OpenSkills
 | |
| Non-Profit Association | |
| Industry | non-profit |
| Founded | Sydney, Australia (2003) |
| Headquarters | The Internet |
Key people | The Members |
| Products | The SkillsBase and other services |
| Revenue | 20 AUD per subscriber per year |
Number of employees | None. Run by volunteers. |
| Website | www.openskills.org |
OpenSkills is a global non-profit internally funded association that promotes the skills of individuals.
The pivotal service provided by OpenSkills is the SkillsBase.
HR-XML resumes can be imported into the SkillsBase, and/or edited through the SkillsBase web UI. Resumes can be export in HR-XML format too. The SkillsBase is free to search and there are no fees payable to the association for working with individuals found through the SkillsBase.
Trusted meritocracy
OpenSkills aims to be viewed as a trusted meritocracy by those searching for skilled people. To achieve this, there must be a high level of confidence that individuals are who they claim to be, and can do what they claim to be able to do.
Identity
All members are required to have an OpenPGP key, and to have that key signed by at least two other members.
For some, obtaining an OpenPGP key and getting it signed is seen as a barrier to membership. But a solid handle on member identity is a critical foundation in having a trusted meritocracy.
Merit
The other key part of a trusted meritocracy is an understanding of merit. The SkillsBase system allows an individual to claim skills, and will (in time) allow members to act as referees to other members, and also will allow one member to commend another for a specific skill.
Projects
Members of the association have collaborated to develop and maintain Sport, the Smalltalk portability API library.