In the first post of this series, I offered some thoughts on the continued growth of eSports throughout Academia and Gamification. Here’s a quick recap: Institutional publishers will embrace gamification as they look for new ways to stay competitive in the EdTech arms race. More districts will adopt eSports and gaming, not only as additional varsity sports but also as the centerpiece around new STEAM curriculums.

In this post, we’ll take a high-level look at two concepts that have heavy implications for the future of work.

Adaptive Curriculums & Workforce Development

As I mentioned in the previous post, my definition of an effectively educated student is one that graduates with the core knowledge, and proper framework to guide further exploration into solving the problems that they’re most passionate about. This means, in part, providing a curriculum that adapts, as needed, to various industry advancements. It also means reducing the friction to actively pursue such passions, like continuing their education or finding a job. Companies like PeduL, Edlyft, and Outcome are helping to reduce that friction.

Certifications & Credentials built into High School Curriculums

Recently there’s been the growth of a new sector in education deemed Middle Skilled. It primarily describes those who attain some form of professional certification or credential in lieu of pursuing a college degree. In most cases, those in pursuit of these credentials would fall into the adult or lifelong learner bucket. But I believe there’s an opportunity to skew younger.

To say that Gen Z is digitally native would be a supreme understatement and to say that they’ll soon be the most technically gifted might not be as hyperbolic as it initially sounds. They were practically born with devices in their hands. With so many options for digital certifications and skills training, there’s room to refine curriculums through integrating into electives, specialized classes, and career academies to equip students with verified credentials and better set them up for career success upon graduation. Greenlight Credentials is just one company building solutions making it easier for students, employers, and issuers alike to track these credentials.

As the adoption around virtual identity management and credentials wallets grows, so will the utilization of unique, learner-centric solutions. Imagine students at 4-Year colleges and universities being able to earn an Associate’s Degree in tandem because their progress is consistently tracked. Once they meet the criteria, it’s automatically awarded, verifiable by the issuer, and added to their virtual profile and wallet. It doesn’t just stop with traditional instruction. Internships, part-time jobs, and volunteer work can also be tracked and added to each student’s profile to paint a more robust picture of interests, achievement, and mastery. For lifelong and workforce learners looking to reskill, whether for career transition or advancement, the ability to track and manage professional development efforts and achievements via a verifiable ledger can help to paint that same picture of skill and mastery.

If you’re building any solutions here, reach out, I want to help you get the backing you need to dominate in the space.