#PaiRED: Blockchain, Education & Pathways to Employment

Education and training can benefit tremendously from the characteristic of blockchain known as sharing. It can be used to allow education to reach people beyond institutions and organizations and in countries that currently lack access. It can certainly ease the process of validating credentials and certificates and help ensure transparency and quality in education. Performance and reliability go hand in hand with transparency and confidentiality.

Blockchains have a natural place in tracking, managing and authenticating activities in online platforms especially in MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses). MOOCs have a notoriously small completion rate and blockchain might be used as a motivational tool. Most importantly, blockchain has the potential to increase trust in learning. There are still many challenges to overcome but the benefits can be huge for enriching the experience of learners on all levels.

Clear learning pathways can be another benefit from blockchain. Blockchains can be developed on a community level to match schools and employers to provide an education to employment pipeline. If everyone joins in and uses the same blockchain, the possibilities are exponential. The ability to transfer credits easily between community colleges and four-year institutions can be immediate.

The same is true with employment. Employers can see detailed information including degrees and academic records such as courses taken, topics covered and outcomes. This allows an employer to evaluate learning with a more contextual view. Blockchain has many possibilities if people can come together and commit to a shared program and common framework. It creates trust and requires standardization. It can reduce the administrative burden for HR and academic institutions.

The biggest benefits for adopting blockchain are for the learners. Learners can have the ability to have learning recognized wherever it occurs — in a classroom, on the job, self-directed or in service to others. Blockchain has the potential to create a unified ecosystem, bringing together learning done in free time with more formal learning environments.