Response to the public consultation on EU area of skills and qualifications

Transcription

1 CEN Identification number in the EC register: Response to the public consultation on EU area of skills and qualifications April 2014 CEN (European Committee for Standardization) is an officially recognised organisation (EU Regulation 1025/ ) responsible for developing and defining standards at European level. These standards set out specifications, requirements and recommendations in relation to a wide range of products and services. The members of CEN are the National Standards Bodies of 33 European countries including all of the EU member states plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey. CEN also works to promote the international harmonisation of standards in the framework of a technical cooperation agreement with ISO (International Organization for Standardization). European Standards are developed through a process of collaboration among technical experts nominated by business and industry, research institutes, public authorities, consumer and other stakeholders. These standards are implemented throughout all of the 33 countries covered by CEN. Education and European Standards European standardisation has provided a working platform to European stakeholders for defining competences and education models following on a consensus building process for more than a decade now. With respect to education, European standards and CEN workshop agreements (CWAs) set out minimum requirements for training and qualifications of ICT and service professionals actively supporting the implementation of European legislation, namely the Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications, the e-skills agenda, the Directive 2006/123/EC on services in the internal market as well as the Digital agenda for Europe. 1 Regulation 1025/2012 on European standardisation Avenue Marnix Brussels - Belgium Tel: Fax: info@cencenelec.eu -

2 Currently, industry is confronted with growing gaps and mismatches between supply and demand of specific skills, and a digital divide is affecting growth, competitiveness, innovation, employment and social cohesion in Europe. CEN welcomes the European commission efforts in light of establishment of an EU area for skills and qualifications. The systematic increase of mobility of students and professionals in all industry sectors has made more obvious the need for transparency and the establishment of a common language around qualifications and skills in Europe. Anticipating the need for skills and minimising gaps with labour market demand is vital for the competitiveness and long-term prospects of growth for European companies. The effective technical terms of reference in describing learning outcomes for each level of a specific competence are missing in many sectors, and this shall be the first step in light of an EU area of skills and qualifications. Standardized and recognised competences allows for universal understanding of needs and expectations of the demand and supply side and have a broader perspective/view on how to acquire new skills, how to pick up alternative careers and foster entrepreneurship. CEN have long contributed to the development and implementation of the European strategy for the enhancement of competences in the ICT field. The ICT Profession has been a major priority for this body thus ensuring that future practitioners and professionals are fully equipped for the vital role of creating effective ICT systems. Some CEN Workshop agreements support the development of e-business Skills of European managers to ensure that the digital economy is enriched by the successful application of innovative, relevant and efficient use of ICT. Most important, the European e-competence Framework (e-cf) (CWA 16234: 2014) represents a common framework that enables ICT professionals to describe and develop their capabilities, provide solutions for skills mismatches. It also allows companies and employers to identify which individuals possess the skills they require. Regularly maintained, this framework provides a reference of 40 competences as required and applied in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) workplace, using a common language for competences, skills and capability levels that can be understood and applied worldwide in a long-term perspective. CEN would like to play a role in the development of educational qualification models and conceptual frameworks that categorise and express long standing learning outcomes and competences through standards as a key solution to parallel universes between formal and industry-based education. European standards represent a useful tool for strengthening links between education/training, IT industry and the labour market being used in different contexts (competence development, the anticipation and planning of competence requirements, planning and design of ICT curricula) by a large number of organisations, by policy makers and/or by market researchers. Service standards put great emphasis on professional competences setting out benchmarks for training and qualification requirements for the services providers and promote best practices. Service standards ensure a high level of quality and help develop a range of cross-cutting competences (innovation, creativity, assertive thinking) and facilitate effective learning processes. Several standards have integrated sector-specific implementation of the European Qualifications Framework CEN reply - April 2014 Page 2 of 20

