LITTLE ROCK (March 19, 2020) — Six institutions within the University of Arkansas System are now issuing certified SmartResumes® as part of a statewide pilot initiative designed to better connect students and alumni with employment opportunities and help promote economic development and more efficient business practices.
The patent-pending SmartResume platform, developed by Arkansas technology company iDatafy®, uses blockchain technology to provide secured and verified credentials that attest to both the academic and co-curricular accomplishments of UA System students and alumni. Select students and alumni from the six UA System institutions have begun activating and using their SmartResumes, while more plan to roll out the technology soon.
The six institutions already using the technology include:
- University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
- University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- University of Arkansas at Fort Smith
- University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (UACCM)
- University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College
- University of Arkansas System eVersity
“There are few innovations that come along that are truly beneficial to students, businesses and institutions in a way that completely changes and improves the way things are done,” said Michael Moore, Ph.D., vice president of academic affairs at the UA System and chief academic/operating officer for eVersity. “For students and alumni, SmartResumes gives them the edge in quickly finding valuable employment opportunities while already having their skills, credentials and degrees verified for employers to recognize. Employers will have access to a database of fully verified candidates tailored to what they’re seeking at their fingertips.”
Moore added that the value ranges from large companies looking for job candidates that have acquired workforce certificates and training at the System’s two-year universities all the way up to those earning doctorate degrees.
The UA System’s institutions, students and alumni receive this benefit for free, while there are also no state taxpayer funds being used for the SmartResume technology. Designated recipients must choose to “opt-in” in order to use the service. Once a SmartResume recipient has activated a certified resume, they have the ability to customize it, establish job interest settings and even apply for new jobs with a single mouse click. iDatafy has signed on a number of leading employers ranging from small startups to top Fortune 500 companies to partner on the initiative.
“To the best of our knowledge, no other colleges or universities in the world have ever issued certified resumes in a similar fashion,” said Dave Wengel, chief executive officer of iDatafy. “We’re thrilled to help the University of Arkansas System issue SmartResumes that champion the accomplishments of their current and past students whether they are welders, educators, diesel mechanics or computer programmers. SmartResume is going to make it easier than ever for employers to hire UA talent.”
Wengel is presenting the technology and how it benefits the UA System at today’s Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas meeting being hosted digitally from the UA System – Cammack Campus in Little Rock. Further details about the SmartResume initiative can be found at www.smartresume.com.
For iDatafy/SmartResume Media Inquiries: Email press@smartresume.com.
For University of Arkansas System Media Inquiries: Email nhinkel@uasys.edu or call (501) 707-8050.
*** To gain a clearer perspective on the technology and how it’s used, sample resumes are available and can be provided upon request. ***
About the University of Arkansas System
The University of Arkansas System is a comprehensive, publicly supported higher education institution composed of 20 unique campuses, divisions and administrative units that share the singular goal of serving Arkansas residents and others by developing and sharing knowledge to impact an ever-changing world. Serving more than 70,000 students and awarding more than 80,000 degrees and certificates in the last five years, the UA System further promotes an atmosphere of excellence that honors the heritage and diversity of our state and nation. It provides students, researchers and professionals with tools to promote responsible stewardship of human, natural and financial resources in Arkansas and around the globe, and with workforce-relevant knowledge to enhance economic development efforts that improve the overall quality of life and societal well-being.
The 20 institutions and units that comprise the University of Arkansas System include seven two-year institutions: Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (PCCUA), the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville (UACCB), the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (UACCM), the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope (UACCH) and Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas (CCCUA), University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College (UAPTC) and the University of Arkansas Community College at Rich Mountain (UACCRM); five four-year institutions: the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (UAF), the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (UAFS), the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) and the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM); the state’s major academic medical center, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS); a statewide Division of Agriculture; a presidential graduate school, the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service; a residential high school, the Arkansas School for Math, Sciences and the Arts (ASMSA), a fully-online university, the University of Arkansas System eVersity; as well as several units critical to the economic and cultural fabric of the state, including the Arkansas Archeological Survey (AAS), the Criminal Justice Institute (CJI) and the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute (WRI).
About iDatafy LLC
iDatafy® is a leading technology company based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Founded in December of 2011, iDatafy® has processed more than 100,000,000 queries on behalf of clients in search of valuable data insights. SmartResume® is a new data consortium created by iDatafy®. Trusted partners such as education institutions and workforce skill certifiers register academic achievements, leadership experience and certified workforce skills of their current and past students on our permissioned blockchain. The certifications are presented on customized SmartResumes® that include links to the digital attestation by the trusted partners. The result is a resume that has been directly certified by a trusted institution and can now be used by the recipient to differentiate them when applying for a job. Employers now also have the ability to search for certified job talent in a way they were never able to do before. Both SmartResume® and iDatafy® are registered trademarks belonging to iDatafy LLC.