Australian blockchain academics and educators have called for stronger Web3 education in schools, preparing students for a world that will be dominated by blockchain technology.
Huxley Peckham, lead trainer at Blockchain Academy International, told Cointelegraph that “there are very few skilled people in the blockchain industry, but there is a huge demand for skilled 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 global economy.
Peckham believes blockchain education is important as it will allow “the next generation of strategists and consultants to have a real handle on this industry,” noting that knowing how to apply the technology “will really enhance their career”.
He suggested that blockchain is a lucrative industry to jump into, noting that he’s seen several jobs in the industry commanding “$300,000.” [Australian dollars] more incentives”.
Chris Berg, co-director of the RMIT University Blockchain Innovation Hub told Cointelegraph that it is vital for students to have an idea “of what the economy is like, how the economy is changing” in terms of cryptocurrency and blockchain.
Berg strongly 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 imperative that Australian students have access to the same level of high-quality blockchain education as those seeking a career in the industries traditional
Travers noted that Binance Australia recently introduced a “Binance Internship,” which allows students to learn the best of “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 “masters in blockchain” can be established to help people “enter the Metaverse or build it for the future”.
Bowman noted that his academy has “meeted with a school in Brisbane who will be offering a Diploma in Applied Blockchain to their Year 11 and 12 students in 2023”.
Related: Top universities have added cryptography to the curriculum
Blockchain Academy International is Australia’s first approved blockchain education center for government-issued student loans.
This allows Australians to enroll in their blockchain courses without having to pay upfront, rather than taking out a loan from the Australian government in the same way that university loans are provided.
Bowman said he believes young Australians are already ahead of the curve in many ways, recalling a personal experience he had talking to a primary school principal who asked a class of six “who 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 survey report from Australian cryptocurrency exchange Swyftx estimates that Australia will gain one million new cryptocurrency holders over the next 12 months, bringing total cryptocurrency ownership in the country to over five million.
