Badges and points

I remember, once upon a time here on Treehouse, there was a jobs board where potential employers could see what badges you've earned and topics you were proficient in. I haven't seen that in a few years so now I'm wondering if there is a purpose to the points and badges anymore, other than scoring on the leaderboard. Also, I recall cool little story-driven segments as rewards for completing challenges, which I loved. I know you guys dropped that whole thing because of a shift in what you were aiming to make the company, but is there the potential for anything like that to make a return in the future? I understand that badges (and, of course, knowledge) are the reward for completing challenges now, but what are they good for?

Are there any plans for adding a more robust rewards mechanic in the future? I've always felt like Treehouse took a step back on something that made you guys unique in the online learning space.

Oh, PS, what happened to treehouse student perks? Perhaps we could get some sort of perks based on how many points / types of badges we have.