The conventional educational system is experiencing substantial challenges, preparing post K-12 students for future professions. These challenges include a limited talent pool of skilled and technically proficient employees. Tracking educational and trade skill proficiency has been a norm in educational settings and has adapted over time to include digital badging. Digital badging helps highlight the acquisition of skills, and tracks students' proficiency of skills in higher education. The research question focused on the benefit of digital badges for learners, teachers, higher education, and employers and how to integrate the badging system to promote skills-based learning. The purpose of this work was to inspect the role of digital badging and its impact of shifting from a degree-based learning model to a skills-based learning model. To understand how digital badging benefits the integration of skills-based learning, a qualitative case study was utilized for its ability to observe and examine the experience of the pilot study at Santa Barbara City College. From the focus of this case study, the SBCC program design included three significant facets. First, the study sought to answer how digital badges promote skills-based learning. Second, SBCC offered badges in carefully designed courses to ensure that students acquire relevant real-world skills in different fields. And third, the courses were set-up as non-credit, making them significantly attractive to students because they were tuition-free. This research confirmed the value of digital badging as an effective tool that is beneficial to both educational institutions and employers seeking job opportunities for students. However, further study is required to exploit this study's findings to develop a comprehensive theoretical framework demonstrating how digital badges promote the shift from degree-based to skills-based learning. Future research should also source a different college as a case study to determine whether digital badges have similar outcomes across institutions. This research was to understand the processes applied in higher education when implementing a digital credentialing platform. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic impeded the research. Technology is progress, and the technology that digital badging contributes to higher education is progress. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]