Lack of ‘qualified people’ without more Web3 education, academics say

Australian blockchain academics and educators have called for more robust Web3 education in schools, preparing students for a world that will be dominated by blockchain technology.

Huxley Peckham, lead trainer for Blockchain Academy International told Cointelegraph that there are “very few qualified people in the blockchain industry, but there is a huge demand for qualified people,” noting that worldwide there are at least 60 different industries that use blockchain technology.

Both Peckman and Blockchain Academy International founder Tim Bowman said it was time to rapidly expand blockchain education in schools to prepare for a shift in the world economy.

Peckham believes blockchain education is important as it will allow “the next generation of strategists and consultants to come out with a real handle on this industry,” noting that knowing how to use the technology will “really enhance their careers.”

He suggested that blockchain is a lucrative industry to jump into, noting that he’s seen various jobs in the industry commanding “$300,000 [Australian dollars] plus incentives.”

Chris Berg, co-director of the RMIT University Blockchain Innovation Hub told Cointelegraph that it’s important for students to have an idea of ​​”what the economy looks like, how the economy is changing” when it comes to cryptocurrency and blockchain.

Berg firmly believes that students “need to leave Year 12 with an understanding of the changing nature of the economy, and the technologies that will affect it, one of which is blockchain.”

Meanwhile, Leigh Travers, CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Binance Australia told Cointelegraph that it was crucial that Australian students can access the same level of high-quality education in blockchain as those seeking a career in traditional industries.

Travers noted that Binance Australia recently introduced a “Binance Internship” — allowing students to learn from the best in “Web3 and crypto” and “hopefully get jobs outside of that.”

This is alongside plans for Binance Australia to form a partnership with Australian universities so that a “blockchain master’s degree” can be established to help people “get into the Metaverse or build it out for the future.”

Bowman noted that his academy has “met with a school in Brisbane who are going to offer a Diploma of Applied Blockchain to their Year 11 and 12 students in 2023.”

Related: Top universities have added crypto to their curriculum

Blockchain Academy International is the first blockchain education facility approved in Australia for government-issued student loans.

This allows Australians to enroll in their blockchain courses without having to pay up front, instead of taking out a loan with the Australian government in the same way that university loans are granted.

Bowman said he believes young Australians are already ahead of the curve in many ways, recalling a personal experience he had when he spoke to a primary school principal who asked a sixth form class “who here knows what an NFT is?” which was followed by “half the class raising their hands” before learning that “six students had already bought an NFT”.

A recently released research report by Australian crypto exchange Swyftx estimates that Australia will gain one million new cryptocurrency holders in the next 12 months, bringing total crypto ownership in the country to over five million.