Cloud services company Appirio is introducing a “badging programme” to grow its iOS developer community and address what it believes is the enterprise’s need for easy access to development and design talent.

The initiative will offer four badge levels: an education badge where members complete training activities to boost design and development skills; a “show your skills” badge for when they pass a peer-reviewed challenge; a developer and design challenger badge where they will look at real world business problems; and a high performer badge for demonstrating expert programming skills.

Appirio plans to add 20,000 badged iOS members to Topcoder, its global crowdsourcing community of almost one million designers, developers and data scientists.

“Our customers are asking for quick solutions to the challenges presented by today’s app economy,” said CEO Chris Barbin.

Appirio wants developers and designers to connect and engage with peers, receive feedback from experts, showcase their talent, and earn cash prizes.

The programme targets businesses looking to upgrade their mobile strategies by delivering “intuitive, consumer-grade user experiences”.