In an increasingly competitive global economy, the need for upskilling and continuous learning has never been greater. A four-year degree is no longer the ticket to secure good paying employment it once was. Unprecedented technological advancements are driving the need for more specialized skills. In this fast changing environment, the ability to access industry leading, learner focused training is critical for employees and employers alike.
An Edmonton based company is helping to meet that need. It all began 22 years ago when two friends were preparing for their flight exams. They were disappointed when they logged on to the training site, which featured outdated materials coupled with a non-intuitive interface. The experience inspired the two to develop a better way to deliver online training. The result was We Know Training (WKT).
From its humble beginnings in a garage, WKT has grown to become a leading training and credential management provider, focused on traditionally high-barrier-to-enter, regulated industries like transportation, finance, insurance, safety and real estate.
At the heart of its operations is its eLearning team. This group of instructional designers, web developers, illustrators and project managers collaborate with subject matter experts to create accurate, interactive eLearning programs like Relo, the first RECA-approved pre-licensing training program to hit the market in Alberta.
The program is just one of the more than a hundred courses developed by WKT since 2002. In that time, the company has helped train a staggering ten million learners. Beyond the regulated sphere, it has also worked with partners like the Alberta government to develop offerings like a program to help Albertans improve their digital literacy skills, including entrepreneurs looking to take their businesses online.
The company is looking to grow even further in the next decade. WTK’s BHAG – big hairy audacious goal – is to generate $100 million in revenue annually by training so many people that everyone on the planet knows someone who has earned a digital credential from WKT.
This target may be ambitious, but the company is banking on a strategy of combining its industry-respected training with an increasingly valuable offering – digitally verifiable credentials (VCs).
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has set a standard to advance the use of the use of digital identity and digital verified credentials in our daily lives through VCs. They are tamper proof and independently verifiable, ensuring authenticity and trust. Seeing the challenge and opportunity, WTK has integrated VCs into its proprietary learning management system. A partnership with Credivera, a leading credential verifier, further enhances the reliability and functionality of the VCs.
For learners, VCs offer the convenience of a digital wallet, enabling them to manage and share their credentials and control who has access to their credential information. For employers and regulators, the immediate verifiability of VCs simplifies compliance and auditing processes, reducing administrative burdens and ensuring up-to-date qualifications.
At a time of pressing labour shortages and growing credential fraud, WTK has a model that addresses both. The company’s forward-thinking approach is helping to provide the cutting-edge solutions employees and employers need to meet the ever-evolving demands of the digital age.
Not bad for a company that got its start in a two-car garage.