To be honest, the badge thing was always good for a laugh for me.
When I first saw how they were giving badges out right and left for literally anything I decided to have a little fun.
By the time I was done I had over 50 of them.
I used to tell the younger people they used the badges to determine how much of a raise you got.
The more badges you had the more you got paid (incorrigible but was all in good fun).
They'd ask "really"? I'd say sure...and explain that I had over my 50...my boss had about 15 and my director had about 10 so just do the math.
Then I'd tell them if you really want to do yourself a favor, to remember it's your career and no one else's.
No one is going to manage your career for you.
Take ownership of it and use your tuition assistance and further your education and leave the badges (other than the ones you'd get for completing mandatory training) to the Boy Scouts and the nano nano degrees to Mork and Mindy.
Also don't be a "one-trick pony" with limited experience in just one area.
By all means be good at what you do but develop a breadth of experience in multiple relevant areas.
Some did just that and are much more confident in their abilities and better prepared for opportunities both inside and outside the company as they move forward.