ICDL digital skills certification programme launched to equip workers with skills for today and tomorrow.
PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Brussels, May 7, 2019
ECDL Foundation is launching a refreshed digital skills certification and brand identity that will help meet the digital skills needs of students, workers and professionals across Europe at a time when technologies are developing faster than ever before. ICDL, the new name for the programme will be launched at an event in Brussels on May 10.
ICDL is a leading global digital skills certification that empowers people to get the most from technology in their professional and private lives. More than 70 million ICDL certification tests have been taken by over 16 million candidates. ICDL is available in over 100 countries through a network of 20,000 test centres.
ICDL, previously known as ECDL in Europe, was first created as a joint-project between several computer societies in Europe, with funding from the European Union, in 1997. Since then, the programme has grown to every European country, as well as countries across 6 continents.
ICDL Foundation CEO, Damien O’Sullivan, said, “We have seen great success with ECDL, but with a fresh brand identity and new programme content, we are ready to face our next 20 years.
“The skills that everyday computer users need are changing fast. Technology is becoming a bigger part of all jobs, and the types of things that employers expect their workers to be able to do are changing too. We’re launching new modules, like Data Analytics and Digital Marketing, as well as a new programme structure to make sure ICDL certifies the skills that will help people work more effectively and efficiently.”
With the launch of the refreshed programme, four main ICDL programmes will be available: ICDL Digital Student, ICDL Workforce, ICDL Professional and ICDL Digital Citizen.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
§ ICDL is now available in over 100 countries. It developed from an EU-funded project to a self-sustaining certification.
§ ICDL is mapped to the EU’s DigComp digital competences framework, and has been referenced in a number of international reports as a good example of digital skills certification.
§ The programme is administered by National Operators across Europe and the Arab States, and is run directly by ICDL Foundation offices in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
About ICDL
ICDL Foundation is an international organisation dedicated to raising digital competence standards in the workforce, education and society. Our certification programmes, delivered through an active network in more than 100 countries, enable individuals and organisations to assess, build and certify their competence in the use of computers and digital tools to the globally-recognised ICDL standard.
As a non-profit social enterprise ICDL Foundation benefits from the unique support of experts from national computer societies and partners worldwide to develop vendor-independent standards which define the skills and knowledge required to use digital technology effectively. We work with education and training partners, local and regional authorities, national governments, international development organisations as well as public and private sector employers in all sectors, in the delivery of our programmes.
The quality and reputation of ICDL is built on almost twenty years of experience in delivering our certification programmes to over 16 million people and in more than 40 languages worldwide, with more than 2.5 million ICDL tests taken annually. Our success is maintained by our ongoing innovation in certification programme development, our commitment to rigorous test design methodologies, and consistent adherence to our quality assurance standards.
SureSkills and the Irish Computer Society have joined as national partner for ICDL Workforce. For more information about ICDL email icdl@sureskills.com or call (01) 240 22 77.
Contact Details
Tom Scott-Redford
Communication Officer ICDL Europe
Tel.: +32 (0)2 772 8251 Email: tom.scott-redford@icdleurope.org