BPM Analytics
Protecting the value of education: The importance of credential verification
The value of education extends far beyond individual achievement; it plays a vital role in shaping society and driving innovation. Yet, with credential fraud becoming alarmingly common, both educational institutions and employers face significant challenges. Reports reveal that 7 in 10 workers have admitted to lying on their resumes to get a job, and with an estimated $7 billion a year degree mill industry operating worldwide, fraudulent diplomas, degrees, and transcripts are not hard to come by. This underscores the urgency of robust credential verification systems to safeguard trust and ensure the authenticity of academic and professional achievements.
Flaws in current paper-based credential verification
Educational institutions and employers rely on a host of verifiable credentials for validating educational qualifications, including degrees and diplomas, course and skill certificates, or professional development credits. A paper-based credential verification system has long been a standard practice to achieve this. However, this approach is far from perfect and increasingly inadequate in today's digital age, opening the door to credential fraud. Some of the critical flaws of this traditional system include:
- They are prone to loss, damage, and forgery, making it easy for candidates to present fraudulent credentials.
- The verification process is time-consuming and error-prone, often causing delays and inaccuracies.
- A lack of standardisation in credentials can lead to fragmentation and complicate efforts to ensure reliability and uniformity.
These challenges highlight the urgent need for a shift towards digital verifiable credentials and credential verification services to combat fraud in education.
Benefits of verifiable digital credentials
Digital credentialing and credential verification services offer a transformative approach, addressing the shortcomings of traditional verification systems. Benefiting educational institutions, learners, and employers alike, they offer advantages like:
Enhanced accessibility and portability
Digital credentials are easily accessible and portable, allowing individuals to share their credentials seamlessly and fostering convenience and transparency when it comes to credential verification.
Increased credibility and security
Advanced encryption and verification protocols – such as blockchain-based credentials – enhance security and prevent forgery. This makes it easy for verifying agencies to authenticate qualifications, enhancing trust, security, and credibility, thus lowering the chances of credential fraud.
Support for ongoing learning
Micro-credentials and digital badges also incentivise continuous learning and skill development, encouraging learners to engage with professional growth opportunities to align themselves with industry demands.
Meeting evolving learner expectations
Learners today value personalisation, accessibility, and adaptability. Digital credentialing can offer valuable insights into learner preferences, enabling credential issuers to refine their program strategies.
Reduced costs and administrative work
By offering verifiable digital credentials and automating credential verification processes, educational institutions and employers can minimise costs and administrative work associated with the manual handling and authentication of degrees, diplomas, or skill certificates.
Combating fraud in education with credential verification
The threat of fraud in education has become a global concern, requiring a strategic approach that combines awareness, technological integration, and policy interventions. The actionable steps that can help improve credential verification and combat credential fraud include:
Promote awareness and education
Stakeholders involved in the credential verification process must educate themselves on the implications of credential fraud and the tools they can use to combat it. This awareness is the foundation of building a secure credentialing ecosystem.
Prioritise privacy and security
Prioritise data privacy and implement robust security measures when designing credential verification protocols. Leverage tools like encryption, blockchain technology, and secure servers to safeguard sensitive information and ensure transparency.
Utilise unique IDs and QR codes
Embedding unique IDs and QR codes into digital credentials simplifies the verification process while maintaining security. These enable instant authentication, reducing the risk of fraud in education.
Choose the right solution provider
Choosing a reliable credential verification services provider helps strengthen credential verification processes while also ensuring seamless integration into your existing workflows. Prioritising providers with expertise in credential fraud detection and prevention is essential for safeguarding the value of education. Leveraging advanced digital credentialing can enhance efficiency, strengthen integrity, and ensure a smooth transition to secure, modern verification processes.
Infosys BPM offers a suite of solutions to help combat fraud in education, leveraging new-age analytics and automation to implement robust credential verification systems. With solutions like edutech analytics, due diligence and automation, and digital edutech ops, Infosys BPM empowers educational institutions to implement robust instant verification systems, achieve net-zero error rates, and reduce costs. With a focus on innovation and security, you can leverage these solutions to build a reliable and scalable credentialing process for combating credential fraud.
Conclusion
Credential verification plays a pivotal role when it comes to preserving the integrity and value of education. Transitioning from paper-based systems to digital credential verification services not only helps combat fraud in education but also fosters trust, enhances accessibility, and supports lifelong learning. As educational institutions and employers embrace this transformation, they are taking a significant step towards eliminating credential fraud and ensuring transparency and authenticity.
