Blockchain Certification Could Make It Easier for Employers to Hire You

“While it was possible for people who were proficient with the technology to… identify candidates who had the knowledge, there were more and more hiring managers and presidents of companies who could not tell the difference,” says Perklin, who also serves as the chief information security officer at ShapeShift.io. “We realized this had already been solved. How do HR managers identify proficient accountants when they themselves aren’t accountants? Certifications.”

In similar fashion, DCC’s certification process helps “hold professionals who are advising clients to a higher standard and provide a benchmark for evaluating skill and professional value,” Barry Silbert, CEO of the Digital Currency Group, explains on DCC’s website.

Both organizations follow a process similar to professional certification programs in other fields. Users register and pay to take an online exam covering a broad range of knowledge that they are encouraged to know — or learn — before being tested. For example, the CED exam covers a range of topics including smart contracts, token systems, libraries and registries. DCC’s curriculum is based on six core competencies and include technical underpinnings, monetary implications, accounting and finance, and regulatory and legal frameworks.

Each organization says the materials applicants need to know to pass the exam are readily available online. However, “the strict time limit ensures that only applicants who already possess the knowledge have a good chance of passing,” says C4’s Perklin.

Back to School

College-based programs focus on both training and certifying prospective candidates. Mesa Community College’s blockchain program is envisioned as a nine-credit micro-certificate, including courses in networking technology, blockchain fundamentals, a proof-of-concept in which students can create their own blockchains and internship opportunities. It is designed to be completed in less than two semesters, according to Collins. “We see this as a stackable credential that can lead to additional academic certificates and a degree,” she says.

Community colleges are tasked with serving the workforce needs of their regions, and blockchain is an emerging priority for Arizona. MCC decided to create the program, Collins says, after two of the college’s instructors with previous blockchain experience learned that a state lawmaker was interested in creating a program. Subsequent labor market research found several hundred consultants already working in the industry, according to Collins.

“Arizona is becoming a major IT hub, particularly in the East Valley and downtown Mesa, and including blockchain would be addressing an untapped IT resource,” says Collins.

Arizona has become an early pioneer in blockchain, with laws on the books recognizing smart contracts and allowing companies to hold and share data on the blockchain. The technology “is the foundation for the future of high-wage employment,” says State Rep. Jeff Weninger, a Republican, in a news release about Mesa Community College’s program.