The Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA) has introduced a digital credential verification system for its 10 000-plus members.
In a statement, the IITPSA says the digital badge, implemented through PrivySeal, gives members a unique badge to attach to their digital signatures, Web sites and social media profiles, linking to a verification certificate confirming their membership and credentials in real-time.
According to the ICT industry body, implementing the verification system is part of its strategy to support members' ongoing professional development, and entrench professionalism and ethical behaviour in the South African IT sector.
IITPSA CEO Tony Parry says: "This new PrivySeal digital badge confirms a professional's status as a member of our SAQA-recognised and IP3-accredited professional body, and affirms the individual's commitment to a high standard of professionalism and ethics. We see it as a superior way for our members to instantly produce live evidence of their professional standing."
PrivySeal, established in 2010, is used across major enterprises, industry bodies and academic institutions, providing a digital link to certification and accreditation for professionals.
Craig O'Flaherty, business development manager at PrivySeal, highlights the concept is about creating an ecosystem of trusted professionals and helping to decrease qualification fraud and the associated risks of poor service and costly mistakes.
Last year, SAQA introduced the digital Certificate of Evaluation, an electronic certificate issued to holders of valid qualifications obtained from other countries. The digital certificate also comes with a digital seal, which can be embedded in e-mail signatures, social media profiles and Web sites so that holders can showcase their qualifications.
SAQA says in 2017, it recorded a total of 1 276 fake qualifications: 444 national and 832 foreign.
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