Citation
(2002), "Computer "driving licence" gains European backing", Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 26 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeit.2002.00326fab.011
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2002, MCB UP Limited
Computer "driving licence" gains European backing
Computer "driving licence" gains European backing
A European Union committee has recommended to the European Commission that the European computer driving licence be accepted as the standard basic EU computing qualification.
The European Union high-level group for employment and the social dimension of the information society was charged with identifying programmes that could be used to establish a European diploma for basic computing skills.
"This is a significant endorsement," said European computer driving licence deputy director Pete Bayley. "We have now established an explicit link between the European computer driving licence, as a pan-European tool of IT literacy, and the stated intention of EU heads of state to raise digital literacy levels across Europe, which we will continue to foster and develop."
Launched in 1998 by the British Computer Society, the European computer driving licence has been developed with inputs from more than 30 computer societies worldwide, representing more than 20,000 IT specialists. Available in more than 56 countries, it has gained widespread endorsement from educational and governmental bodies. Candidate numbers total almost two million globally, and there are more than 2,000 test centres.
An advanced version of the qualification has recently been launched. Like the basic European computer driving licence, it takes modular form, although each module is a qualification in its own right as it covers a specific set of skills. The qualification tests the skills required in specific roles such as secretarial, help desks or IT support desks.
Pete Bayley explained: "Although the advanced qualification is a natural progression from the European computer driving licence, it is a major upgrade. The syllabus covers a much wider field which requires practice and established use of the many different facilities to complete. The level of competence to be demonstrated can only be gained through detailed knowledge and in-depth understanding.
"The syllabus is demanding and requires candidates to demonstrate their ability to apply relevant tools correctly within specified scenarios. We estimate that an average user will take more than 50 hours of teaching, as well as additional practice time, to complete the examination successfully."