Digital registry of professional competences of the population drawing on distributed registries and smart contracts technologies

Abstract

At a time when the digital economy is emerging, the preservation and multiplication of intellectual capital, which is currently a key factor in social development, are paramount. The national economy’s orientation toward the use of modern achievements of the digital industry will contribute to a faster transition to the global information society. Digitalization of education will make it possible to use the latest scientific achievements for the development of other areas of life in society. This study presents a model that applies distributed registry technologies based on blockchains and smart contracts for the reliable storage and efficient use of date relating to the population’s professional competencies. This model aims to create a unified information environment for interaction between all the actors of the economic system. The authors developed the model for registering professional competencies of the population and their developmental paths based on modern digital technologies. We substantiate the efficiency and security assured by blockchain technology for information storage and transmission. Educational institutions of all levels, governmental authorities controlling education, and people taking part in the educational process are the basic actors of the system presented. The proposed model presents the educational level and professional skills of each registered person as an education index (EI), which keeps track of all educational achievements and professional competencies of the participant over their lifetime. When calculating the EI, the authors also propose to consider ratings of the educational institutions responsible for the participant’s professional skills. The implementation of the EI will significantly simplify the process of employing graduates from various educational institutions, as well as the college admissions process. In addition, analytic tools could be used to create ratings of colleges, school departments, and even specific teachers. The registry of professional competencies we developed is directed at the processing and storage of large volumes of data (Big Data). In the future, this will allow us to open access to the registry to employers, pension insurance funds, and other state authorities that require complete and reliable personal data.This study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project No. 18-410-320002\18 “The concept of innovative management of the development of regional economy in the digitalization era: a project-based approach”