Introducing the Open Skill Genome Project
Empowering Individuals through Decentralized, AI-Enabled Skill Data
Imagine spending years learning new skills—taking online courses in the evenings, working on complex projects at your job, and engaging in volunteer work on weekends. Now imagine if all those hard-earned competencies were fragmented, lost in a sea of data, unable to be properly represented and recognized as you seek new opportunities. For far too many individuals, this is the unfortunate reality.
We are excited to announce the launch of the Open Skill Genome Project, an open-source initiative funded by the Walmart Foundation aimed at transforming the way we capture, share, and leverage individuals' skills and competencies in the labor market.
Why
Today, we learn new skills and gain competencies through a multitude of experiences—at school, at work, at home, and increasingly online through platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn Learning, MOOCs, and blogs. A true representation of an individual's knowledge and capabilities must comprehensively account for this rich tapestry of learning that spans far beyond formal education and work.
However, the records of this learning come in all forms, both structured and unstructured data, and are often fragmented and siloed. Crucially, individuals lack agency over this data that is fundamentally theirs. In the current paradigm, they cannot fully leverage records of their skills to open up new opportunities.
Moreover, the labor market in its current form is broken. Hiring processes are rife with biases, and even after being hired, individuals often aren't given the right opportunities to demonstrate and apply their capabilities to the fullest extent. There is a fundamental mismatch and inefficiency in connecting people's skills with relevant opportunities.
What
The Open Skill Genome Project aims to address these challenges head-on by building an innovative decentralized data architecture in partnership with Morgan Frank at the University of Pittsburgh. At the core of this will be AI models to extract granular skills from individuals' comprehensive learning and working records.
Crucially, individuals will maintain exclusive ownership of their skill data through Digital Credential Consortium's open wallet technology. They can then share this verified, privacy-preserved 'skill genome' with employers and opportunity providers on their own terms.
This combination of decentralized data agency and rich, AI-powered skill insights will empower individuals to more fully express and utilize their competencies. Simultaneously, it will enable fairer, less biased hiring and talent management practices on the employer side. We envision this as an important step towards a labor market that is more efficient, equitable and centered on individuals' self-determination.
How You Can Get Involved
Realizing this vision will take a village. Starting September 17 at 1PM, we will be hosting a monthly webinar series featuring thought leaders and practitioners working at the intersection of AI, decentralized data, skills and the future of work.
This Substack will be your go-to resource to stay updated on the latest developments in this fast-evolving space. Every week, we will share insights on cutting-edge technological developments, translate scholarly research, and curate pivotal industry news to paint a holistic picture of how AI and decentralized data are digitally transforming the labor market. We are also going to invite you to join our Github repository dedicated to the project.
We invite you to subscribe and join us on this journey to decode the DNA of skills data and put power back in the hands of individuals. Together, let us reimagine a fairer, more efficient future of work.
