Digital credentialing beta testing on latest "The Air Force Starts Here" podcast Published July 22, 2020 By Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- A look at Air Education and Training Command’s digital credentialing beta-test is the focus of the latest episode of "The Air Force Starts Here" podcast, released July 21, 2020. On the pod, Dan Hawkins from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs office sat down virtually sat down remotely with Lorelei Gomez, AETC’s Accreditation and Certification branch chief, and Jason Grove, the credentialing program project manager, to discuss the command’s partnership with industry and academia to test a digital credentialing, or “badging” process, for individuals within the Air Force Learning Professionals, bio-environmental and first sergeant communities. In line with the National Defense Strategy and AETC’s initiatives to Develop the Airmen We Need, the credentialing beta-test initiative aligns under the command’s priority of advancing force development and will allow Airmen to start earning credentials that are personal, verifiable, transferable and shareable. Gomez and Grove break down what a digital badge is and how it can change how credentialing is done in the Air Force, as well as the benefits of the program for both Airmen and leaders at all levels. They also talk about the digital 21st Century resume and the timeline for this beta test. The professional development podcasts are designed to help communicate and inform Total Force Airmen across the globe on relevant, timely topics related to the recruiting, training, education and development fields and can be listened to on the government network on the AETC website, or via mobile application as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Play. Future episodes are set to cover a wide range of topics, including the Trailblazers, who were the first females to graduate as pilots, and much more.