ReadyTech launches digital credentials technology for Australian providers of education and training
ReadyTech (ASX:RDY), a leading provider of people management software for educators and employers, has moved to support the shift of Australia’s education and training market toward a more digital future with a new partnership that will enable the rollout of digital credentials.
Partnering with market-leading, US-based digital credential provider Credly, ReadyTech will offer vocational education and training (VET) and higher education providers using the ReadyTech family of student management systems the ability to create and issue digital credentials for past and present students.
ReadyTech aims to support its 1,500+ education customers in adopting digital credentials to recognise bite-sized packets of learning and demonstrated skills, and boost student completion rates by charting more motivating learning pathways along the student learning experience.
Providers will also be able to develop their brand and market presence through the sharing of digital credentials among ‘digital native’ student cohorts online, and will gain flexibility to boost employability through aligning training and recognition with the real needs of employers.
ReadyTech CEO Marc Washbourne said digital credentialing, or ‘badging’, was enabling many educators around the world to better co-design relevant training with employers and turn ‘learners into earners’ by readily recognising the attainment of knowledge and skills that are of genuine value within a fast-changing global employment market.
“Digital credentials have been talked about in Australia for some time. With today’s more tech-savvy students and the profound shift towards recognition of more discreet packets of learning and skills that are of value to employers, we want to support education providers to seize this opportunity now.”
Washbourne said providers could use digital credentials to become more agile, with the opportunity to grow their education and training businesses into new areas of student and employer demand.
“While digitally recognising ‘micro’ learning and skills that are accredited under existing education frameworks will be a primary focus for many providers and a powerful step forward, digital credentials also give providers the added flexibility to recognise ‘alternative’ skills.
“Given the pace of change in today’s employment market and repeated calls for educators to deliver a workforce equipped with the hard and soft skills necessary for performance in their roles, we believe digital credentials will give educators a new avenue for market-aligned growth.”
Through its Acclaim platform, Credly helps education and certification providers create and issue digital credentials that connect people to opportunities based on their demonstrated talents and capabilities.
“ReadyTech’s new digital credential initiative signals a forward-thinking approach to supporting the education providers that use its student management systems,” said Jonathan Finkelstein, CEO of Credly. “Together, we are eager to empower more education and training providers in Australia to issue valuable digital credentials that not only assist in recognising and engaging students as they learn real skills but help them achieve professional success.”
“Credly’s commitment to this partnership extends to include the support and development services provided by our Asia Pacific partner – Everitas.”
Everitas Founder and Director, David Kinsella commented: “We’re very focused on ensuring comprehensive local advice and support to ensure the ongoing success of the Credly/ReadyTech collaboration, and excited to be associated with these two leading education innovators to deliver the benefits of 21st century skills communication technology to many stakeholders across the region.”
About Credly: Credly is helping the world speak a common language about people’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. Thousands of employers, training organizations, associations, certification programs, and workforce development initiatives use Credly to help individuals translate their learning experiences into professional opportunities using trusted, portable, digital credentials. Credly empowers organizations to attract, engage, develop, and retain talent with enterprise-class tools that generate data-driven insights to address skills gaps and highlight opportunities through an unmatched global network of credential issuers. https://info.credly.com/
