Core Skills Badges

The industrial era gave rise to ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ skills. Now, a 3rd skill set has emerged in modern workplaces.

Skills such as adaptability, creativity, and critical thinking are increasingly valued in many industries, but may not fit neatly into either the hard or soft skill category.

Technical, or “hard” skills are the skills used by action-takers. In a post-industrial HR era, they have been redefined as ‘action skills’ in business.

Interpersonal, AKA soft skills, require you to think of others before making decisions in business. So it makes sense for these to be called ‘thinking skills’.

Individuals use Initiative and Drive, Lifelong Learning, Cultural Awareness, Ethics, and Empathy, to make things happen. Now known as ‘personal skills’.

The 3 Core Skills Areas

Click on each skill area below to see the descriptions at level 1…

Thinking Skills

Thinking skills PDF download

Critical thinking

Prioritises complex interests; Presents sound logic and reasons; uses basic techniques to improve insights and results; Works with others to challenge current thinking.

Creativity

Identifies and adapts ideas; Analytical and lateral thinking; Systematic process to identify possible solutions, often in collaboration with others.

Adaptation

Planning and organising own workload, considering work of others; Organises and prioritises work and personal commitments; Establishing boundaries when negotiating workloads.

Innovative

Takes responsibility of routine decisions related directly to own role, Is beginning to take the initiative in non-routine situations, Contributes to group/team decision-making.

Personal skills

Personal skills PDF download

Initiative

Automatically implements standard procedures, uses a formal decision-making process with support, setting or clarifying goals, gathering information, and identifying and evaluating several choices against a limited set of criteria.

Learning

Recognises the value of continuous improvement; Contributes to the design of new approaches; Recognises the value of seeking different perspectives; Adopts proposals and finds ways to make them work without radical change.

Cultural Awareness

Uses familiar digital systems and tools to access, organise, analyse and display information; Accesses and filters information using search engines, data bases, or spreadsheets; Uses computer-based applications to present information.

Ethics

Selects or supports new ideas to improve an aspect without radical change; May use a standard set of questions or criteria when deciding which ideas to adopt to fit immediate needs; Can it be adapted easily, Is it affordable?

Empathy

Plans a range of tasks; Applies formal processes when planning more complex/unfamiliar tasks, producing plans reflecting awareness of time and resource constraints; making slight adjustments if necessary; Assesses effectiveness in terms of how well stated goals were achieved.

Action Skills

Action skills PDF download

Digital Technologies

Understands the purposes, and key features of common digital systems and tools, adapting some functions to improve personal efficiency; general design and new technologies with similar purposes; Troubleshoots issues and knows when to ask others for assistance.

Communication

Maintains online connections with others using a variety of digital tools to interact, collaborate and create; Use online forums, blogs and social networking sites to connect and discuss work related issues, following online etiquette.

Collaboration

Uses procedures when responding to familiar problems; Applies formal problem-solving processes breaking complex issues into manageable; Seeks feedback or advice; Considers the effectiveness of a solution when it does not achieve intended outcomes.

Problem Solving

Understands the importance of secure information and privacy, take personal responsibility for identifying and managing risk factors; Recognises issues about the transparency and accessibility of information; identifies benefits and drawbacks, takes steps to manage risks.

Customer Focus

Evaluates effectiveness of decisions and solution in terms of how well it met stated goals; Seeks to improve a future response; Reflect on the effectiveness of a selected problem solving process.

Specialist badges

Level up skills to expert level Through our referral partners, coaches and mentors on our preferred supplier list.

Click here to download the PDF flyer for the specialist badge criteria.

Skill levels

Business leaders use their personal skills to determine the capabilities of their team. Particularly in Micro-businesses that employ 4 or less people, which make up 85% of all businesses, it is essential to match the level of skill required to complete task with the right people.

There is more to this than simply deciding if a person is a thinker, a people person, or an action taker. For a start, they all use different skills and different strengths to do the same job.

While skills training may produce people that are deemed “competent”, In the real world of business, to meet customer expectations, business owners delegate tasks on the basis of if their team are capable, proficient, or at expert skill levels.

It seems everyone is an expert these days, but having expertise in specific skills is not just someone opinion.

There are clear benchmarks that have been developed over many years of international research to redefine skill levels now and in the future.

Level 1 - Capable

Practical real-world experience to identify patterns and establish priorities. Comfortably applies the ‘rules’, systematic approach in unfamiliar situations.

Level 2 - Proficient

Considerable practical experience to assess, and respond to situations in an increasingly intuitive and flexible way. Seeks guidance when making important decisions.

Level 3 - Expert

Extensive practical experience, big picture understanding and an eye for relevant detail. Refines patterns, concepts and principles, deciding which principles are applicable.

Our Awards

Individuals receive performance badges when they meet the criteria at that skill level

Capable Performer

These badges are awarded for demonstrated performance at level 1 for all skills in the skill area indicated by the sub-classification of as Action Taker, People Person, or the Thinker in their work role under supervision as a productive team member.

Specialist

These badges are awarded for standout performance at level 3 in a specific skill indicating a preference to undertake challenging work that requires. Has sufficient experience to help develop the skills of others in their area of specialisation.

Proficient

Demonstrated performance at level 2 for all skills in the skill area. For more experienced Action Taker, People Person, or the Thinker who are able to use their skills with limited supervision including undertaking remote work.

Master

Demonstrated performance at level 3 for all skills in the skill area. For highly experienced Action Takers, People People, or the Thinkers who are able to use their skills across multiple organisations in a business advisory/mentoring role.

Why Choose Us

Secure and verifiable

Badges are hosted with Learning Vault, Australia’s leading provider of digital badging and credentials.

Machine readable by recruitment AI software, the badges take advantage of your real-world experience. Compete with Uni graduates for employment opportunities and contract work.

It’s kind of like a modern day reference that you not only did the course, but also you have apply what you learned in the real-world and rates the level of skill your are at.

Get paid what you deserve.

Our Team

The Inception Network was founded in 2015 to provide professional development opportunities and engage real-world businesses to improve the quality of business training in Australia.

The network quickly grew from a meetup group to include collaborations with over 100 business and marketing coaches and mentors across Southeast Queensland. Many of whom still provide help to small businesses.

All mentors in this invitation only network have expertise advice, and coaching to help micro-businesses level up their skills to the specialist level.