3 (EQF). In this context, CEN believes that the definition of sectorial qualification frameworks with different levels of granularity for each sector would benefit the single market. The potential of standards and standardization processes to increase education quality has not been fully exploited yet. Standardization can create a level playing field at European level complementing national legislation where it exists or providing a reference document where there is no legislation. Standardization disseminates the results of research and innovative technologies through the dialogue among European countries around curricula development, ensuring that curricula become more coherent with the real competences needed. In this context, CEN members welcome the intention of the European Commission to support the definition of sectorial qualification frameworks with different levels of granularity for each sector taking into account national legislation, where existing. The benefit of European standardization Standardization is a voluntary process based on the principles of transparency, openness and consensus amongst the different interested parties in a specific area (users, professionals, researchers, public authorities...). Stakeholder engagement and consensus building provided by a standard that has been facilitated by an independent third-party organisation and gone through a public commenting phase, can bring added value and increase confidence of patients and other organisations. Standards are valuable tools for the promotion of best practice, increased efficiency, quality and safety in relation to products, systems and services. One of the biggest benefits of European Standards is their identical implementation across Europe and the obligation of CEN/CENELEC member bodies to withdraw any existing conflicting national standards. Although European Standards remain voluntary in application for service providers, this ensures that there is a common reference within the 33 countries member of CEN. Apart from the European Standards, other types of documents (technical specifications, technical report 2 ) are developed by the CEN or CENELEC technical committees while the CEN or CENELEC workshop agreements reflect the consensus of the organisations participating in a CEN or CENELEC workshop. These documents do not bear an obligation to adopt them at national level or to withdraw any conflicting national standards but can also have an added value by providing guidelines, a common reference or helping disseminating best practices. 2 Further information on the different types of documents developed by CEN can be found at %20CEN%20deliverables.aspx CEN reply - April 2014 Page 3 of 20

4 Education about Standardization in the context of EU area of skills and qualifications Businesses, public bodies and other types of organisations can gain important benefits from applying and using European (EN) and International standards in terms of vital issues such as product quality and performance, health and safety, energy efficiency, environmental impact, connectivity and interoperability. But in order to get the full benefit from these standards, organisations need access to knowledge about standards and the standardization processes. The best way to achieve this is to make sure that such knowledge is available in house by having managers and staff who are familiar with the world of standards and standardization. A review of the European Commission RAPEX website 3 will highlight the number of times failure to comply with appropriate Standards has an adverse effect on the ability of a company to place a product on the European Market, with the associated financial costs and negative reputational impact this may have to the organisation. Having a good understanding of standards and standardization can be useful for people involved in all kinds of professional activities from construction and engineering to marketing, public procurement or legal professions. Raising the level of awareness and knowledge about standardization is therefore important both for the professional development of individuals and for the economic prosperity of Europe as a whole. Education has a crucial role to play in preparing students to work with standards in their future professional lives. Students who have learned about standards will be able to deal more quickly with any situation in which the knowledge of standards and standardization might be needed. Innovation is not possible without the sound knowledge of the world of standards and thus, state-of-the-art of a certain area. CEN and CENELEC have adopted a Masterplan on Education about Standardization (in annex), which sets out their strategy for promoting education and training in relation to standards and standardization in the coming years. This Masterplan provides a framework for orchestrated action involving major stakeholders, with common leadership, initiatives and vision at European level, supporting the development and implementation of specific actions at national level. A number of valuable initiatives to foster education about standardization have already been developed and launched in several European countries. However, a significant scaling-up is required. Education and training providers, as well as policy-makers, need to be made aware about the benefits of integrating relevant information and knowledge regarding standards and standardization in their curricula. Universities and other educational institutions are strongly encouraged to ensure their students have at least a basic understanding of standards: what are standards, why are standards needed, who develops standards and how are standards used e.g. Science and engineering students must understand and apply standards when developing new products/services, know how to follow standard test methods and procedures, understand why standards are relevant for the development of new systems and technologies. 3 Rapid Alert System for non-food dangerous products (RAPEX): CEN reply - April 2014 Page 4 of 20

5 Design and architecture students should understand how standards are incorporated into the design and manufacture of products and the construction of buildings. Business and economics students need to know how standards enable products and services to be recognised and accepted in different national and international markets. Management students may be required to know about standards for quality management and environmental management. Law students need to understand how standards relate to legislation. Graduates and post-graduates who have acquired an awareness and understanding of standards during their studies will be more valuable to potential employers, and better able to deal with a wide range of situations they might encounter in their professional lives. In 2014, CEN and CENELEC will focus on the recognition of standardization as a value added discipline through the creation of a 'competences label' that will enhance the value of the experts working in standardization activities. CEN reply - April 2014 Page 5 of 20

