Transferable Skills

Showcase Your Skills. Shape Your Future.

FGCU’s Transferable Skills Digital Badges empower students to demonstrate professional competencies recognized by employers nationwide.

Transferable Skills Digital Badge Structure

Connecting Skills, Careers, and Communities.

FGCU’s Transferable Skills micro-credential courses help students build a professional portfolio, reflect on real experiences, and practice communicating their strengths to employers.
These short, flexible courses are free for all FGCU undergraduate students and can be completed fully online with optional live interview events. When completed, students earn a digital badge that can be shared on LinkedIn or with employers to showcase their career-ready skills.
Each portfolio and interview is reviewed by FGCU faculty and staff, ensuring that every badge reflects meaningful learning and verified achievement.

Students

Faculty & Staff

Employers

Badges Designed for FGCU Students at No Cost

FGCU’s Transferable Skills micro-credential courses help you turn what you’ve learned in class, on campus, at work, or through community involvement into a professional portfolio you can proudly share with employers. These flexible, online courses guide you in reflecting on your experiences, connecting them to real-world skills, and preparing for interviews. By completing a micro-credential, you’ll earn a digital badge that highlights your career-ready abilities and helps you stand out on LinkedIn, in applications, and beyond.

LEARN MORE & REGISTER HOW IT WORKS FAQ

Learn More & Register

Scroll through the Transferable Skills catalog:

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Career and Self-Development

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Strong career and self-development skills help you set goals, showcase your strengths, and position yourself for future growth.

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Communication Technology

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Being skilled in communication technology means using digital tools to share ideas clearly and creatively in today’s connected world.

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Critical Thinking

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Critical thinking shows you can analyze problems, make smart decisions, and turn challenges into solutions.

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Data Literacy

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Being data literate means interpreting information and using it to solve real-world problems and support informed decisions.

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Leadership

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Leadership involves motivating others, organizing priorities, and helping teams achieve shared goals.

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Professionalism

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Professionalism means showing integrity, reliability, and a strong work ethic while consistently meeting responsibilities.

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Oral Communication

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Strong oral communication helps you express ideas clearly, connect with others, and lead meaningful conversations.

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Teamwork

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Teamwork means building trust, sharing ideas, and working with others to achieve common goals.

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Written Communication

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Strong writing skills help you communicate ideas clearly, professionally, and with accuracy across different audiences.

Example Artifacts & Competency List

You may have taken a class where submitting a badge artifact was part of an assignment. But you can identify artifacts on your own too! Here are some suggestions for the kinds of course assignments you could turn into a transferable skill badge artifact. Each Transferable Skill micro-credential course follows the same portfolio/interview model. Watch this explanation to learn more. Each course has a different area of focus for your portfolio based on competencies recognized by employers.

Career and Self-Development Artifacts

Communication Technology Artifacts

Critical Thinking Artifacts

Data Literacy Artifacts

Leadership Artifacts

Professionalism Artifacts

Oral Communication Artifacts

Teamwork Artifacts

Written Communication Artifacts

How It Works

TAKE A DEEPER DIVE ON HOW IT WORKS

WANT TIPS ON BUILDING A STRONG PORTFOLIO?

DOWNLOAD STEP-BY-STEP STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS TO PURSUE A BADGE

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Transferable Skills digital badges?
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Transferable Skills digital badges are awarded when you complete the Transferable Skills micro-credential portfolio/interview requirements. At FGCU, these micro-credentials are based on the competencies that are in-demand with employers.
Why should students care?
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It is often difficult to explicitly display your competence in skills such as oral communication, teamwork, or professionalism on a resume. An earned digital badge is a credential you can list on your resume, or because the badge is digital you can share it directly with employers on LinkedIn.
Why do employers care?
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When we talk to employers, the number one set of skills they wish more new employees and prospective hires would have are transferable skills! Transferable skills will not only get you hired but help you work toward career successes and promotions.
How much does it cost?
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How do I earn a Transferable Skill badge?
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You earn a Transferable Skills badge by completing a portfolio (3-5 artifacts and short essays completed using a template). Your portfolio needs to include artifacts that represent coursework, extra- and co-curriculars you have completed at FGCU. Once your portfolio is verified, you will be invited to complete an interview. If you pass the interview, then you’ve earned your digital badge!

