The ICDL brand was launched in Brussels on 10 May 2019 at an event, co-organised with CEPIS. The refreshed digital skills certification and brand identity 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.
We are taking the opportunity to refresh the structure and substance of our programmes to better reflect their global nature, rapidly changing technology, and above all, our commitment to quality.
We remain rooted in Europe, with a dedicated office in Brussels. But ECDL has grown to have an extraordinary global reach. We began as a project set up by several European computer societies, with initial funding from the EU’s ESPRIT programme.
ECDL became ICDL outside of Europe. ICDL has transformed from a European certification available across the world to a global certification of digital literacy in over 100 countries across 6 continents, with European roots.
It is an exciting time for digital skills. The fourth industrial revolution is charging ahead around the world. The demands this places on workers’ skills makes certifications like ICDL more important than ever before. With a single brand for our programmes everywhere, we can unite all partners who share our mission: empowering people around the world with digital skills.
How is the ICDL programme changing?
The world never stands still, especially where technology is concerned. That’s why we are introducing new ICDL modules in topics like data analytics and 3D Computer Aided Design. The new structure for ICDL makes it easier for individuals to work out what modules fit their needs best. It ensures that ICDL is accessible and useful to everyone. It also makes it easier to keep the programme up-to-date with new modules over time.
ICDL Workforce gives people the skills they need to get a job, develop at work, and build their careers. ICDL Workforce modules cover a broad range of skills, from the basics to more detailed topics.
ICDL Professional has been tailored to meet the demands of professionals across a broad range of sectors. From finance to marketing, and education to healthcare, ICDL Professional provides the specialised digital skills that are needed to excel.
ICDL Digital Student is a comprehensive structure to support students’ digital skills as they develop. It supports younger students gaining basic digital skills and learning appropriate online behaviour. It also supports older students in embedding skills for appropriate and secure online activity while developing skills for later work and personal life.
ICDL Digital Citizen is a programme that is designed specially to cater to people who have no experience whatsoever of using computers and being online.
ICDL around the world
Kenya: The Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) accredited ICDL Africa as a ‘Foreign Examination Body’ and approved the ICDL programme as a certificate level qualification in the TVET system in Kenya.
Singapore: SkillsFuture Singapore, a statutory board under the Ministry of Education, has embedded ICDL in its Workforce Skills Qualification Framework and provides significant funding to employers and employees for ICDL certification. Singapore National Employers Federation, the National Trades Union Congress and many TVET providers deliver ICDL training and certification for workforce development. ICDL Asia has also partnered with professional bodies such as ACCA Singapore and the Singapore Academy of Law to provide contextualised ICDL programmes for their members.
South Korea: Korea Productivity Centre, a government agency responsible for national economic development, adopted ICDL to provide international certification of digital skills.
Rwanda: The government of Rwanda, through its National Digital Talent Policy has approved ICDL for central and local government employees. The MoU between ICDL Africa and the Ministry of ICT provides for the certification of 85,000 government employees.
South Africa: ICDL has been widely adopted in South Africa in the education and government sector. The Western Cape Government integrated ICDL with its Cape Access programme.
Thailand: ICDL has been adopted by government as part of the Digital Thailand and Thailand 4.0 initiative. ICDL is accredited by the Thailand Professional Qualifications Institute, a state agency, and tens of thousands of civil servants have been certified in partnership with the Office of the Civil Service Commission.
Vietnam: The Ministry of Information and Communications has formally approved ICDL under Circular No. 3 and recommended that state university students and civil servants be certified with ICDL.
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ICDL in your country