06 Apr European Digital Skills Certificate (EDSC)
06 Apr, 2023
European Digital Skills Certificate (EDSC)
This study aims to support the implementation of Action 9 of the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 by carrying out a feasibility study of the EDSC. By exploring different scenarios for the certificate, the study will allow for the selection and analysis of the option that best responds to the needs of the EU, while ultimately generating valuable insights and recommendations for the implementation of the EDSC.
MAIN AIM
Guided by a highly participatory approach the study will aim at fulfilling the following specific objectives:
- Map the existing digital skills certification and digital competence development landscape in the EU;
- Analyse the demand for an EDSC to understand the role and added value of an EU Digital Skills Certificate and how it could support the recognition of digital skills in Europe;
- Identify the minimum requirements for the EDSC;
- Co-design the definition and operational model for the EDSC;
- Carry out a feasibility analysis of the EDSC, taking into account considerations related to demand, strategy, technicalities, finance, governance, operations and implementation while ensuring alignment with other existing European initiatives and tools in the field of skills and employment;
- Develop strategic recommendations for the EDSC implementation and define the purpose, scope and steps of a pilot of the EDSC.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Stakeholders affected by the introduction of an EDSC range from Public Authorities, over providers of education and training, providers of certifications, IT and technology developers, innovators and providers, employers, and labour market intermediaries, to recipients of certificates.
EDSC ecosystem:
- final recipients or users of the EDSC (i.e. job seekers, students, workers);
- employers or labour market intermediaries for which the EDSC would indicate the actual digital skills of workers;
- certificate owners and training providers that verify and award the EDSC;
- public authorities that would, at different levels, determine the prerequisites of the EDSC itself, the conditions at which certificate owners and/or training providers can operate and supervise them.
A consultation strategy has been defined in order to understand how stakeholder categories can be optimally engaged in the different consultation activities:
- Semi-structured interviews: One hour maximum semi-structured interviews, targeted at specific audience to collect information on various topics related to EDSC, such as existing certification schemes, national digital competence development policies and training offers, and insights on the demand and potential requirements for an EDSC.
- Large-scale surveys: Two online large-scale surveys to respectively understand the demand for an EDSC and identify gaps with respect to the current offer of digital skills certification schemes as well as the expected benefits of an EDSC; gather inputs for the definition of requirements for an EDSC; and a short survey aimed at collecting complementary information on digital skills certification usage across EU countries (e.g. usage purpose(s), key advantages and disadvantages, etc.).
- Targeted survey: One online survey targeting policy-makers and public authorities – at the different levels – from all 27 EU Member States as well as digital skills education and training providers, to gather data on the existing digital competence development policies and training offer leading to a certification.
- Working groups: Five thematic working groups will be set up along the different dimensions of the feasibility analysis framework for the selected scenario. These working groups will allow for continuous collaboration with involved stakeholders throughout the implementation of the feasibility analysis. Coordination and engagement mechanisms (e-mail consultations and the creation of a collaboration space in Teams) will be defined by the research team.
- Workshops and events: Four online sessions with key stakeholders will be organised with the aim of collectively brainstorming and/or validating project outputs. The workshops will be mainly organised to respectively co-define the minimum requirements for the EDSC, validate and select a scenario for implementation, and define the objectives, scope and implementation steps for an EDSC pilot proposal.
OUTPUTS
At the end of the feasibility study, strategic recommendations for EDSC implementation and the definition of purpose, scope, and phases of an EDSC pilot project will be defined.
PARTNERS
NTT Data – Coordinator
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