Learn how it works
What Transferable Skills badges are offered and where do I register?
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The following list represents all of the Transferable Skills micro-credentials offered at FGCU. The hyperlinks will take you to the registration page:
How long does it take to finish a Transferable Skills course?
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To actually submit the artifacts and essays and complete the interview, it may just take a few hours. However, you are doing all the work up front by doing course assignments and engaging in important activities that develop your skills.
How long does it take for a portfolio approval and interview?
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The portfolios are reviewed during specific dates each semester by a faculty committee. The interviews can be completed anytime after the portfolios reviews are completed. There are also special events for interviews that you can look for on the website.
How long will I be registered?
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You are registered until you ask to be unenrolled from the course (send all requests to digitalbadges@fgcu.edu). You will have up to 16 weeks after graduation to complete any Transferable Skills courses you are enrolled in.
I’m interested in another badge I heard about I don’t see it here. Where do I find it?
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You can view other micro-credentialing opportunities that lead to digital badges at the following sites:

Available for FGCU Students and members of the Southwest Florida community.

Industry Specific

Continuing Education & Skills Academy
Can I use artifacts from my high school courses?
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All artifacts must be connected to activities and coursework completed at FGCU. So you cannot document something you did for a course from high school. Same goes for activities you may have done while in high school – scouts, church, sports, clubs etc.. If it’s not an FGCU-related activity, it can’t be used for the badge.
What about my job? Can I submit an artifact based on my work?
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It has to be connected to FGCU. So if you are a student worker for an FGCU office or program, you can submit an artifact based on your on-campus job. If you are interning with an off-campus employer, you can submit an artifact from it if you are taking the internship for FGCU credit. But you cannot submit an artifact based on your work for a non-FGCU employer.

Take a Deeper Dive

Transferable Skills Overview

Transferable Skills Explained Video Thumbnail

Portfolio Review Overview

Want to help students highlight their skills as a faculty member?

Micro-credentials at FGCU

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The Skills Advantage

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Faculty Involvement

Our faculty programs are designed to help you embed a skills-enhancing badge-able assignment into a course, whether you are creating a new one or "badge-ifying" an existing assignment.

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The Skills Advantage: From Campus to Career

The Skills Advantage is FGCU’s current Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). This initiative builds on the work started through the creation of the Transferable Skills micro-credentials. The Skills Advantage is building a culture of core skills at FGCU - where transferable skills are recognized, valued, and put to work to help students achieve good career outcomes:

- Badges will give employers better evidence of students’ skill sets and students more confidence talking with employers

- Faculty will embed core skills right into their regular courses, and help students get started on badges.

- Employers will interview students for the badges and provide networking opportunities.

- Students from all majors will enter the job market with skills that last a lifetime.

Employers want more than credentials, they want skills. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), states majority of employers look for candidates who excel in the following areas:

89%

Critical Thinking

79%

Teamwork

70%+

Communication

71.7%

Technology

Micro-credentials at FGCU

There are many opportunities for Faculty and Staff to get involved with micro-credentials at FGCU. To learn more or request a copy of our Faculty Guide for Micro-credentials please reach out to Dr. Andrea Fortin.

REQUEST OUR FACULTY GUIDE SUBMIT INTEREST FORM

FACULTY RESOURCES

Have Questions? Need Further Assistance?

Our student support staff are readily available to assist you with your registration and/or general questions.

Contact

Innovative Education & Partnerships

Modular 2
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, Florida 33965

Email Us: digitalbadges@fgcu.edu

Business Hours

Mon-Fri: 8:00am-5:00pm

Context	Example & How It Demonstrates Competency
Course: MAN 3025 Principles of Management	Team case study project requiring scheduled meetings, task delegation, deadlines, and constructive feedback → demonstrates foundational work habits and follow-through.
Service Learning: IDS 3300 Civic Engagement—Community Partner Project	Coordinating updates and responsibilities with community stakeholders required professional communication, punctuality, responsibility, and learning from mistakes.
Student Life: Sorority/Fraternity Officer Role	Managing calendars, chapter expectations, event deadlines, and conduct standards shows professional accountability and reliability.

