Unnati issues digital certificates via Certif-ID in face of pandemic

Founded in 2003, SGBS Unnati Foundation works to promote and upraise underprivileged youth through its advanced vocational training programs. It operates in over 30 skill development centres across India and offers training in English communication, life skills, values, and vocation.

Unnati’s 30 days social transformation training program ensures that students aged between 18-25 find suitable jobs at the end of the program. To further strengthen this training program, Unnati wanted to make sure that their students not only learned the right skills but also received the right certificate, enabling them to prove their skills.

“We were looking for a way to better manage our student experience and data. To automate our paper-based course completion certificate issuing process. We wanted to issue authentic digital certificates which are globally recognised,” said Mr. M. R Subramaniam, of Unnati. “Also, in a world where internet and online security is critical, the need to secure student and institute information was our top priority.”

Certif-ID’s automated time-consuming manual processed and introduced digital certificates, data management and data analytics tools, SkillPass and more. Its blockchain-powered hub heightened Unnati’s learning environment.

“Our aim was to establish Certif-ID as the primary certification and database management system. An end-to-end, secure system to issue digital certificates, provide data insights and supercharge student profiles,” said Rakshit Manga, Sales Director Certif-ID. “Through Certif-ID we not only wanted Unnati to track student potential, performance and progress but also build brand trust – a win-win solution for Unnati, its students and recruiters.”

Highlights:

Socially Shareable Digital Certificates – Empowers students to gain global recognition. Helps them share and showcase their credentials with impact.
Brand Protection via Verifiable Digital Certificates – Strengthens brand experience and reputation by issuing easily verifiable digital certificates powered by blockchain.
Cost-effective operations and competitiveness – Automates tedious assessment and certification processes, improving operational efficiency, data and cost control.

Taking systematic steps to improve operational efficiency

Finding Certif-ID’s approach unique and reliable, Unnati partnered with Certif-ID to automate their existing processes, while also empowering students to take responsibility for their future.

“As we were facing huge challenges with regards to certification and skills matching with industry demands, we felt it is necessary to implement a smart way to recognise learning and issue smart certificates for our trainees,” said Mr. Ramesh Swamy, Director of Unnati. “The paper certificates we issued did not fit our needs. We wanted a simple system that would better highlight our students’ skills, bolstering their identities while applying for a job. Also, a secure certification system that would protect student records from falsification and theft.”

By automating and digitising processes on Certif-ID’s blockchain framework, Unnati is:

Handling assessments and certification at the course and batch level
Securely issuing students witch digital certificates powered by blockchain
Facilitating certificate and background verification using blockchain
Managing, analyzing and utilizing data to gain visibility into the skilling landscape

Unnati is issuing one-click shareable, verifiable and secure digital certificates via Certif-ID.

Certif-ID’s vendor-neutral solution seamlessly integrates with Unnati’s Learning Management Software and brings together all certification, verification and database information into one central platform – eliminating creation, approval and submission of paper certificates manually.

Digitally certifying skills beyond classrooms

As Unnati operates in over 30 Skill Development Centres PAN India, the issuance of course completion certificates was posing to be a challenge.

“For years we have struggled with manual data management using spreadsheets and other data records. The coordination required for properly printing the certificates, ensuring they reach the respective locations in time and are handed to students over correctly was a huge ordeal,” said Mr. Subramaniam, Unnati. “But Certif-ID has made it easy by allowing us to invite students to courses/batches and issue digital certificates directly to our students, regardless of the growth in the number of our centres.”

Targeting the imbalance between the demand and supply of skills, Unnati is utilising Certif-ID for;

Skills development – improving skills supply
Skills assessment – evaluating the current supply and demand for skill
Skills anticipation – forecasting the demand for a type of skill

The transparency offered by Certif-ID has eliminated the extra cost of the logistics involved in the issuance of manual certificates. Trainees who graduate from Unnati can now share their digital certificate, have it instantly verified and exhibit their learning journey through Skillpass.

Blockchain-powered hub and immutable certificates lead the way

With the number of students and training centres increasing, Unnati’s aim was to ensure that the right candidate gets the right certificate, at the right time.

“Certif-ID met Unnati’s objective of easily managing student data and issuing course completion certificates with a click of a mouse. A convenient way to give learners a platform to showcase their verified credentials while ensuring equal opportunities for all, “said Rakshit Manga, Sales Director Certif-ID. “We believe, on its journey to establish lifelong learning strategies through non-academic training initiatives, Unnati is equipping our youth with skills needed for the current labour market.”

Unnati has eliminated the logistics involved in the issuance of manual certificates, removing any possibilities of students losing their certificates. Apart from gaining full control on the certificate issuance process, Unnati has empowered its students to move up the ladder using Skillpass. SkillPass is a dynamic profile that includes features like video CVs to showcase personality/skills, Europass CV, skills-based course/job alerts, skill-led career path planning and more.

Also read: A blue future: Blue collar skills to watch out for in 2021 https://nationalskillsnetwork.in/a-blue-future-blue-collar-skills-to-watch-out-for-in-2021/

“We are excited that the skills developed by Unnati’s training programs, now through Certif-ID, is getting better visibility, international recognition and appreciation in the labour market,” said Mr. Ramesh Swamy, Unnati. “With Certif-ID, Unnati has made huge leaps forward in building the infrastructure required in the process of educating the underprivileged. The solution offered by Certif-ID has met all the requirements of the digitized solution that we were looking for, and that too at an affordable cost – Unnati is truly going digital!”