Presentation of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL)

The ECDL is an internationally recognized standard of competence certifying that the holder has the knowledge and skill needed to use the most common computer applications efficiently and productively.
To gain the ECDL, the applicant must pass one theoretical and six practical tests, which are administered throughout Europe by accredited Test Centers.

The tests cover the seven ECDL modules: The European Computer Driving Licence Foundation (ECDLF) was established by the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS), an affiliate member of IFIP, to support and co-ordinate the work of the ECDL organization in each country. The Foundation’s mission is to promote the pan-European measure of industry-standard computing skills. It is working to make this licence readily acceptable throughout Europe, and to ease the mobility and employability of all its holders. The licence declares that its holder’s PC-operating competence reaches the benchmark required by leading multinationals and educational institutes. The ECDL serves as a springboard into a potential career and as an effective yardstick by which to gauge computing skill.

To further the acceptance of the licence as the Europe-wide industry standard, the Foundation monitors it closely and promotes it dynamically. This hones the licence’s integrity and makes it known to industry, governments and the European Commission. ECDLF must update, market, and implement the licence continuously – the wider its acceptance, the higher its status. The ECDLF manages this in two ways: by targeting the imagination and ambition of policy makers; and by drawing diligently on the strengths of each CEPIS member society.

· Education and industry respect the licence
· Job-seekers and employers are already insisting on it.

The ECDL Foundation is successfully harnessing the commercial and administrative experience of its members to their pedagogic and IT vision. This is our contribution to the vital job of preparing Europe for the information age.
Within ten years, 80% of all current technology will be obsolete. Europe needs to stay abreast of this change. It is not enough to demand a computer-literate population equipped with the skills just to adapt. They must also be able to thrive. And they can – by getting the licence.
The Foundation harmonizes IT training standards, and, by the firmness of its conviction, furnishes both individuals and industry with the important pan-European computing licence.
The licence builds around a special user-friendly Skills Card. This card records the skills demonstrated by the applicant in each of seven different computer-related modules. As they pass each module, the corresponding skill is noted in their card. The final achievement of a full card leads to the award of the licence.
All but the first module are tests of skill which is practical rather than theoretical. The licence tests what an applicant can do, as they do it. The ECDL Foundation insists on the guiding principle of reality; the licence is a definition of actual skills.
The ECDL Foundation is poised at the crucial take-off stage. It is establishing procedures and breaking new ground as the licence is introduced to more and more countries. With the continual success of these pioneering phases, ECDLF will assist the ECDL organization in each member state to step up the licensing levels in their country, so that as many people as possible are equipped to participate in the information society.
The total population of 500 million across 31 countries yields us a target of 60 million individuals who employ IT to a significant level. Reacting to European demographic needs, along with best forecasts of technological change, we plan to award the 1.8 millionth computer driving licence in the year 2001.
Quantity, however, is not the sole criterion. In addition to ensuring excellence, the Foundation is concerned with the geographical spread of the licence. The closing of the skills gap between the North and South of Europe is regarded as essential to our work. The ECDL Foundation has a core objective: the IT skills-empowerment of all Europe for the information age. With the co-operation of member states, policy makers, educationalists and Human Resource managers, this will be achieved.

Presentation
Special session: 1 September 1998, 17.15 - 18.15
 An invited presentation of the ECDL concept by Dudley Dolan, Director of ECDL Foundation and Kurt Gladh, Chairman of the ECDL Foundation, will take place in a special session of the congress on Tuesday, 1 September 1998, from 17.15 to 18.15 just before the 10th anniversary reception by CEPIS.

ECDL-Exhibition
The ECDL concept will also be presented at the congress exhibition.

Intended audience
The organizers encourage decision makers and people interested in overall increased IT competence to participate in this event.

For information about ECDL please refer to: http://www.cs.tcd.ie/ECDL.