In early June, Sommelier Master School awarded diplomas to 90 professionals who completed the first and second levels of the Sommelier Master course and the Spirit Academy by Majda Debevc. They introduced digital certificates as a new feature, enabling easy recording and verification of achievements in a digital format. Sommeliers and connoisseurs of distilled beverages can now access their diplomas through a digital wallet and showcase their education and work experience anywhere in the world, representing a significant leap forward in the industry.
Throughout its eight-year existence, Sommelier Master School has educated over 500 sommeliers, along with beginner sommeliers, totalling over 1,000 individuals, as well as connoisseurs of distilled beverages who successfully completed the unique Spirit Academy program by Majda Debevc. Students enrolled in the 2022/23 academic year became the first generation in Slovenia and Europe to receive digital certificates indicating their level of achievement. This allows them to demonstrate their education and work experience in the field in a verifiable digital format.
The Head of Education Programmes at the Sommelier Master School and a third-level sommelier, Aleksander Bohinc, stated: “Digital services have become integral to our daily lives, and we must stay ahead of developments and trends. We take pride in being one of the first sommelier schools in Europe to provide our students with a simple and secure way to record and present their achievements digitally. This year, we issued digital diplomas to 90 graduates, and in the coming months, we will extend this opportunity to students from previous years, totalling over 1,000 digital diplomas. This significant advancement allows participants of Sommelier Master School to officially demonstrate their validated experience and education in the field of sommelier through quickly verifiable digital means, giving them a distinct advantage in the competitive market of modern hospitality.«
Sommelier Master School issued innovative digital certificates through the MyNextID platform developed by Netis. This platform empowers organizations to issue certificates, proofs, and standardized digital credentials independently. It also enables other institutions to instantly verify the validity, credibility, and origin of such credentials, thanks to the technology of Verifiable Credentials.

Tomislav Mučić, the founder and CEO of Netis, explains: »Digitizing certificates, diplomas and other certified documents is an important step toward the digital society, but it has presented a significant challenge for companies until now. At Netis, we recognized this need and provided a secure and user-friendly tool that complies with all modern standards and European Union requirements in this field. Through the MyNextID platform, organizations can now issue transferable and instantly verifiable certificates and proofs among institutions. At the same time, users can conveniently collect and manage credentials from different organizations within a single application.«
Foto: Tomislav Mučić, CEO of Netis
Avtorica: Tania Mendillo
With the help of digital certificates, sommeliers and connoisseurs of distilled beverages can demonstrate their knowledge at various events and to prospective employers. They store their certificates in a private digital wallet on their mobile phones, allowing simultaneous storage of credentials from various organizations, including formal education and work experiences.
Career achievements and certificates that individuals wish to highlight publicly can be marked and shared on the MyNextPortfolio profile, functioning as a regular digital portfolio with one crucial difference that enhances trust and credibility. All credentials posted on it are verified, meaning they are issued and endorsed by official institutions.

“Currently, verifying the work experiences of sommeliers or other hospitality professionals can be time-consuming, requiring contact with former employers. Digital recording of experiences saves significant effort for employers and simplifies professionals’ lives by collecting all their certificates in one place,« adds Aleksander Bohinc, also a successful restaurateur and founder and owner of Borbona Catering.
Introducing digital certificates marks a step forward in the sommelier industry, which is why Bohnic hopes other employers and organizations in the tourism sector too will recognize their benefits, leading to operational enhancements and attracting skilled workers and service users in Slovenia. Netis also emphasizes that the MyNextID platform is available to all companies seeking swift and effortless digitization of documents and exchange of information, aligning with current trends and meeting the needs of their customers.