European e-Skills Conference 2004 “e-Skills Certification in Europe” Dudley Dolan CEPIS and Trinity College Dublin EUROPEAN e-SKILLS CONFERENCE September 2004, Thessalonica, Greece

European e-Skills Conference 2004 CEPIS Council of European Professional Informatics Societies 36 Member Societies in 32 Countries Representing some 200,000 ICT Professionals

European e-Skills Conference 2004 City CentreThe Campanile Trinity College

European e-Skills Conference 2004 Study “e-Skills Certification in Europe” Tender: CEDEFOP No: RPB/BS/eSkills/01/04 By Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS) web:

European e-Skills Conference 2004 Questionnaire Questionnaire widely distributed Some 35 completed questionnaires to-date Preliminary Analysis Final Report 30 th November 2004

European e-Skills Conference 2004 Preliminary Analysis Position in organisation Director/ Managing Director/ Managing Board7 General Manager/ Secretary4 2 Chairman2 Professor2 Unit Management/Head of Department5 Consultant/ Strategist5 Other8 Total35 Project Management

European e-Skills Conference 2004 Preliminary Analysis There are a multitude e-Skills Certification Schemes (77%) Europe needs fewer Certification schemes (69%) On a European level, in short-term compatible and recognised e-skills certificates are strongly needed (77%)

European e-Skills Conference 2004 Preliminary Analysis Transparency, portability and compatibility of e-skills certificates can only be achieved by co-operation of stakeholders on basis of public- private partnerships. (71%) The current initiatives and current debate are still far away from a European reference framework of promoting e-skills training, recognition and transparency. (63%)

European e-Skills Conference 2004 Preliminary Analysis The current marketplace is characterised by a focus on vendor certification and industry- accredited courses. (74%) There is an obvious gap between accepted e-skills certification schemes and the current market need (51%)

European e-Skills Conference 2004 Preliminary Analysis “An EU standard is needed: this must be vendor-independent and open to the participation of existing entities in the provision of training and in supporting the certification process” “Education and Training needs of end- users and practitioners are very different from each other in nature and in scale”

European e-Skills Conference 2004 Preliminary Analysis Which problems mainly hamper the transparency and comparability of certificates/diploma for ICT practitioners/ end-users on a European level? Lack of Standards Lack of Definitions

European e-Skills Conference 2004 The Way Forward Quality Standards Required European Approach Required Multi Stakeholder Partnerships Frameworks Required “A unified end user certificate should be encouraged”

European e-Skills Conference 2004 The Way Forward Role of eSCC (eSkills Certifications Consortium) European Role CEN/ISSS Role Harmonisation Quality Standards

European e-Skills Conference 2004