White belt
Completed foundational learning and built a good initial understanding of key concepts.
Pathways for Progress
Accelerate your career for the AI-native telco era
AI-enabled transformation is a human challenge
Our members are on a journey towards AI-enabled efficiency and agility through our Industry Missions. Yet, even in the age of AI, transformation remains fundamentally a human challenge.
Rapid pathways are needed to move telecom workforces from theory to practice, at scale. Pathways for Progress rewards telecom professionals for sustained skills development and industry contribution, helping build the capabilities essential to an AI-native CSP.
Transparent career pathways rewarding real delivery
When members engage in TM Forum activities, it supports the individual, their company or the whole industry to grow and transform. With Pathways for Progress, their contributions unlock progressive colored belt status, which can be displayed on professional profiles, creating visible proof of capability and industry impact.
Benefits for individuals
Make your progress visible
Belts provide a clear, tiered, and shareable signal of your experience and contribution across TM Forum activities.
Build skills that translate into practice
Helping you move beyond knowledge acquisition into delivery and contribution.
Create a stronger career signal
Belts strengthen how you present your capability and experience to peers and employers.
Benefits for organizations
A practical view of capability
Supporting internal development programmes and capability planning.
Hiring and talent
Belts become a “currency” for relevant skills and experience, in recruitment and role matching.
Stronger market reputation
A signal of excellence when presenting your organisation to customers and partners.
Belts
Progressive colored belts are visible proof of capability and impact.
Yellow belt
Developed broad knowledge while starting to participate across TM Forum activities.
Blue belt
Demonstrated deep skills and applied them to real business or technical challenges.
Red belt
Made a significant contribution to the industry through active participation, including collaboration, innovation and standards activity.
Black belt
Widely recognized as an industry leader, contributing at the highest level and helping shape what comes next.
How it works
When members engage in TM Forum activities, it supports the individual, their company or the whole industry to grow and transform. Members earn Points reflecting the 'effort' and 'skill' required, as well as 'Impact' on the community.
You earn points through recognized TM Forum activities.
Including certifications, events and project participation.
Your Belt is awarded based on total points.
With minimum requirements and maximum thresholds for different activity categories.
Most activities are considered for the last 12 months.
Certifications are considered for 36 months.
Access your Belt via your TM Forum profile.
Share your digital credential with your network.
Use your Belt credential to prove your capability.
Post to your LinkedIn network. Add to your LinkedIn certifications. Add to your CV.
Belts are reviewed annually.
To reflect your ongoing activity.
Belt criteria (2026 award)
Each belt represents a progressive level of capability and industry impact.
| Belt | Criteria |
|---|---|
| White | 10 points from 1 Educate certification |
| Yellow | 50 points including 3 certifications OR at least 10 points from all other activities |
| Blue | 100 points including 5 certifications, 1 at practitioner level OR at least 30 points from innovation / collaboration. Top 500 Professionals. |
| Red | 250 points including 5 certifications, 1 at practitioner level OR at least 150 points from innovation / collaboration. Top 100 Professionals. |
| Black | 500 points including 5 certifications, 1 at practitioner level OR at least 250 points from innovation / collaboration. PLUS ‘Distinguished’ award. PLUS IH Industry Innovator |
Earning points (2026 award)
Point scores are designed to reflect effort, skill required, and impact on the TM Forum community. Below are examples of activities and their point values.
| Capability | Activity | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Educate | Attaining an Awareness Level Certification in L36M | 10 |
| Attaining a Fundamentals Level Certification in L36M | 10 | |
| Attaining a Practitioner Level Certification in L36M | 20 | |
| Innovate | Participating in a Catalyst team in L12M | 30 |
| Innovation Hub – Participating Member (baseline engagement) L12M | 60 | |
| Innovation Hub – Project Driver (high contribution) L12M | 120 | |
| Innovation Hub – Industry Innovator (highest contribution, cross-hub) L12M | 160 | |
| Co-create (Collaboration) | Attending an Accelerate event in L12M | 20 |
| Attending a collaboration meeting in L12M (300 points cap) | 2 | |
| ‘Outstanding Contributor’ award in L36M | 50 | |
| Chairing / leading an active collaboration project | 50 | |
| Speaking at a GAF webinar in L12M | 20 | |
| Member of a Misson Board / Mission Leadership Team | 20 | |
| Recognised as Distinguished Fellow / Engineer / JP Reilly award (at any time) | 100 | |
| Insight | Attending an on-demand webinar in L12M | 1 |
| Events | Attending a DTW or ‘Innovate’ event in L12M | 10 |
| Speaking at a DTW or ‘Innovate’ event in L12M | 20 |
Pathways for Progress inquiries: [email protected]