The Future
The Human Capability Record.
A consent-driven, portable record of what someone can actually do — verified by institutions, carried by learners, readable by AI agents. Built on the MCDS foundation.
The learner holds the record. The institution verifies it. The AI agent reasons over it.
01 What HCR adds
Five things a Human Capability Record makes possible.
Foundation
A unified capability record.
One record of a learner's verified capabilities — across institutions, providers, and informal learning — instead of a scattered trail of certificates and transcripts.
Consent
Learner-driven sharing.
Learners decide what they share, with whom, and for how long. HCR replaces opaque transcript requests with explicit, auditable consent.
AI-ready
Machine-readable from day one.
HCR is built on MCDS schemas, so AI assessment systems, recommenders, and verification agents can reason over it directly — no after-the-fact data plumbing required.
Mobility
Cross-border by design.
With MCDS V2.2 (PESC crosswalk, Sept 2026), an HCR issued in Sydney is verifiable in Toronto, Edinburgh, or Boston — with no bilateral data agreements between institutions.
Recognition
Continuous, granular, current.
Capability is no longer frozen at graduation. HCR carries credit for prior learning (CPL/PLAR), micro-credentials, and post-graduation development, all in one record.
Trust
Verified, not asserted.
Every capability claim in HCR carries an institutional verification trail. Employers and governments can validate without trusting a self-reported résumé.
02 Where we are
HCR Discovery has commenced.
HCR is not vapourware. Discovery kicked off on 2 July 2026 with a coalition of Australia's largest employers, universities, professional bodies and identity/trust partners — turning the Charter of Rights and Risk Register co-designed at HEDx into a buildable specification under MCDS.
Discovery coalition
CBA · KPMG · ACS · VTAC · USyd · UTS · WSU
Stewarding the HCR through Discovery, with supporting partners including the Australian Access Federation, Higher Ed Services, CAUDIT, Capability.co and an independent K–12 schools partner. Discovery led by Cevo and Ingenuity Partners.
Foundation
HCS25 framework — Head, Heart, Hands, Lead
HCR is built on the HCS25 human-capability framework from The Institute of Working Futures, and on the MCDS V2.1.1 schema — reading formal qualifications, micro-credentials, work experience and informal learning against the same capability model.
Want to be part of HCR Discovery?
Accredited journalists can also request a confidential prototype walkthrough.