Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays an essential role across society, and contribute to foster the digital transition. Up-to-date, quality ICT professional standards underpin the digital ecosystem by applying a common language and identifying the essential professional benchmarks required to ensure high-quality ICT service provision.
Under the stewardship of CEN/TC 428 ‘ICT Professionalism and digital competences’ and after two years of intensive research and development, CEN published new EN 17748-1 ‘Foundational Body of Knowledge for the ICT Profession (ICT BoK) - Part 1: Body of Knowledge’, together with CEN/TR 17748-2 ‘User Guide and Methodology’.
The document provides 42 Knowledge Units relevant for the ICT Profession, articulating relevant knowledge for each unit. These Knowledge Units are structured within seven domains, incorporating ICT technical knowledge, business and managerial aspects, and behavioural knowledge. They provide a foundation for soft skills and transversal aspects such as ethics and security that are relevant to all ICT professionals.
EN 17748-1 specifies common knowledge applicable to all ICT Professionals and base knowledge related to specific areas of expertise. These two knowledge levels are complemented by further references to reliable sources of in-depth specialised knowledge. The standard is published as a stand-alone document, providing a holistic and comprehensive overview of knowledge required by ICT professionals. In addition, this standard is complementary and compatible to both EN 16234-1 ‘e-Competence Framework (e-CF) European standard for ICT professional competence’ and related ‘CWA 16458-1 European ICT Professional Role Profiles’.
A European common language for ICT Professional competence, knowledge, skills, levels and roles
This series of European standards on ICT Professional competence (EN 16234), knowledge (EN 17748), skills (EN 16234) and roles (CWA 17748) provides, for the first time, a comprehensive oversight that enables the identification and articulation of the relevant components of ICT Professional development across any industry sector within Europe. As a consequence, ICT HR skills management and ICT learning programme providers will be enabled to share common yet flexible skills management tools.
EN 17748 was developed by CEN/TC 428 ‘ICT Professionalism and Digital Competences’, whose Secretariat is held by UNI.
Laurens HERNALSTEEN
lhernalsteen@cencenelec.eu
