IDcert Digital Competence
IDcert Digital Competence is an official certification of digital skills in Italy, which fits within the framework of the activities carried out by the Italian National Coalition for Digital Skills and Jobs and its main initiative 'Repubblica Digitale', a multi-stakeholder initiative that promotes digital skills at all levels of the Italian economy and society. Digital Competence (IDCert) is an Italian certification scheme, built to complement the DigComp 2.1 Framework (a EU-wide framework, which points to the skills each citizen needs to have in order to participate fully in the digital economy) on a national level. This provides an opportunity to assess overall digital skills against a set of predefined indicators and define the types of skills needed to operate digital devices - both in the context of work and personal use.
The course is developed in a specialised learning path consisting of five areas of expertise, which mirror the competence areas outlined in DigComp 2.1:
- Information and data literacy: the ability to search and filter data, information and digital content; articulate needs across various digital environments; assess, analyse and critically compare the credibility of online sources. In addition, this competence area also assesses individuals' abilities to manage data and digital content (organising, storing, retrieving and processing).
- Communication and collaboration: the ability to interact with one another through digital technologies; using technology to collaborate and problem-solve online; the ability to manage one's digital identity.
- Digital content creation: the ability to develop, edit and manage various types of digital content; the ability to program and develop instructions to be followed by a simple computer operating system.
- Security issues: the skills needed to remain safe online; the knowledge required to evaluate the safety of specific sources; an understanding of personal data, privacy, main challenges and strategies to protect oneself and one's personal devices.
- Problem-solving: the ability to use digital competence to solve problems of various nature; the ability to use and manage digital tools in order to identify the correct technological solution.
The course has an overall duration of 200 hours and it is available for a fee. For each course module there is a manual outline in the form of a PDF document, video tutorials, numerous exercises and a final assessment. The final exam is flexible: participants can opt when to take it and receive a certification, provided at least 75% of their answers are correct.
