The Blockchain Sector isn’t just for Coders: Learn about the Possibilities of Blockchain Education

Everyone’s talking about the tremendous potential of blockchain and judging by the amount of investment by large corporations, confidence in the technology is high. Indeed, 61% of firms in the digital economy are currently investing in blockchain technology according to a survey by identity management firm Okta.

And this is by no means an isolated finding — numerous other studies make similar predictions. Worldwide spending on blockchain solutions is forecast to be nearly $2.9 billion in 2019 according to the International Data Corporation. Businesses have reached an inflection point where they are moving quickly from the experimental phase to adoption and implementation. In most of these cases, the main goal is to reduce operational costs by integrating blockchain in existing business practices.

But who invests in education on blockchain? Who is offering the courses that will enable the next generation to implement the technology?

The most commonly cited barriers to deployment are scalability and lack of knowledge. As blockchain is rapidly evolving and maturing, it is imperative that young talent have access to high-quality education in the field. Let’s take a look at the current educational landscape.

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Pent-up demand

‍Blockchain is still in the early stages of adoption. Thus, trying to master the technology now is a bit like learning web development from scratch in the late nineties. But it’s not necessary to be a cryptography specialist or to understand the code behind a blockchain protocol to work in the sector. The blockchain industry isn’t just for coders — there are numerous less technical jobs in the sector too. Just like any company, blockchain firms need management, sales, communications and marketing staff. For these roles, understanding the principles behind the various technologies that underpin blockchain is usually enough to be able to make a valuable contribution.

The need for quality blockchain education is also reflected in the current labour market, where related skills are in high demand at the moment. The jobs portal Glassdoor, for example, currently advertises a total of 5,711 blockchain jobs globally. US employers account for the majority of these vacancies, with over 2,500 open positions, followed by the UK with over 1,000.

Which companies are hiring? IBM alone offers nearly 110 blockchain-related jobs, which is almost twice as many as EY and Oracle combined. The top 10 companies advertising blockchain positions include familiar names like Oracle, Accenture, Deloitte, and PwC. Notably, only three are related to cryptocurrencies — Foris Limited, Crypto.com and Wirex — which dispels the notion that blockchain is only of interest to crypto evangelists.

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Universities educate beyond courses and coding

‍According to various sources, the top three universities offering blockchain courses are Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of Nicosia, Cyprus. They all have different programs and formats and should give a good overview of the educational landscape in the field.

Stanford University has its own division for blockchain research and has organised conferences and seminars since 2017. The topics cover all aspects of blockchain, including consensus mechanisms, blockchain protocols, smart contracts and dApps.

The University of California at Berkeley educate both corporate clients and students on blockchain technology and organises a regular crypto meetup. The university also hosts tech talks, developer tutorials, and workshops on the topic. Courses can be taken for free online and the university provides learning resources which are accessible for everyone.

The University of Nicosia recently announced “Decentralized 2019”, a summit where leading global executives and academics discuss current development in the blockchain sector. The University also made headlines by becoming the first accredited university in the world to launch a master’s degree in Digital Currency — and it even accepts Bitcoin for payment.

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Alternative Ways to Education on Blockchain

‍There are a number of blockchain institutes that promote the adoption, development and use of the technology. Large tech players like IBM and Deloitte have blockchain divisions which bring together experts and market analysts to provide practical insight about how to deploy blockchain in the real world. Other educational institutions include the Blockchain Institute, the Blockchain Institute of Technology and many more. At THE RELEVANCE HOUSE we believe in the future of the blockchain and education is what helps it thrive. Explore our website to better understand our philosophy.

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