NSW first-aid certificate is first verifiable digital credential trialed in Australia

The government of New South Wales has taken a major step toward the actualization of its national digital identity wallet scheme, with the launch of its first digital credential – the digital first-aid certificate.

A government release calls the trial launch of the digital first-aid credential “a milestone for digital identification in NSW.”

“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,” says Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib. “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 trial will enable those who complete a first aid or CPR course with St John Ambulance NSW to have their qualifications sent to their digital wallet, hosted on the Service NSW mobile app. Feedback will be factored into user experience and design decisions as the wallet rollout process for verifiable credentials is refined.

While the digital first-aid credential is the first verifiable credential to be tested by any Australian government, it was preceded by the digital renewal option for the Working with Children Check (WWCC), which launched late in 2023. That program, which performs facial authentication by matching a live face scan with a registered reference image for identity verification, has already registered 21,200 renewals.

NSW is pouring money into online credentialing in a bid to become the country’s recognized leader in digital transformation and digital identity. It recently announced $62.5 million (US$41.5M) for switching to an online licensing and compliance system and adding 80 digital licenses to the Licence NSW system. The digital first-aid certificate is among the first to the party. Digital birth certificates are set to follow in late 2024.

Article Topics

Australia  |  digital ID  |  digital wallets  |  facial authentication  |  identity verification  |  New South Wales (NSW)  |  selfie biometrics  |  verifiable credentials