Context	Example & How It Demonstrates Competency
Course: PSY 4048, FIN 4443, BSC 4910C career exploration as part of a senior seminar.	Demonstrates your distinctive career exploration and reflective goal-setting.
Service Learning: Volunteering at an organization or event to build skills or connections	Shows alignment of values and career identity development with potential employer or field.
Student Life: Attending career fairs, networking events, or internship	Demonstrates building professional image and advocating for oneself.

Context	Example & How It Demonstrates Competency
Course: EDF 3251 Classroom Org & Management, IHS 3203 Mgmt and Leadership in Healthcare. Lesson plan or Case Collaboration.	Demonstrates leadership styles, delegation, and group motivation.
Service Learning: Coordinating volunteers at a service event	Shows guiding others toward a shared goal.
Student Life: Position in Greek Life, Clubs, Lab Teams, etc.	Clear example of goal obtainment through leadership strategies.

Context	Example & How It Demonstrates Competency
Course: IDS 3300 / IDS 3920Service LearningGroup Project	Demonstrates team contributions and conflict resolution. (Note, preventing team conflict is a form of conflict resolution!)
Service Learning: Beach cleanups, tabling, donation drives.	Shows shared responsibility + encouragement of team climate.
Student Life: Greek Life, Club event planning.	Requires coordination, communication, and collaboration. Artifacts can be photos of the event, communications between stakeholders, or even the events page.

Context	Example & How It Demonstrates Competency
Course: SPC 2608 Public Speaking, ENT 4902 Runway Program presentations	Demonstrates clear and effective delivery and structured messaging towards a specific goal.
Service Learning: Presenting project outcomes to partners or peers	Shows audience-focused communication and demonstrates the impact through feedback.
Student Life: Leading weekly chapter meetings.	Demonstrates facilitating engagement, clarity, and tone control in a dynamic setting.

Context	Example & How It Demonstrates Competency
Course: ENC 1101/1102, any CLWS or writing-intensive course research paper	Demonstrates structure, clarity, tone as it relates to effective writing.
Service Learning: Project proposals, formal correspondence or information sharing	Demonstrates audience-appropriate written communication between you, the partner, and the audience.
Student Life: Writing social media posts, meeting minutes, or even bylaws	Demonstrates tone management and message clarity.

Context	Example & How It Demonstrates Competency
Course: COM 2000 Introduction to Communication – Group presentation using Canva/Slides	Demonstrates communication technology knowledge and presentation media adaptation.
Service Learning: Creating promotional material for a nonprofit event	Applying accessible formatting + platform-appropriate messaging → adapting communication to audience.
Student Life: Managing chapter Instagram or organization GroupMe	Shows strategic digital messaging and understanding audience tone and norms.

Context	Example & How It Demonstrates Competency
Course: PSY 2012 General Psychology Research Report, STA 2023 Excel + Graphing Assignment(Any assignment where you calculated descriptive statistics or made graphs works here.)	Cleaning data sets, statistical tests → quantitative reasoning + data visualization. Anything where you demonstrate analyzing data logically and visually.
Service Learning: Tracking attendance / supply use for volunteer programs	Shows real-world data interpretation and presentation for decision-making.
Student Life: Managing chapter budget + spending logs	Requires spreadsheet fluency and accurate reporting → data literacy in practice.

Context	Example & How It Demonstrates Competency
Course: POS 2041 American National Government – Policy research paper	Requires sound reasoning and evaluating solutions using evidence.
Service Learning: Assessing needs of a partner organization before planning service tasks	Demonstrates problem definition and solution analysis.
Student Life: Serving on an event-planning or finance committee	Requires evaluating options, anticipating constraints, and proposing action steps.