CEPIS
CEPIS e-Competence Benchmark Launched and Other News from CEPIS – May 2013

In this issue

We invite Member Societies to participate in the recently launched CEPIS e-Competence Benchmark. We announce the release of a new CEPIS statement on the future EU data protection regulation. We also include news from Member Societies in Austria and Switzerland, as well as the latest European developments in the area of ICT education. If you have any feedback or you would like to send contributions from your society for the next update to be published in June 2013, please email Michel Krmek.

Participate in the CEPIS e-Competence Benchmark

cepis CEPIS Member Societies are invited to take participate in the CEPIS e-Competence Benchmark, a free online interactive tool that enables current and future ICT professionals to identify the competences they need for various ICT roles and career paths. CEPIS Member Societies’ contribution is needed to successfully carry out this valuable high level initiative. Two video presentations are available to help you understand the tool in detail. The introductory video provides an overview of what the CEPIS e-Competence Benchmark is and how it works, the management video focuses on how to manage the tool. For more information, or to register and designate the point of contact in your country, please contact Emil Valdelin.


New CEPIS Statement on the Future EU Data Protection Regulation

privacy_socialmediaAt the last Council meeting CEPIS Member Society representatives approved meeting a new CEPIS statement about the draft EU General Protection Regulation proposed by the European Commission to replace the current Data Protection Directive adopted in 1995. In this statement CEPIS expresses its support to the Data Protection in Europe statement and it highlights a series of issues to take into a consideration with regard to data protection and privacy. For instance, pseudonymisation, anonymisation and encryption should not be misunderstood as a replacement for data protection by regulation or as reason to lower the level of data protection regulation Europe. Read the CEPIS Statement on the draft EU General Data Protection Regulation


50(13) CEPIS Spring Council Draft Minutes and Presentations Now Available

dubrovnikThanks to all who attended the 50(13) CEPIS Council meeting in Dubrovnik. The 50(13) CEPIS Council Draft minutes, presentations and supporting documentation are now available in the Member’s Area for your perusal. The group photo is also available in the Photo Gallery of the Member’s Area. Members who attended this Council meeting are invited to provide their feedback by completing a short survey. This will take only a few minutes of your time and will help shape future meetings. Provide your feedback on the 50th CEPIS Council Meeting


European e-Competence Framework to Become a European Standard

eCFlogocorrectThe CEN Workshop on ICT Skills agreed to put forward the European e-Competence Framework (e-CF) to become a European Standard. If the e-CF becomes a European Standard it will be fully implemented as a national standard Europe-wide. The e-CF is currently a CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) which means that it involves no obligation at national level and conflicting national normative documents may remain. The e-CF is a set of 36 ICT competences that are commonly understandable across all countries in Europe. More on the European e-Competence Framework


CEPIS at the EU Parliamentary Hearing on Women in ICT

CTP_trainerCEPIS recently attended the hearing on women in ICT organised by the European Parliament during the International Girls in ICT Day on 25 April 2013. The discussion focussed on women in ICT careers and skills development. On this occasion the CEPIS Women in ICT Task Force released an infographic highlighting the key priorities of the Task Force’s position statement published last month. The Vice President of the European Commission, Neelie Kroes, mentioned the infographic on her Facebook account.


Join the Virtual Meeting of the Computing in Schools SIN

computers_young Following a successful first meeting in Brussels, the CEPIS Computing in Schools SIN will hold a virtual meeting on 28 May to kick-off work on a position paper aiming to influence curricula and teachers at the national level. A survey will also be organised to gauge Member Societies interest in the topic of computing in schools, to find out more about their current initiatives, and to get a better understanding of the development of computing in schools in their country. If you would like to attend, please contact Michel Krmek.


CEPIS Green ICT Task Force to Develop a Code of Good Practice

green_ict CEPIS recently hosted a virtual meeting of the Green ICT Task Force to discuss the development of a Code of Good Practice for Green ICT. One of the recommendations of the report Energy Efficient Enterprise in Europe, published by the Green ICT Task Force in 2011, was indeed to create a code of good practice which would describe in simple steps what organisations should do in order to behave more energy efficiently. If you wish to join the Green ICT Task Force, please contact Emil Valdelin.


Participate in the CEPIS Research Task Force

research1 CEPIS would like to call upon the knowledge and experience that CEPIS members possess to develop a strong Research Task Force. Entrepreneurship could be one of the possible areas of work of this Task Force. Members are invited express their interest to participate in this Research Task Force by emailing Michel Krmek.


New Position Paper on ICT Training for Teachers from OCG

ocg CEPIS Member in Austria, the Oesterreichisches Computer Gesellschaft (OCG), published a new position paper to support the development of mandatory ICT training for teachers in Austria. The paper acknowledges the powerful impact that ICT exerts on youth and insists on the importance of understanding the principles, benefits and risks of ICT from an early age. The set of digital skills that teachers should possess is also discussed and it is argued that teachers need a mix of theoretical and applied expertise combined with digital communication skills. More on OCG’s Position Paper on ICT Training for Teachers


Swiss Informatics Celebrates its 30th Anniversary

swiss_informaticsSwiss Informatics (SI) is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and is organising a jubilee event on 25 June at the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland. This event will bring together SI’s members and Special Interest Groups SIG, youth (high school and university students), academic and political representatives. The activities organised include thematic workshops on ICT issues, various presentations such as from Michael Näf (CEO of Doodle), Prof. Abraham Bernstein (University of Zurich), Prof. Beat Döbeli on curricula and a debate on the future of ICT in Switzerland. More on Swiss Informatics’ 30th Anniversary


Digitally Skilled Teachers are Key to Drive the Use ICT in the Classroom

computer_teacherPolicy makers should significantly increase investment in teacher professional development as a necessary complement to investment in school ICT infrastructure, according to the report Survey of Schools: ICT in Education commissioned by the European Commission. Teachers who are confident in their digital skills and positive about ICT’s impact on learning are more important than the latest equipment to delivering digital skills and knowledge in the classroom. Yet at the EU level less than one third of students are taught by teachers who undertook a compulsory ICT training for teaching and learning. Consequently only a handful teachers use ICT during lessons even though the majority of them (75%) use ICT to prepare their teaching. More on the Survey of Schools: ICT in Education


Committee of the Regions: No Cloud Computing Without ICT Education and Culture

cloudcomputingThe Committee of the Region (CoR) recently presented its opinion on the European Commission’s communication Unleashing the potential of Cloud Computing in Europe which called for called for the adoption of a new strategy on cloud. The CoR stresses that the development of cloud computing must go hand in hand with concrete measures to promote ICT education, skills and culture among European citizens. The digital divide should be tackled via targeted education to ensure that 21st century citizens are able to make effective use of the technologies available to them. More on the Committee of the Region’s Opinion on Cloud Computing


Important Upcoming Events

calendar

28 May CEPIS Computing in Schools SIN Meeting Virtual. Organised by: CEPIS

19-20 June Digital Agenda Assembly Dublin, Ireland. Organised by: European Commission and the Irish Presidency of the European Council

25 June Swiss Informatics 30 Years Jubilee Fribourg, Switzerland. Organised by: Swiss Informatics Society

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