In a milestone for digital identification in NSW, the NSW Government is trialling the first verifiable credential to be added to the state’s new Digital Wallet.
As part of a trial run in partnership with St John Ambulance, a group of first responders, employees and members will have access to a Digital First Aid Certificate as a verifiable credential through the Service NSW app.
When launched, the Digital First Aid Certificate will help people easily access and share the important credential with employers and other organisations.
It marks another major step towards implementing the NSW Digital ID and Wallet, set to transform the way people transact digitally by offering a convenient and more secure way of sharing information.
The roll out of the NSW Digital ID and Wallet is being supported with a $21.4 million investment in the 2024-25 NSW Budget.
In the trial, participants who complete a first aid or CPR course with St John Ambulance NSW will have their qualifications sent to the new Digital Wallet on the Service NSW mobile app.
The Digital First Aid Certificate is the first verifiable credential to be trialled by an Australian government, and it follows the successful launch of the digital renewal option for the Working with Children Check (WWCC) late last year.
More than 21,200 people have now renewed their WWCC digitally and have saved about an hour by doing so online rather than in person.
Verifiable credentials are digital versions of physical credentials that allow users to share the minimum data required for a transaction, increasing the security of their personal information.
For example, a nurse with a digital first aid qualification could securely share it with an employer or other organisation while choosing to withhold other personal information which may have been included on a physical credential.
Feedback received during the trial will also be used to improve the user experience and design of the Digital Wallet for future verifiable credential roll outs.
Find out more about the NSW Digital ID and Wallet
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib said:
“In an increasingly digital world, we’re working to help people safeguard their personal information and make everyday transactions more convenient and secure by building a new Digital ID and Wallet for the people of NSW.”
“The NSW Digital ID and Wallet are a game-changer, providing a safe and accessible home for people’s important identification documents and putting time back in their busy lives.”
“The new Digital First Aid Certificate is an important milestone in our program, which the Minns Labor Government is supporting with a $21.4 million investment in the coming financial year.”
“We’re simplifying the processes needed to store and share digital identification documents, and the new Digital First Aid Certificate is going to help people across the state, including our hardworking medical professionals.”
“By securing someone’s identity and documents digitally, forms of identification or qualifications will also be safe when disasters strike and destroy physical copies.”
“Reducing the oversharing of identity documents and credentials will also reduce the risks associated with data breaches, because organisations will hold less information about individuals.”
Quotes to be attributed to St Johns Ambulance NSW CEO, Dominic Teakle:
“Just as we’ve been at the forefront of first aid training innovation for over 140 years, St John Ambulance is excited to lead the way with the NSW Government to improve how people will receive and manage their first aid certifications.”
“A digital first aid certificate will mean an improved experience for students and employers, but also helps the Vocational Education and Training (VET) industry to progress in the digital space.”
“We’re proud to be the first non-government organisation to participate in this initiative.”
