DS CWA 16053:2009

Interoperability of European e-Career Services

Scope

Today, the interoperability quotient determines economic and social value. A low level of interoperability leads to loss of opportunity. Interconnection between related activities and services has become the new standard for value and innovative excellence.

Interoperability primarily refers to the ability of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems and of the business processes they support to exchange data and to enable the sharing of information and knowledge.
ICT systems can only reflect the ‘real environment’ therefore recommendations on how to increase interoperability of European ICT career and e-skills services within this CWA go beyond application in an online environment. The value chain proposition established by interconnecting websites must be underpinned by complementary standards.

Information and communication technologies operate in a global market and ICT business processes, jobs, methods, competence requirements and solutions are converging. However, apart from some examples in the United Kingdom, the current level of European ICT career web services’ interoperability is very low. Navigating the web and identifying relevant links is confusing; on-line information about ICT careers and e-Skills developments are structured and presented in many different and isolated ways. This constrains labour mobility in ICT career development and consequently the competitiveness of the European ICT business.
The CEN/ISSS Workshop on ICT Skills agrees that interoperability between e-Skills ICT career services and web portals across European member states should increase. Common reference standards, which articulate competences, skills and job roles, are the enablers of interconnection and exchange between e-career related products, services and internet portals. (...)