CEPIS and ITPE attended the Digital Skills and Job Coalition Conference 2017 to present IT professionalism, to take part in the conference, and to celebrate the European Best Practices in the development of digital skills, on 7 December 2017. The conference offered a chance to reflect on the accomplishments of the Coalition, and it provided the opportunity for Mariya Gabriel, the European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, to launch the new Digital Opportunity scheme for traineeships and present the European Digital Skills Awards 2017.
The Coalition has been very active in addressing the growing digital skill gap in Europe. Over the last year, the Coalition and its partners have offered over a million certifications, provided millions of individuals across Europe with digital skills training, administered assessment opportunities, and raised awareness of the digital skills gap in Europe. During the conference, a sense of shared gratitude could be felt amongst the attendees. The success of the Coalition has been dependent on the pledgers, NGOs, companies, and training providers that have made efforts to address the digital skills gap. The Coalition gave its appreciation via Clare Bury, the Deputy Director General of the European Commission’s DG Connect, who personally thanked everyone for their contributions during her opening address.
Following the Deputy Director General’s opening address, the conference proceeded with a panel of speakers. A highlight amongst them was the keynote speech delivered by Mariya Gabriel. During her speech, the Commissioner drew attention to the need to attract and produce the best talent for digital jobs in Europe. She called for building bridges between education and the job market, and launched the ‘Digital Opportunity for trainees’. The initiative will offer thousands of students across Europe the opportunity to gain work experience in fields such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, or digital marketing. Following the launch of the initiative, the Commissioner presented and congratulated the winners of the European Digital Skills Awards 2017 on their exemplary efforts to provide digital skills to individuals throughout Europe.
To complement the panel of speakers, outside the auditorium there was an exhibition hall where organisations could present their work. ITPE and CEPIS took part in this and hosted an exhibition on IT professionalism and the e-CF. The exhibition focused on the four pillars of IT professionalism, the benefits offered by ITPE’s network, and an interactive quiz where participants could test their knowledge of IT professionalism and the e-CF. The attendees we engaged with were eager to learn more about four pillars of professionalism: Competences, Body of Knowledge, Ethics, and Education & Training, and they were also eager to learn how advancing the IT professionalism agenda will benefit Europe.
To find out about the IT professionalism agenda, visit our website and learn about our activities, our membership, and the community of organisations represented by us.
Learn more about the conference from an article by the Director of the European Commission.