6 Annex - List of CEN activities Published Documents Reference standard Title Date of publication CEN/TR 15628:2007 Maintenance - Qualification of Maintenance personnel EN 16224:2012+A1:2014 Healthcare provision by chiropractors CWA 16053:2009 Interoperability of European e-career Services CWA 16458:2012 European ICT Professional Profiles CWA :2013 CWA :2013 CWA :2013 EN ISO/IEC :2009 EN ISO/IEC :2014 EN ISO/IEC :2013 EN ISO/IEC :2012 e-competence Framework for ICT Users - Part 1: Framework Content e-competence Framework for ICT Users - Part 2: User Guidelines e-competence Framework for ICT Users - Part 3: Development Guidelines Information technology - Learning, education and training - Quality management, assurance and metrics - Part 1: General approach (ISO/IEC :2005) Information technology - Learning, education and training - Metadata for learning resources - Part 5: Educational elements (ISO/IEC :2012) Information technology - Learning, education and training - Metadata for learning resources - Part 3: Basic application profile (ISO/IEC :2011) Information technology - Learning, education and training - Metadata for learning resources - Part 2: Dublin Core elements (ISO/IEC :2011) EN ISO/IEC Information technology - Learning, CEN reply - April 2014 Page 6 of 20

7 1:2012 education and training - Metadata for learning resources - Part 1: Framework (ISO/IEC :2011) EN 15982:2011 EN 15981:2011/AC:2013 Metadata for Learning Opportunities (MLO) - Advertising European Learner Mobility - Achievement information (EuroLMAI) EN 15981:2011 European Learner Mobility - Achievement information (EuroLMAI) EN 15943:2011 Curriculum Exchange Format (CEF) - Data model Under development Reference Number Title To be published before CWA : 2014 CWA : 2014 CWA : 2014 CWA : 2014 Part 1: European e-competence Framework version 3.0. A shared European framework for ICT Professionals in all industry sectors Part 2: User guide for the application of the European e- Competence Framework 3.0 Part 3: Building the e-cf - a combination of sound methodology and expert contribution. Methodology documentation Part 4: 15 case studies illustrating e-cf practical use from multiple ICT sector perspectives pren Pest management services - Requirements and competences pren Maritime and port security services CEN reply - April 2014 Page 7 of 20

8 JT Services for fire safety and security systems Upcoming standardization activities related to skills and qualifications: CEN/TC Project Committee - Services of Medical Doctors with additional qualification in Homeopathy CEN/ TC 428- e-competences and ICT professionalism CEN/TC Service Chain for Social Care Alarms CEN/TC Project Committee - Competency for Customs representatives CEN reply - April 2014 Page 8 of 20

9 Annex 2- Masterplan on Education about Standardization Masterplan on Education about Standardization Executive Summary At a time when knowledge is increasingly abundant and innovation eco-systems are opening, it is crucial to raise awareness and spread knowledge about standardization as a powerful tool to bring new technologies to market and drive future businesses. Some initiatives have been developed and launched in several European countries in order to foster education about standardization. However, a significant scaling-up is required so that, all over Europe, public authorities and educational institutions are aware about the benefits of education about standardization and include courses and trainings about standardization in their curricula. CEN, CENELEC and ETSI, the three European Standards Organisations, are committed to promote and support education about standardization. This Masterplan on Education about Standardization defines a framework for action with European level leadership, initiatives and vision, which is also intended to support the national level in the member countries. In section 2, benefits of standardization and education about standardization are highlighted. Key stakeholders are identified in section 3. The overall approach is explained in section 4. It envisages three workstreams: Build Capacity, Engage key stakeholders and Reach target groups. Finally, a high-level breakdown of the overall work programme is given. Key elements are governance, coordination and concrete work areas which are Analysis, Events, Consultation and Partnering, Teaching and Projects. This Masterplan is complemented by an Implementation Plan describing the specific actions which will be run in the first year after the adoption of the Masterplan. CEN reply - April 2014 Page 9 of 20

10 Table of contents Table of contents Introduction What is Education about Standardization? Context The Challenge National Responsibility Stakeholders EaS Approach High level breakdown of the EaS approach Annex: List of abbreviations CEN reply - April 2014 Page 10 of 20

