Australian Blockchain Academics Urged For Web3 Education In Schools

Australian blockchain scholars and educators have urged for more Web3 education in schools to prepare pupils for a future dominated by blockchain technology.

The chief trainer at Blockchain Academy International, Huxley Peckham, said there are very few trained individuals in the blockchain industry. Still, there is an enormous need for certified people, noting that at least 60 different industries use blockchain technology globally.

Tim Bowman, founder of Blockchain Academy International, and Peckman concurred that it was necessary to aggressively develop blockchain teaching in schools to prepare for an economic revolution.

Peckham feels that blockchain education is essential because it will enable the next generation of strategists and consultants to emerge with a firm grasp of the industry and substantially advance their careers.

He indicated blockchain is a lucrative business, stating that he has observed several roles in the field with a salary of $300,000 plus incentives.

Chris Berg, co-director of the Blockchain Innovation Hub at RMIT University, told Cointelegraph that students must understand what the economy looks like and how it is evolving related to cryptocurrencies and blockchain.

Chris Berg, co-director of the Blockchain Innovation Hub. Image: Businessacumen

Berg is confident that pupils must graduate from high school with an awareness of the changing nature of the economy and the technologies that will impact it, including blockchain.

Leigh Travers, CEO of crypto exchange Binance Australia, said that it is essential for Australian students to have access to the same degree of high-quality blockchain education as those pursuing careers in traditional sectors.

Travers highlighted that Binance Australia just created a Binance Internship that allows students to learn from the finest in Web3 and crypto and hopefully find employment outside of that.

This is in addition to Binance Australia’s ambitions to forge cooperation with Australian institutions to produce a blockchain master’s degree to assist students in entering the Metaverse or constructing it for the future.

Bowman said his institution has met with a Brisbane school that will provide a Diploma of Applied Blockchain to its year 11 and 12 students in 2023.

Blockchain Academy International is the first blockchain education institution in Australia to be certified for student loans given by the government.

This enables Australians to enrol in blockchain courses without paying in advance. Instead, they can obtain a loan from the Australian government, similar to how university loans are offered.

Bowman stated that he feels young Australians are already ahead of the curve in many respects. He cited a conversation he had with a primary school principal who asked a sixth-grade class, “Who here knows what an NFT is?” which was then followed by “half of the class raising their hands” before it was revealed that “six pupils had already purchased an NFT.”

A recent survey from Swyftx predicts that Australia will add one million new crypto holders over the next 12 months, raising the country’s total crypto ownership to above five million.