How Anglia Ruskin University Enhances Student Employability with Navigatr
At Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), a quiet revolution is underway, one that's changing how student achievements are recognised, shared, and celebrated through digital badges. These verifiable, shareable micro-credentials are not only helping students articulate their learning and express their impact—they're also creating new, direct connections with employers who are actively seeking well-rounded, work-ready graduates.
At the heart of this transformation is Trudy Lynch, a passionate advocate for student development at ARU and a key figure in the university’s adoption of digital badges through its partnership with Navigatr, a platform that helps educational institutions bring micro-credentials to life.
From PDF Certificates to Digital Badges
The journey began as part of a project funded by Research England—the Heart of Knowledge Exchange—which aimed to support students' participation and skill development in various university-led initiatives.
“We were giving them a certificate, the fairly standard PDF certificates,” says Trudy. “But they weren’t descriptive enough. They weren’t able to contain the depth of information that really supported the students.”
Trudy saw an opportunity to do more. “We wanted students to take away with them an artefact that supported them—something within their control that they could share easily with new employers,” she explains. “It had to be descriptive, it had to tell the story of their development.”
That’s where Navigatr came in. By providing a platform that allows institutions to design and issue detailed, portable digital badges, Navigatr gave ARU the tools it needed to reflect not just what students participated in, but what they learned, achieved, and contributed.
Each digital badge contains metadata that details the specific skills and learning outcomes achieved. They're easy to share on professional platforms like LinkedIn—something ARU students have taken full advantage of.
“We know that the students prefer a digital badge to other forms of certification.”
While digital badges at Anglia Ruskin University are redefining how student achievement is captured and communicated, each student brings a unique story to the table. For Ruime, a dynamic and driven student deeply engaged with the university’s knowledge exchange programmes, these badges are more than just milestones—they’re digital signatures of purpose and progress.
Ruime has been actively involved in several initiatives under Shoke (Student Knowledge Exchange), which awards digital badges for meaningful participation in consultancy projects, leadership roles, and skill-building workshops.
The layered nature of the badges—each embedded with specific outcomes and descriptions—makes them far more valuable than traditional forms of recognition.
“These aren’t just titles,” Ruime emphasises. “The badge actually shows what the project was, what I did, and what I gained from it.”
Like many students at ARU, Ruime uses platforms like LinkedIn to showcase their achievements. With just a few clicks, their digital badges can be shared as certifications or highlighted in posts, opening new doors to professional connections and opportunities.
“I post my badges on LinkedIn every time I earn one,” Ruime says. “It’s part of my personal brand now. Employers can see what I’ve been working on, and they don’t have to guess what I mean by 'teamwork' or 'leadership'—the badge spells it out.”
Ruime also notes how the badges help spark conversations during interviews. “They’ve definitely come up,” they say. “One recruiter actually clicked on a badge link during the interview and said, ‘This is really useful—it gives me a clear picture of what you’ve done.’ That felt like validation.”
For final-year Clinical Psychology undergraduate Naveed Backer, these badges are not just academic extras—they are tangible proof of skills, leadership, and initiative, embedded directly into his journey as a student and a future professional.
“I received badges for participating in Shoke Projects,” says Naveed, referencing the Student Knowledge Exchange (Shoke) initiative—a flagship knowledge exchange programme at ARU. “I’ve got badges for different positions, like Team Member and Team Leader, depending on the project.”
One of the most appreciated aspects of the digital badging process is its accessibility. Students aren’t burdened with administrative hurdles—in fact, the system works almost invisibly in the background.
“I think the process is pretty straightforward,” Naveed says. “It gets automatically added into my account.”
These aren’t passive credentials. Each badge tells a story of action and achievement, inviting employers and professional contacts to click, explore, and understand what the badge truly represents.
Through voices like Ruime’s and Naveed’s, it’s clear that digital badges at Anglia Ruskin University, are more than symbols of achievement—they are living records of ambition, growth, and contribution. And for students poised to enter rapidly changing world of work, that makes all the difference.
