Unlocking the future of learner agency: Trusted Learner Network and SmartResume technical integration

In an ever-evolving digital landscape, where data and technology converge to create new opportunities, Arizona State University’s (ASU) Trusted Learner Network (TLN) is collaborating with SmartResume on the TLN’s first technology integration with a third party service provider. This represents a significant step forward in empowering learners with verifiable credentials and enhancing their employability.

Brooke Lipsitz, Product Manager at the TLN, and Ian Davidson, Chief Growth Officer at SmartResume, recently shared their insights on this innovative collaboration and its potential impact on the future of education and employment.

The power of verifiable data

With a wealth of experience from his background in advertising and his tenure at ZipRecruiter, Davidson has observed the inefficiencies in the hiring process, where decisions were often based on limited data from resumes and job descriptions.

“Let’s say It costs $100,000 to hire a full-time employee when you include recruiting resources, salary, and benefits,” said Davidson. “The only data used by recruiting platforms to match people to jobs comes from the resume, the job description, and the location of the job seeker and the job. It’s shocking when you compare that to the data used in advertising to get someone to make purchases of less than $100.”

SmartResume aims to address these challenges by creating a comprehensive and verifiable data profile for job seekers. Using digitally verifiable credentials (VCs), SmartResume enhances the experience of job seekers, employers and institutional credential issuers by combining verifiable data, a generative artificial intelligence (AI) resume builder and a talent discovery network.

This is where TLN comes into play. For the past five years, TLN has been pioneering the creation and management of digital verifiable learner credentials. The TLN’s platform can curate and transform student achievement records into interoperable verifiable credentials, which significantly impact SmartResume's focus on enhancing resume quality with verifiable data. “I’m glad this partnership came about because we’re leveraging each other’s strengths,” said Lipsitz.

The integration: A seamless experience

The integration between TLN and SmartResume enables learners to easily and securely share  their earned credentials from the Trusted Learner Network into the SmartResume platform as VCs, signed and wrapped attestations of achievement that can be verified for accuracy. Students can also share their credentials from the SmartResume platform by clicking on a link taking them to the TLN.

This seamless transfer of data allows learners to build a robust resume with credentials that they bring into the platform and have full control over. These credentials help to understand skills and experience, while the SmartResume platform assists users with a step-by-step process to create a robust resume profile. 

When ASU students participating in the SkillsFWD grant program led by ASU University College share their TLN VC’s with SmartResume, they’ll see their credentials organized into traditional resume content, including badge icons identifying achievements that have been digitally verified. There will also be evidence fields within the individual skills that allow students to add a URL; for example, if a student wants to share a YouTube video of themself publicly speaking, they can do so in the evidence field. In addition to this “smart” version, they can download a PDF with a QR code linking back to the smart version. “It provides immediate value to your students, anywhere they look for work,” Davidson said.

And while the integration was a success technically, Lipsitz said that the teams also learned a lot in the process. “A lot of standards are newly minted, so they haven’t accounted for everything,” Lipsitz said. The project offered a lot of opportunities to clarify and build stronger technical understanding of interoperability and integration, which both teams will pass forward in their next collaborations with this growing ecosystem. 

Empowering learners and employers

One of the most exciting aspects of this partnership is its potential to democratize the hiring process for all learners. "The SmartResume implementation is an attempt to try and level that playing field by equipping people with data in an equal way," said Davidson. By providing verifiable credentials and a more dynamic resume, all learners — including those from diverse backgrounds and those who need to work to get through college — can showcase their true capabilities, bridging the gap between economic disparities and employment opportunities.

Thanks to the SkillsFWD Grant, this integration also introduces a marketplace feature, enabling students to opt into being discoverable by ASU on-campus employers. Employers can browse the resume database, searching for candidates with specific skills, making the hiring process more efficient and targeted. This practical application of data enhances the value of credentials and provides tangible benefits for both learners and employers. 

Future phases and AI integration

The integration between TLN and SmartResume presents an promising example of the evolving role of AI in the job application process. Davidson mentioned the challenge of AI-generated resumes: they look remarkably similar, making it difficult for hiring managers to distinguish genuine candidates. “Job seekers have rapidly embraced AI to reverse engineer job descriptions to build keyword loaded resumes. This puts an onus on employers to invest more in verifying a job seeker’s stated qualifications, which is why they are looking for trust-anchors,” said Davidson. “We believe that digital credentialing will start to be something that employers embrace as this problem becomes more pervasive.” 

The integration of TLN and SmartResume marks a pivotal moment: by harnessing the power of verifiable credentials and creating a seamless, data-driven resume experience, this collaboration is setting the example for a new era of learner empowerment and employer confidence.

Check back for more updates from the TLN-SmartResume integration, including new technology features and success stories.