The students of RMIT University, Australia, may opt to publish industry-relevant skills, capabilities and experiences by channelling the power of an emerging technology, the blockchain-enabled digital credentials.
According to the report released by the RMIT University, the University will be working on this early but significant application of blockchain technology with Credly, the end-to-end solution for creating, issuing and managing digital credentials.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Vice-President Professor Belinda Tynan said that this is a good example of how RMIT partners with industry to provide real-world benefits and meaningful student outcomes.
She explained that RMIT is an innovator and this initiative allows them to explore the latest application of this technology as part of their commitment on improving the experience of the students.
It is also an opportunity to work alongside like-minded global organisations from diverse industry sectors so that they can gain valuable insights on issuing, publishing and tracking digital credentials added to the blockchain.
This initiative will put RMIT at the forefront of helping both the students and the employers in leveraging the potential of blockchain in order to fill long-standing skills and communication gaps.
This collaboration with Credly will supply the students with the relevant tools to better communicate industry-relevant skills and experiences into economic and life opportunities.
Students who have completed selected courses will be offered blockchain-enabled credentials as well as digital credentials from the RMIT Creds suite. They can also avail of the University’s first blockchain strategy course.
Blockchain was originally designed to enable the exchange of digital currencies, but it is now emerging across industry sectors including finance, manufacturing and health. This technology allows data to be authenticated, shared, and distributed but not altered.
Through this initiative, both RMIT and Credly can future-proof the credentials that they issue because the credentials that are published to a blockchain provide improved, independent verification of its authenticity and accuracy.
Credly Founder and CEO Mr Jonathan Finkelstein explained that Credly’s work principles are very much aligned with blockchain. These principles include user ownership, choice, portability, security, and independent verification.
He concluded that this collaboration has granted them the opportunity to test and refine the application of blockchain in unlocking the full potential for individuals and organisations to communicate and discover skills and competencies.
The RMIT University will begin to issue blockchain-enabled credentials by late August of this year.
