Mastering information technology

The drive towards a knowledge-based economy by all developed countries has necessitated the development of practical skills which make people conversant with using information and communication technologies (ICTs).

The European computer driving licence, commonly referred to as ECDL, is a certificate in practical ICT skills recognised across national borders. It is a qualification which certifies the competence of people in computer skills and knowledge.

The ECDL concept originated in Finland where the Finnish Information Processing Association introduced the Finnish Computer Driving Licence in 1994.

Shortly thereafter, the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies created a task force in 1995, supported by funding from the European Commission, to examine how to raise IT skill levels in industry throughout Europe.

The task force identified the Finnish Computer Driving Licence as a potentially suitable vehicle and carried out pilot tests during 1995 and early 1996. Following this, a new test was launched as the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) in August 1996 in Sweden and, subsequently, rolled out across Europe and internationally.

The ECDL Foundation, based in Ireland, is responsible for the international coordination of the ECDL certificate. It accredits national licensees which, in turn, are in charge of promoting and coordinating the ECDL certificate in their country.

The national licensee will accredit and audit the testing centres, procure skill cards and issues the ECDL certificate, when testing has been completed. In the case of Malta, the national ECDL licensee is the Computer Society of Malta.

The training for the certification consists of seven modules: basic concepts of IT; using computer and managing files; word processing; spreadsheets; databases; presentation and information and communication.

In order to achieve ECDL, the candidate must buy a skill card and successfully complete the seven tests. Tests can be undertaken in any order but within a time-span of three years.

Training in the seven modules is not compulsory for testing. Individuals can sit for any of the tests without actually attending any training sessions.

In Malta, there are a number of ECDL testing and training providers. These range from a number of private ICT training providers to public entities. The latter include the University of Malta, MCAST and ETC. ECDL evening classes are also organised by the Ministry of Education.

The personal benefits of ECDL are manifold. While it raises the level of competency in essential IT and computer skills, it provides the licence-owner with the opportunity to obtain an internationally recognised certificate.

This becomes more relevant when one considers the increasing importance of certificate recognition across borders and the high mobility within the international labour market. The ECDL certificate is a valuable tool for job seekers in the information economy where e-skills are essential across the industrial and retail sector together with the public sector.

On the local scenario, part of the ECDL certificate, specifically three of the seven modules, are a required qualification for new clerks in the public service. It is also a requirement for the course leading to a post-graduate certificate in education of the University of Malta. This encourages teachers to use technology as a tool to help them teach any subject in primary and secondary schools.

ICT-related subjects have been taught in secondary schools for a number of years now. Students of public secondary schools are provided with a mandatory ICT lesson per week. Since October 2002 the ECDL syllabus has been incorporated in the ICT programme helping students sit for ECDL tests during the last three years of school. A secondary school student can now sit for three ECDL modules at the end of Form III, two modules at the end of Form IV and two modules at the end of Form V.

In order to bridge the gap between those who entered secondary schools in October 2002 and those already in their secondary school years, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry for IT and Investment coordinated an initiative where all school-leavers in state secondary schools were provided with a 30-hour "catch-up" course.

Following the completion of this course, all school-leavers will be in a position to sit for the seven tests and obtain the ECDL certification. This year over 1,500 students completed the 30-hour course. These students are expected to sit for the ECDL tests in the coming weeks.

The new contemporary information age, where technologies are used to enhance the quality of life and increase the efficiency of private and public organisations, demands the reskilling of employees already in the labour force and the tuition of the same skills to people who re-enter the marketplace.

Similarly, first-time job seekers need to master IT skills which enable them to use the wide spectrum of available technologies to complete their job duties.

The newly set-up Ministry of IT and Investment aims to promote professional certification as one of the main vehicles towards ensuring a labour supply capable of mastering technology to increase the nation's competitiveness.

ECDL offers flexibility to both the individual and the organisations that set it as their benchmark for assessing ICT skills. The certification increases the confidence of people in making use of new technologies. It is a source of quantifying basic computer literacy and of increasing the personal achievement of those who complete part or all the modules leading to the certification.