Wipro launches digital skills credentialing, verification initiative

Tech firm Wipro has launched an initiative to engage businesses, educational institutions, and the government to create a standardised framework for credentialing and validation of skills. The initiative, as per a company statement, will make validation of credentials easier, faster, and more reliable.

The verifiable skill credential and the associated digital ecosystem are built on Wipro’s Lab45 DICE ID platform. The Decentralised Identity and Credential Exchange (DICE) ID allows users to control their personal data as well as enables faster, easier and secure sharing of private information online.

“The education sector in India is expected to double in size in the coming years,” said Subha Tatavarti, Chief Technology Officer, Wipro Limited. “Yet, there is no easy, or standard, way to validate the courses and certifications offered by a multitude of institutions.”

“By building a wide-reaching ecosystem on our platform, our goal is to help accelerate the creation of a standard and interoperable credentialing framework that will alleviate the challenges faced in the skills verification process—and, ultimately, contribute to the creation of a dynamic and vibrant talent market.”

According to a Statista report published on July 10, the education industry in India is expected to almost double between 2020-2025 and the business of providing professional certificates likely to grow at a CAGR of 9% between 2023 and 2027.

Wipro’s digital ecosystem will provide a secure, trusted, and efficient way of validating certifications and educational credits, helping address the challenges surrounding skills and credential verification amidst a rapidly growing number of courses and certifications offered in India, it said in a statement.

To accelerate the adoption of this ecosystem, the company has formed an industry working group that includes learners, employers, academia, training providers, assessment agencies, and recruiters. This group will help in adopting the framework compliance with the government norms. So far, at least 70 firms have become the part of this initiative, the company said in a statement.

"We are thrilled to be a part of the DICE ID network and support this innovative initiative," said Chandra Sekhar Garisa, CEO of foundit, one of the firms that recently joined the platform. "Verifiable skill credentials offer a transformative solution that will revolutionize talent acquisition, enabling employers to quickly and confidently connect with top-notch professionals, streamlining the hiring process, and fostering successful outcomes for both employers and job seekers."

Kirti Seth, Chief Executive Officer, NASSCOM Future Skills Prime, said, “Our support to Wipro on this transformative journey exemplifies our dedication to the mission of making India a Digital Talent Nation. The verifiable skill credential ecosystem will bring immense value to the industry, helping to foster standardization, efficiency, and recognition of skills across diverse sectors. The benefits to the credential owner and credential seeker are immense in the form of saving time, money and effort that is currently spent in validating information.”