Motivation
IT education and training has nowadays an extensive, diversified and complex scenario. Certifications, qualifications, non-formal learning and informal learning are mutually supportive components of a professional’s career development, but in this context there is a chaotic use of designations, descriptions and terms (“certification”, “accreditation”, “diploma”, specialist, expert, master, etc.). With a special issue about the use and abuse of the term “certification”.
There are also very different “types” of IT education and training depending of the “teaching agent”: universities, academies, suppliers, professional organisations, trade unions, employer association, accreditation and assessment bodies, etc.
Therefore, there is a need to have a tool that contributes to a better comprehension, utilization, and leveraging of the different types of ICT certifications, not only for individuals, but also for various actors and society in general.
The Goal
The specific goal is to implement a “visualization” tool (a map) of ICT certifications based on the construction of a ICT certifications database. An Open Data approach will be used, so that the evolution and use will be public and open for all interested parties. The map is built based on contributions from professionals in the sector and companies, certification offices, and other stakeholders concerned with ICT certifications. The map will especially include the most widespread, valued, and relevant certifications, both for professionals, and for the sector.
The map will be built incrementally: the first version of the ICT Certification Map will be developed as a pilot project in Spain, including professional certifications mainly. Other certifications, such as user certifications, will be our goal for future versions.
The map and the certifications database will initially include a profile for each certification, and will be published following open data standards. Other parties will be then able to build tools to query or visualize the information contained in the map.
Contribute!
Companies, Certification Offices: We invite you to add the ICT Certifications deemed more widespread, valued, or representative for professionals and sectorally as well.
We have developed a form to collect the data: Open the form to add data about professional certifications.
About Us
(European ICT Professionalism Framework)
In addition to the global scope of the initiative, there are 3 pilot countries implementing actions at a national level: Ireland, Italy, and Spain.
The General Council of Professional Associations in Computing Engineering (CCII), heads the implementation of the European ICT Professionalism Framework in Spain. CCII has created a national experts group for each of the 4 parts of the project. The experts group for the certifications and education part is coordinated by Mr. José García Fanjul, member of the board of the CCII. In this first phase of the ICT Certification Map, the Fondazione Politecnico di Milano is cooperating with the extension to other countries, and Fundación CTIC is helping with the start of the pilot in Spain.
After the presentation of the European initiative in Spain, in May 2016, CCII opened a call for organizations (companies, associations, institutions, etc.) to register as interested parties in order to be informed and/or to participate in the implementation of the ICT Professionalism Framework in Spain.
Contact us
References
- Web of the ICT Professionalism Framework
- Web of the European ICT Profesionalism Framework in Spain
- European Foundational ICT Body of Knowledge