11 Introduction CEN, CENELEC and ETSI have developed this Masterplan for Education about Standardization to set a strategy for achieving the vision set out in the Policy on education about standardization agreed in What is Education about Standardization? Education about Standardization (EaS) is teaching pupils, students, CEOs, managers, employees in business, and life-long learners the subject of standards and standardization. The level of education has to be carefully tailored to these target audiences. It may include the use and benefits of standards, the strategic importance of standardization for business and Europe's competitiveness, how to implement standards in businesses and how to participate in standardization to influence the content of future standards. CEN reply - April 2014 Page 11 of 20

12 Context In 2010 the CEN/CENELEC/ETSI Joint Working Group Education about Standardization (JWG-EaS) developed a Policy on education about standardization. This policy has been used to advise the content of this Masterplan which will, in turn, be supported by an Implementation Plan. All three documents will then be the basis for action, as shown in Figure 1. Policy Master Plan Implementation Plan As stated in the European Standards Organisations Policy on education about standardization, the importance of standards and Actions standardization for businesses and society has increased dramatically over the last decade. Standards provide a range of major benefits, including: Facilitating trade in the global market and enabling global market access by Figure 1: The relationship between the policy, Masterplan and implementation for education about standardization. removing technical barriers to trade and increasing competitiveness; Providing investment confidence for businesses through the certainty achieved by codifying in standards existing knowledge e.g. proven technologies; Standardization fosters innovation, which is indispensable for economic growth especially in developed countries through establishment of new technologies in the market and providing interoperability and compatibility between new and existing products, services, processes and systems; Being a policy tool which facilitates regulation aimed at developing new markets for products and services as well as the Single European market; Education and awareness of standards and standardization in Europe have not kept pace and this has resulted in a deficit in the understanding of both the use and the development of standards. Other regions of the world, notably Asia, have increased efforts on education about standardization, with resulting benefits. In the medium and long term, the lack of knowledge, skills and scientific research in Europe about standardization will result in a reduction in the competitive abilities of European businesses. CEN reply - April 2014 Page 12 of 20

13 Europe needs to maintain competitiveness of European businesses at world class level and prepare current and future CEOs, managers and workers for the changing needs of the emerging markets. A key factor in this will be education about standardization, using a wide spectrum of learning approaches including conventional and innovative methods. This is expected to improve the employability of the European workforce as they understand, to a greater level the significance of using standards and how to participate in the standardization process. Figure 2 shows how harnessing these approaches to integrate education about standardization could deliver benefits to Europe. CEN, CENELEC and ETSI have decided to put significant effort into addressing this shortfall in awareness, knowledge and skills. Education about Standardization Primary & Secondary Education Tertiary Education Life-Long Learning Awareness of standards School children in everyday life Learn about standards; Vocational/Technical ready to use knowledge College Students as future employees Understand how standardization relates University Students to their academic discipline Know benefits of and Managers use of standards for and employees business, shape the content of standards Benefits for Europe Facilitating trade in the global market and facilitating global market access Providing investment confidence for businesses Fostering innovation Enabling regulation developing new markets Improving the employability of the European workforce Input Figure 2: How education about standardization can benefit Europe Output The Challenge Throughout Europe we can observe some practices in performing standardization education or stimulating it. However, these activities are fragmented and the impact is limited. The major challenge is to achieve a much better inclusion of standardization in education and learning processes in Europe by improving and extending current activities in a systematic way. This requires a significant scaling up of the activities on and visibility about education about standardization, with correspondingly increased leadership, commitment and coordination. National Responsibility The Masterplan is a framework for orchestrated action of major stakeholders in Europe, with European level leadership, initiatives and vision, which support nationally coordinated and implemented actions. This recognises that education in general (including education about standardization) is primarily a national responsibility which leads to diverse national education 'landscapes'. CEN reply - April 2014 Page 13 of 20

14 As Figure 3 shows below, European approach is designed to support national standards bodies in creating their own structures to drive national activities and share best practices. European-level activities National -level National -level National -level Figure 3: National-level actions supported National by European-level leadership -level Figure 3- European approach supporting national initiatives Stakeholders This Masterplan aims at enhancing knowledge and skills about standards and standardization to make European business more competitive, sustainable and innovative on the world stage by addressing: Education systems in member states: engaging educators, academia and business to include standardization in education and life long learning; (topdown) The Target groups: Informing, inspiring and involving pupils, students, CEOs, managers and employees as well as teachers and trainers about standards and standardization. (bottom-up) As Figure 4 shows below, stakeholders at both European and national level will be involved in engagement activities through a range of top-down actions and directly with school pupils, students, managers, employees and teachers by way of bottom-up actions. CEN reply - April 2014 Page 14 of 20

