Feedback - plans to offer verifiable certifications upon course completion

[rjekic]

Type of feedback

//dev

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Providing feedback (such as an idea for improvement)

What are you reporting? :
Hello,
I hope you're doing well.

I wanted to share a quick feedback regarding the courses available at learn.wordpress.org. While the content is quite helpful and informative, I was wondering if there are any plans to offer verifiable certifications upon course completion.

Such certifications could be a valuable addition - not only to recognize the learner's efforts but also to help build a global network of credible developers and contributors. In today's digital space, it would be encouraging if content writers, developers, and other professionals had at least a foundational understanding of the Block Editor and related tools.

Thank you for considering this suggestion.

Report created by @thegulshankumar

[rjekic]

@thegulshankumar

Thank you for bringing this important topic. The Training Team had conversations about the certification process, and we agreed on the need for certificates. We are currently developing a model to define the certification process. On the user's WordPress profile, there is a tab displaying data for all completed courses. We can use this data to automatically create a certificate, but there are a couple of things that we need to consider:

• Since there is no passing grade limit, all enrolled users get the completed status for the specific course just by finishing all the course lessons. So the certificate could be just proof that the user completed the course(s)
• We can't sign the course since no company or foundation could stand behind it. Currently, the main focus is on the Campus Connect program

But, we will leave this issue and discussion open, in case someone has any idea on this topic.

@devmuhib009 @jonathanbossenger

[rfluethi]

This discussion is essential for the further development of the platform. From my experience in training and education: Badges and certificates are crucial motivational factors.

Community Consensus from Previous Discussion

The 2022 discussion shows broad support for certifications:

Identified Benefits:

• Establish official WordPress.org standards
• Reward learners for invested time/energy
• Strengthen WordPress market positioning (LinkedIn badges, recruiting)
• Build trust within the community
• Displace poor third-party certificates

Community Concerns:

• Long, critical implementation process
• Difficult to reach consensus on certification levels
• Transparency of evaluation criteria required
• Missing "Directly Responsible Individual"

Problem Today

The current badges under "Courses" are inadequate and poorly motivating - exactly as identified in 2022.

Two-Tier Solution Approach

1. Badge System (short-term achievable)

• Visually appealing badges after course completion
• Export functionality for LinkedIn/Xing (community request!)
• Detail page with badge info and acquisition date
• Automatic generation

2. Certification System (long-term)

• Only after passing examinations
• Prerequisite: corresponding badges
• "Start small, think big" - experimental approach

References to Successful Models

The community already mentioned the need for standards like:

• AWS Cloud Practitioner
• Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
• Yoast Academy as a model for e-certificates

Urgent Action Items

GitHub Issue #1465 has been waiting for 2+ years! We need:

• Create project team to explore different implementation options
• Cross-team coordination with Automattic, WordPress Campus Connect, and other relevant teams
• Define badge system requirements and evaluate technical possibilities
• Clarify certification requirements and assess whether to build in-house or establish partnerships

Market demand exists - recruiters use certifications for candidate qualification. WordPress loses competitiveness without an official system.

[4thhubbard]

There have been a lot of conversations around certifications and accreditation, especially with multiple education initiatives growing in 2025. For this to be worth it, it will need strong backing from the project, WPF, and healthy disclosure on what it means. That’s what will make it credible and consistent across the ecosystem.

Tagging @Piyopiyo-Kitsune because she has done work here over the last few years, and can keep it aligned with our education initiatives.

[devmuhib009]

I have a meeting with Destiny tomorrow, so I’m adding this to my discussion list. We’ve discussed about this in coffee hours several times, but recently it has become a strong demand from our training team members and contributors. We’re planning to organize regular course cohorts, and if we can provide certificates, it would definitely add value for our students.

[muddassirnasim]

I really like the idea of certificates as a way to recognize learning progress, even if they’re not formal certifications. A simple completion certificate could still encourage more learners to finish courses and stay engaged. I’m also curious if the team has considered offering optional ‘badges’ or micro-recognitions for milestone achievements, since they might be easier to implement and still very motivating.