I really like the context here for why badges and micro-credentials matter for all of us. 

Micro-Credentials: Empowering Lifelong Learners | Edutopia

My father is a former police officer who took up photography when he retired. A few months ago, I asked him when he was going to try a new hobby. “Aren’t you an expert already?”

I joked, pointing to his overbooked calendar of professional photography appointments. “I have enough videos I still need to watch that I could fill up eight hours a day for the next four years,” he said incredulously. “I don’t have time to learn a new hobby yet.”