15 Figure 4: Illustration of top-down and bottom-up approach The main stakeholder groups are: Standards setting organisations: the formal and non formal standards organisations, facilitating the development of standard at national, European and global level. This also includes the technical experts contributing to the standardization work. Intermediaries: the education systems and responsible public authorities Beneficiaries: organizations for which standards and standardization are important Target groups: the final targets Figure 5 sets out these stakeholder groups and shows that, in order to succeed in reaching the target groups, a high degree of collaboration between the groups is needed. CEN reply - April 2014 Page 15 of 20

16 Standards setters International Standards bodies (e.g. ISO, IEC, ITU), European Standards Bodies (CEN CENELEC ETSI), National Standards Bodies, Other standards setting organizations (professional associations, relevant consortia). Intermediaries National/Regional education authorities and regulators, Schools, teachers and educationalists, Universities and academics, Vocational and technical colleges, Research organizations, Relevant funding bodies. Beneficiaries Standards reliant businesses, Trade associations and unions, Governments, Consumer organizations. Target Groups School pupils, vocational learners, University students, Industry employees, Managers and CEOs. Figure 5: Identified stakeholders of education about standardization CEN reply - April 2014 Page 16 of 20

17 EaS Approach The EaS Policy aims are addressed through three work streams, which form the basis of this Masterplan: Figure 6: The three work streams of the approach to education about standardization Build Capacity Creating a new framework of structures to support the composition and management of education in standardization in Europe is a necessity. At European level three primary structures will be set up: The European Stakeholder Steering Group (ESSG) for governance, the JWG EaS for management and coordination, and task forces for generating and executing specific projects. Member countries are encouraged to set up similar structures at the national level to ensure sufficient education about standardization in their country. Engage key stakeholders Key stakeholders should be engaged in activities focused toward target groups. Increasing the amount and level of education about standardization in Europe must be a joint effort in which the key stakeholders work together in achieving the best possible results. Only by cooperating and partnering with intermediaries and beneficiaries will the impact be high enough to ensure that present and future generations will have sufficient skills and knowledge about standardization. CEN reply - April 2014 Page 17 of 20

18 Reach target groups The final work tream is reaching the target groups. Here activities should be set up which have a direct effect on the target group both at national and European level. This can for example be giving guest lectures, having internships, or developing innovative material such as games and applications. Additionally, the materials and approaches developed at the European level may be beneficial at national level The overall EaS work programme has to be implemented in several stages. Three phases are envisaged: - a set-up and initiation-phase - a trial-phase - a roll-out phase. High level breakdown of the EaS approach This section describes the high level breakdown of the EaS approach. The following levels are distinguished (Figure 7): a governance level, i.e. the European Stakeholder Steering Group for high level guidance and scope a management level taken over by the JWG-EaS to share practices and leverage knowledge concrete work areas. In the first work stream of the EaS approach (Figure 6), Internal Capacity for handling the above mentioned levels should be build.the two additional work streams, Engaging Key Stakeholders and Reaching Target Groups will be governed by the ESSG (governance level) and management by JWG EaS (management level). In addition to this concrete work areas will be set up in each of the work streams in order to ensure that the goals for education about standardization are met. CEN reply - April 2014 Page 18 of 20

19 Figure 7 forms the basis for the Implementation Plan. Figure 7: How the Masterplan structure feeds into the Implementation Plan In the Implementation plan recommendations for actions, which should be launched at national and European level are described, goals are set and responsibilities laid out. The Implementation Plan focuses on the upcoming year, but gives an outlook to the future. CEN reply - April 2014 Page 19 of 20

20 Annex: List of abbreviations CEN: European Committee for Standardization CENELEC: European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization CEO: Chief Executive Officer ESSG: European Stakeholders Steering Group ETSI: European Telecommunications Standards Institute IEC: International Electrotechnical Commission ISO: International Standards Organisations ITU: International Telecommunication Union JWG-EaS: Joint working Group on Education about Standardization CEN reply - April 2014 Page 20 of 20