ECDL Foundation Newsletter -
                                October 2013

Welcome to the latest edition of the ECDL Foundation Newsletter. All articles featured in this HTML version can be read in full in a downloadable PDF version of the newsletter.

ECDL / ICDL in Action Around
                                      the World

Latest Quality Standards Unveiled at ICDL Asia Regional Meeting

Partners from across Asia gathered in Singapore last week to discuss the latest programme updates, review performance in 2013 to date and plan for next year’s activities.

High on the agenda was quality assurance, with delegates keen to discuss the immediate adoption of the new ICDL QAS V6.0 at Accredited Test Centres (ATCs) throughout the region. Read more.


Combat Cybercrime - Dubai Municipality Endorses ICDL IT Security Module

Dubai Municipality (DM) announced its endorsement of the ICDL IT Security module – a move that is part of the Municipality’s commitment towards the provision of best practices in maintaining higher levels of IT security and safety. Read more.


7th Balkan Region ECDL Forum in Zagreb

ECDL Operators from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia as well as representatives of Croatian authorities, test centres and ECDL Foundation met on 11 October in Zagreb, Croatia. Participants discussed ways of improving digital literacy levels in the region in the context of the Digital Agenda for Europe – A Europe 2020 Initiative. Read more.


ICDL Certification as part of the Recruitment Process in CIMMYT México

CIMMYT (Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo, Internacional - International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre) is a non-profit international research and development organisation, dedicated to the improvement of wheat and maize with the ultimate aim of ending world hunger. Read more.


ECDL / ICDL Sample Part-Tests for Project 2013 - Now Available

The ECDL / ICDL sample part-tests for Project 2013 are now available for the Project Planning module. Read more.


Training of Trainers at Universidade Dili Timor Leste

ICDL Asia Accreditation Partner in Indonesia, Yayasan Pendidikan Indonesia (YPI), organised a TOT (Training of Trainers) programme at the University of Dili, Timor Leste with the aim of strengthening the capacity of ICDL Trainers and Invigilators at the university. Read more.


Mandatory Review of ICT Qualifications in New Zealand

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority and the Institute of IT Professionals are leading a review of all Level 1–6 ICT qualifications in New Zealand. ICDL has been mentioned explicitly in the consultation document as a relevant international certification. Read more.


ICDL Iran Implements Office 2013 Tests

Due to the fast advances of technology and the constant upgrading of software, ICDL Iran has decided to implement ICDL tests for Office 2013 in addition to Office 2007. Read more.


New ICDL Launched in South Africa

Over 170 people gathered in Johannesburg on 4 October for the official launch of ‘New ICDL’ in South Africa. In total 25 delegates travelled from outside South Africa, representing Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Read more.


Central and Eastern European Meeting 2013

Representatives of 11 ECDL National Operators and Accreditation Partners from Central and Eastern Europe met in the Slovakian capital, Bratislava, to share their recent experiences in implementing new ECDL. Read more.

For Discussion

Guide to the ICT Voucher: How SMEs can get 10k Worth of Digital Services

You don’t need to be a CEO to know that doubling a business’ growth, exports and employees is a considerable achievement. The claims made by European Commission Vice President Kroes recently are fact. Those figures are real and digital services really are every bit the magic pill for business that the growth suggests.

Digital services can slash the time spent on manual processes, cut costs on hardware and create efficiencies that save time and resources. Used efficiently, they can increase competitiveness, open new markets, and maximise agility.

Digital services are great value when you consider the rewards. Best of all – courtesy of the EU – they will soon be free. ICT Innovation vouchers worth up to €10,000 will be made available to microenterprises and SMEs across Europe in 2014. Used efficiently, they could transform a business. Read more.

Research & Reports

Less Than one Third of Young People Around the World are Digital Natives

According to a widespread myth, today’s young people are digital natives, namely confident and skilled users of digital technologies. A new report from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) reveals that in fact only 30 percent of the world’s youth population are digital natives. Overall, digital natives represent less than 6 percent of the world’s entire population. The countries with the highest proportion of digital natives among their population are mostly rich nations, which are characterised by high levels of Internet penetration, with South Korea at the top of the list. Timor-Leste, Myanmar and Sierra Leone are the countries with the smallest estimated population of digital natives. Overall developing countries are lagging behind but the digital native population in these countries is expected to double by 2017. More on Digital Natives.


Discover ESCO, a New Classification to Help Tackle Labour Market Mismatches

Matching the right worker to the right job remains a challenge. With this in mind, the ESCO classification has been developed in order to bridge the gap between the world of education and training and the labour market. ESCO introduces a standard terminology for occupations, skills, competences and qualifications that are relevant for the EU labour market and education and training. The system also provides occupational profiles showing the relationships between occupations, skills, competences and qualifications.

ESCO is developed by the European Commission and it is available in 25 languages with a view to facilitating increased international transparency and cooperation in the area of skills and qualifications. More about ESCO INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH AND REPORTS.


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