So, all those skills you’ve been working on during your gap year - like getting clear on your goals or budgeting for that backpacking trip or executing a project in your community (even building that lil’ creative side hustle) - these are all real-life skills!
And instead of awkwardly trying to figure out how to position them on your resume so you can stand out during applications, you can get these employable skills certified with CanGap digital badges.
Digital Badges are micro-credentials that can be used on your resume and LinkedIn profile that validate the work you’ve put into learning and applying new skills during your gap year.
At CanGap we offer 7 digital badges:
Project Management
Have you developed a project that aligns with your goals and values? Whether it be a creative project you worked on all year or a community beach clean-up, it deserves to be recognized!
Career Planning
How have you used your gap time to explore career paths of interest? Share your discovery journey with us and what actionable steps you’ll be taking next.
Personal Identity
How did you leverage your year to get to know YOU? Share your journey to self-discovery and what you’ll be taking with you as you enter the next step of young adulthood.
Health & Wellness
How do you take care of yourself, and how will you hold yourself accountable as you take the next step in your journey? Share your action plan or the new habits you’ve built to support your holistic health.
Financial Literacy
How have you used your year to get FinLIT? From budgeting for a trip or a small business, to figuring out how to save for post-secondary. These are real money moves!
Mentorship
Did you connect with professionals, community leaders, or even a gap year expert to help guide your journey forward? Share how this experience supported your growth and next steps.
Goal Setting
What were your initial gap year goals? How did you put intentional action behind achieving them? Even if they all worked out or not, share what you learned and how this process will set you up for success moving forward.
These bad boys are also encrypted with metadata. That means when an employer or admissions panel clicks on them from your LinkedIn profile, or when recruiters use AI to scan applicant resumes, it’ll pull up all the details about what you did to earn that badge making you look pretty darn cool next to your peers!
AND, all 7 digital badges make up the Student of Leadership & Humanity Award!
The Student of Leadership and Humanity Award is an international, inclusive and non-competitive award that recognizes (and celebrates!) your dedication to yourself and your greater community during your gap year.
In short, our framework validates and certifies the life skills developed and projects implemented during your gap year and helps you stand out from your peers as you work towards stepping into your next chapter as a young adult.
AND when you earn the SOL&H award, you get a $100 Beyond The Gap Year Scholarshop presented by RBC Future Launch!
A kick-butt resume AND $100?! Now that’s how to close your gap year.
So, how do you actually get your digital badge?
In 3 simple steps!
STEP ONE
Register to receive the application links for the badges below.
STEP TWO
Submit a reflection on your experience learning one or multiple skills and how you applied the skill/s during your gap time.
STEP THREE
Our team will review your submission and issue your badges. If additional details are needed, we’ll notify you about what’s missing.
*Note that post-secondary students who have built and applied these skills outside of the classroom can also apply to receive the badges.
Let's get you certified!
Oh! And if you've got all 7 skills under belt, skip the individual reflections and submit one for all skills as part of the Award application - you'll receive all badges and the award at the same time.
To get started, register below to access our badge submission forms.
What have other Gappers done to earn the award?
Hear from Brelan!