What are the benefits of a digital credentials platform?
Over the years, education institutions have issued academic credentials on paper. While this was a sufficient way to store and disseminate credentials in the past, it has become increasingly inefficient today. The COVID-19 pandemic, along with evolving technology, has brought about digital solutions that can quickly streamline this process — that’s where digital credentials come into play.
Read on to learn more about digital credentials and how a trusted platform can benefit institutions, learners and employers as a result.
Over the years, education institutions have issued academic credentials on paper. While this was a sufficient way to store and disseminate credentials in the past, it has become increasingly inefficient today. The COVID-19 pandemic, along with evolving technology, has brought about digital solutions that can quickly streamline this process — that’s where digital credentials come into play.
Read on to learn more about digital credentials and how a trusted platform can benefit institutions, learners and employers as a result.
What are digital credentials?
Digital credentials are a digital representation of traditional documents such as a learner’s academic achievements, skills, abilities and competencies, that have been verified by a trusted source.
The need for universally recognised and accepted digital credentials, is a result of the gap between the skills institutions are looking for and the proof of those skills that current transcripts provide. Traditional academic credentials may not be indicative of the true range of skills a person has learned and has to offer. This can be frustrating for both learners and institutions as well as employers that find difficulties in verifying and evaluating potential candidates.
Consider all of the achievements you’ve earned throughout your life. Digital credentials provide a better way to share these achievements. This is not only advantageous for learners, but also for educational institutions and employers who need quick, accurate and verifiable information on applicants.
With digital credentials, there’s a higher level of consistency, data and trust in skill recognition and decision-making. This means individuals are able to showcase their skills in a portable, verifiable way that provides valuable context. Moreover, employers are well-positioned to improve their hiring practices and institutions are better equipped to grow their programs.
The benefits of a digital credentials platform
Implementing a digital credentials platform can offer a host of additional benefits as a result. The main advantages include:
- Improved access: Digital solutions allow learners to have 24/7 access to their digitally certified academic credentials online, anywhere in the world.
- Increased security: According to a report from Accenture, 68% of business leaders agree that global cybersecurity threats are on the rise. So, when it comes to data, security is always top of mind — and you need a solution that satisfies this priority. With a trusted digital credentials platform at their fingertips, learners can share their records with third parties, including other educational institutions or employers, and rest assured their information remains secure.
- Reduced fraud: All credentials are cryptographically signed, which improves security and reduces the risk of credential fraud. Moreover, a recent article from the PIE discusses arrests in India after fraud claims — where aspiring students were provided with fake documents to support their visa applications. With a digital credentials platform in place, this situation could’ve been avoided, guaranteeing secure and verified credentials throughout the process.
- Simplified verification: With improved access, institutions and employers can quickly and easily verify learners’ academic records.
- Lowered costs: Education providers can take advantage of reduced costs and streamlined processes from these digital solutions. This enables self-service for learners and employers who can eliminate the need for back and forth with third parties.
With all of the benefits a more optimised system can offer, it might be a good time to consider how digital credentials can improve your institution’s processes and learner experience. In fact, a report from AACRAO found that 32% of institutions are already allocating more resources to digital credentials and this number is only expected to grow. This is a result of expectations from learners who want access to simpler, more efficient processes — which typically include the use of digital technologies. However, you need a solution you can depend on to ensure your process stays efficient and effective.
Leveraging solutions from Digitary
While transforming your current processes can feel overwhelming initially, Digitary can make the transition smooth and straightforward. Digitary CORE (Certified Online Records Exchange) is a leading secure online platform for certifying, sharing and verifying digital academic credentials worldwide. Digitary enables millions of learners to share their verified digital credentials with education institutions, employers and government agencies securely, quickly and easily.
Discover more about how Digitary’s solutions benefit learners, institutions and receivers, or contact us to get started.
