools. “You must be open to feedback and ready to rethink your ideas again and again,” he says.  In Finland, changes in the law made the national badge system possible. The Finnish experience shows that small steps can lead to big change. A badge is more than a digital icon – it’s a form of recognition, a proof of skill, and a stepping stone to more learning, more confidence, and even a job.

Tuominen: “Especially for those who’ve struggled with learning, a badge says: You can do this. And that’s exactly what they need to move forward.’ Tulkki adds: “It’s about giving people a real chance to show what they can do – step by step, badge by badge.”

Read more

More info to the badges and their descriptions, you can find here https://eperusteet.opintopolku.fi/#/fi/osaamismerkit. The ePerusteet is a database for the curriculums and plans for teaching and it is linked to the KOSKI-database, that includes Finland's national teaching and educational databases.