31 March, 2023
Through this pilot project, the participating colleges, Indigenous Institute, and universities have been engaging in implementing next generation technology solutions for delivery of micro-credentials to their learners using open standards and Verifiable Credentials.
Today, we are thrilled to announce that all ten institutions have successfully launched or expanded their use of MyCreds™ and have begun issuing digital micro-credentials, including badges, securely and efficiently to learners via the platform. Learners will be able to download their micro-credentials and badges and share them with others. New is the ability to download the micro-credentials to a digital universal wallet directly from MyCreds™, enabling a new way to share proof of their completion of their studies with prospective employers in a secure and quality assured manner.
A well-deserved congratulations go to the following Ontario post-secondary institutions: Brock University, Centennial College, Conestoga College, Durham College, Fleming College, Humber College, Niagara College, Oshki-Pimache-O-Win: The Wenjack Education Institute, University of Windsor and Western Continuing Studies.
Ontario’s post-secondary institutions have been supported by the extraordinary team efforts provided by ARUCC MyCreds™, Duklas Cornerstone Consulting Inc., Digitary and MATTR; organizations that have been combining their talents to deliver the MyCreds™ solution and expanded capacities leveraging self-sovereign identity (SSI) principles and Verifiable Credentials (VCs) through the MATTR virtual wallet.
By adopting interoperable standards and creating more capacities for learners to share their micro-credentials, MyCreds™ is leading the charge in the world-wide development of self-sovereign identity solutions to advance best practices for privacy compliant digital credential sharing. With an eye towards 24/7 scalable portability for learners, these new developments are putting ARUCC MyCreds™ on the world stages.
“We commend the post-secondary institutions for their dedication and comprehensive efforts over the last twelve months of this pilot project for micro-credentials,” says Charmaine Hack, outgoing MyCreds™️ Project Board Director and ARUCC’s inaugural board chair. “These institutions are at the forefront of cutting-edge technology efforts and delivering important contributions to the world of self-sovereign identity and Verifiable Credentials.”
“In an increasingly online world, learners need to have complete control of their credentials,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “The Government of Ontario recognizes the importance of this project, which explores how learners can digitally access, store and share their hard-earned micro-credentials with prospective employers. Thanks to this initiative, the future of digital credentialing in Ontario is bright and holds enormous potential for students, employers and postsecondary institutions alike.”
At the end of February, the ARUCC MyCreds™️ National Network held a full-day Showcase Event for the Ontario Virtual Skills Passport Pilot.
“We are incredibly proud of our schools and service partners for their work on the Virtual Skills Passport pilot project,” says Annik Gélineau, ARUCC Board Chair. “At the Showcase event, our team delivered micro-credentials on the spot to the more than 80 in-person attendees at the Symposium and over 100 badges outlining the outcomes from the day which participants posted on their LinkedIn page. We have proven out the ARUCC MyCreds™️| MesCertifMC ability to deliver these documents quickly and in large volumes, a key component of ensuring rapid workforce readiness. Bravo et merci à tous nos partenaires.”
“Helping schools like Humber adopt next-generation digital sharing technologies through MyCreds™ in support of the growing micro-credentials we offer remains essential to the success of our partnerships with industry,” says Frank Cappadocia, Dean, Continuous Professional Learning, Humber College. “We are excited to continue our work by expanding cutting-edge digitization principles for micro-credentials and beyond.”
MyCreds™ is a national, shared service and platform that provides students and graduates access to a secure, online, password-protected learner credential wallet. This virtual wallet allows them to view and share their verified and official transcripts, credentials, and academic documents in a digitized format on a 24/7 basis – anytime, anywhere. Secure, cryptographically signed documents can be sent conveniently and require no further verification. MyCreds™ is the first and only national bilingual system of its kind in Canada. Visit www.mycreds.ca for more details.
The Association of Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC) owns MyCreds™. ARUCC provides leadership in the post-secondary education field and service to its member institutions nationally and internationally, helping foster the advancement of registrarial practices and learner-focused service delivery in Canada.
ARUCC is supported in the program management of this initiative by Duklas Cornerstone Consulting Inc. and is working with two internationally renowned technology partners, Digitary and MATTR to deliver the full range of capacities for MyCreds™.
MEDIA RELEASE – March 31, 2023
Joanne Duklas, Executive Lead, ARUCC. E: info@aruccnationalnetwork.ca
