Gordon Pelosse is senior vice president, employer engagement at CompTIA. Unlocking the potential in millions of under and unemployed.
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Digital credentialing is revolutionizing the way we store, share and verify qualifications, skills and personal records across various sectors, including human resources, recruiting, education, healthcare and more. As technology continues to advance, digital credentials are becoming increasingly secure, reliable and convenient. Blockchain, as a way to securely transport and present information, plays a crucial role in ensuring the security and integrity of digital credentials. This article will explore the various applications of digital credentialing and the role of blockchain technology in transforming these sectors.
At the 2023 Velocity Network Annual Congress, we learned about the applications and use of a blockchain for digital credentials, from source issuer to identity owner and their digital wallet, enabling the identity owner to share their sovereign credential with whomever they choose. We saw attendees across the spectrum, including higher ed, employers, technology companies, recruiters, consultants, developers and industry associations/nonprofits. Many attendees were exploring the possibilities of the technology while several are actively engaged in loading their grads' credentials onto the blockchain as issuers and/or are developing apps to handle the end-to-end process.
Much progress has been made since last year’s congress; several businesses are using and leveraging the network and issuing and or accepting digital credentials. Velocity is indicating some 300,000 credentials currently on the blockchain and over 1 million by the end of 2023.
Let's look at some of the top trends for this tech across various industries.
Human Resources And Recruiting
In the human resources and recruiting industry, digital credentialing is streamlining the process of verifying candidates' qualifications, skills and work history. Traditional paper-based résumés and certificates are being replaced by digital badges, e-certificates and online portfolios. These digital credentials can be easily shared on social media, professional networking sites and job applications, making it easier for employers and recruiters to verify a candidate's qualifications. This automation streamlines the process of producing credentials from weeks to minutes, a welcome outcome for those engaged in the hiring process.
Blockchain technology adds an extra layer of security and trust to digital credentials in human resources and recruiting. By storing credentials on a decentralized, tamper-proof ledger, blockchain ensures the authenticity and immutability of the records. This not only prevents fraud and forgery (we hear as many as 36% of credentials claimed are fraudulent) but also simplifies the verification process for employers and recruiters, saving time and resources.
Education
In the education sector, digital credentialing is transforming the way students and professionals showcase their achievements and skills. Much like in HR and recruiting, paper-based certificates and diplomas are being replaced by digital badges, e-certificates and online portfolios. Blockchain technology enhances the security and reliability of these digital credentials by storing them on a decentralized, tamper-proof ledger. This ensures the authenticity of the records and simplifies the verification process for employers and educational institutions.
Healthcare
In the healthcare industry, digital credentialing is streamlining the process of verifying medical professionals' qualifications and ensuring patient safety. Healthcare providers can now access a centralized database of verified credentials, reducing the time and effort required to validate a practitioner's qualifications. Blockchain technology can further enhance the security and reliability of digital credentials in healthcare by storing medical professionals' qualifications on a blockchain, making it virtually impossible to tamper with or forge the records.
Immunization Records
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of accurate and accessible immunization records. Digital credentialing offers a secure and efficient solution for storing and sharing vaccination information. Digital immunization passports, such as the ones being developed by the World Health Organization, can be easily updated and verified, allowing individuals to prove their vaccination status when traveling or attending events.
Blockchain technology can further enhance the security and privacy of digital immunization records. By storing vaccination data on a decentralized, encrypted ledger, blockchain ensures that only authorized parties can access and update the records. This not only protects individuals' privacy but also helps prevent the spread of misinformation and fraudulent vaccination claims.
Work History And Skills Assessments
Digital credentialing is changing the way we document and share our work history and skills assessments. Online platforms like LinkedIn have made it easier for professionals to showcase their skills, experiences and achievements. However, verifying this information can still be a time-consuming process for employers and recruiters.
Blockchain technology can help streamline the verification of work history and skills assessments. By issuing digital badges or certificates for specific job roles and storing them on a blockchain, employers and recruiters can quickly verify a candidate's qualifications and skills. This not only streamlines the hiring process but also helps reduce the risk of fraud and misrepresentation.
Conclusion
As technology continues to advance, digital credentialing is poised to become the new standard for storing, sharing and verifying personal records and qualifications across various sectors. Blockchain technology plays a critical role in ensuring the security, integrity and trustworthiness of digital credentials in human resources, recruiting, education, healthcare, immunization records and work history.
As digital credentialing and blockchain technology become more widespread, stakeholders need to collaborate and establish best practices for issuing, storing and verifying digital credentials; Velocity Network, a nonprofit, seems to have done this in a vendor-agnostic fashion. This can ensure that digital credentialing remains a trusted and effective tool for the future, revolutionizing the way we manage and share our qualifications, skills and personal records.
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