While it is very common to hear of ‘blockchain’ and cryptocurrency, it is easy to note how their complexity has created an quantity of disinformation almost equal to that of correct information. If your intention is to invest in your future, the theme of investments is central to this type of course (still in their experimental phase), with a particular look at new information technologies called Distributed Ledger (DLT) which includes Blockchain. In case you don’t have a clear idea of what we’re talking about, before you find yourself enrolled in a course on a whim, let us explain it to you in detail. The term ‘blockchain’ means the exchange of information (data, currency, documents etc) through the use of special databases which differ from the traditional databases in that they are shared between many computers (a myriad of machines, called a network) which constantly check the validity of information entered and register any alteration in an irreversible way. The name comes from the fact that the information exchanged with this system consists of segments called ‘blocks’ to which others are attached every time some new information is added or altered, forming a chain of blocks, that is a ‘block-chain’. Without getting too technical, the irreversibility of this process (that is, the fact that no information can be cancelled or altered without leaving a trace by creating new blocks), has made the level of security of this technology such as to have involved the exchange of billions of dollars in transactions. In spite of the initial scepticism, such technologies are starting to be regulated and adopted by the biggest institutions such as central banks and multinational corporations.
Amongst the most common misunderstandings is that of confusing trading e blockchain. This confusion is generated by the fact that one of the main fields of application of the blockchain technology is that of making it possible to securely use and exchange cryptocurrency, which is digital money made secure by the blockchain technology. This virtual money is exchanged and this has led the public to perceive the field of blockchain as something related to trading, when in fact it is only a small part of it.
Australia’s is one of the education systems that has invested more in knowledge relating to the technology and there are courses on the topic at various levels:
Vocational courses (Diploma & Advanced Diploma)
University courses (Graduate Certificates, Master’s Degree)
Be aware that there is an important difference between courses in ‘applied blockchain’ and courses in computer engineering. To get your hands on this type of technology in a technical way, you need complex computer studies. The relevant courses on offer are in fact called ‘applied’ in that they relate to commercial activities wanting to include in their business model the economic advantages which come from the use of blockchain technology.
With regards, however, to the immigration outlook, we find ourselves truly at a new frontier. Blockchain specialisation was included with the specialisations available for Profession number 261111 ICT Business Analyst and Profession 135112 ICT Project Manager (Blockchain planner). The Australian Computer Society, the assessment authority for Information Technology related professions, confirmed the suspicions that this industry has evolved too quickly for the Department of Immigration, ANZSCO and Universities and various institutions, to create the structures for appropriate regulation. In short, it is still too soon to evaluate an immigration pathway as a blockchain specialist but soon enough to see it has a future as a ‘critical occupation’.
Qualification: Diploma / Advanced Diploma of Applied Blockchain
Skill Level: 1
Course program: https://training.gov.au/Training/Details/10849NAT
Description: course objective is above all that of enabling the student to understand in detail the complexity of the subject as a whole, to know how to convert an existing business model into a ‘blockchain business model’ and to be able to integrate into companies the advantages derived from the use of Big Data, and the application of concepts studied on the Internet of Things.