e-Competence Certificates
eSkills training and certification are often hard to compare. They may be very specific and focused on the latest technology of one of the hardware or software suppliers, or more generic and providing overview of a field like architecture, business analysis or information security.One solution for this enigma is comparing learning outcomes with the e-competences defined in the e-Competence Framework e-CF and with the ICT Profiles of the CEN Workshop on ICT Skils. This is the core idea of the Certification Profiles listed below.
A Certification Profile contains the core information about an eSkills related certificate and shows which e-competencies match with obtaining the certificate and compares those with the most relevant ICT-profiles.
Title | A+ |
Provider | CompTIA |
Web source | http://certification.comptia.org/getCertified/certifications/a.aspx |
Description | CompTIA A+ certification validates foundation-level knowledge and skills necessary for a career in IT support. |
Target Group |
- Starting point for career in PC support, e.g. enterprise technician - Starting point for career in PC support, e.g. field service technician - Starting point for career in PC support, e.g. PC or support technician - Starting point for career in PC support, e.g. IT administrator |
Corresponding ICT profiles |
- NETWORK SPECIALIST - SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR - TECHNICAL SPECIALIST |
Prerequisites |
- None |
Main subject(s) |
- computer technology - installation - preventative maintenance - networking - security - resolve problems using troubleshooting and tools - customer service - communication skills |
Competence covered with this certificate | Competence from the ICT Profiles | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
e-CF competency | Level | G/P/S | NETWORK SPECIALIST | SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR | TECHNICAL SPECIALIST | |
B.1 Application Development | 2 | |||||
B.2 Component Integration | 2 | S | 2 | 2 | ||
B.3 Testing | 1 | G | 2 | |||
B.4 Solution Deployment | 3 | S | 2 | |||
C.1 User Support | 2 | G | 2 | |||
C.2 Change Support | 2 | P | 3 | |||
C.3 Service Delivery | 1 | S | 2 | |||
C.4 Problem Management | 3 | S | 2 | 2 | 3 | |
E.8 Information Security Management | 2 | G | 2 | 2 |
Any mapping to the e-CF will have to deal with cases where the e-competence at hand, e.g. in a learning outcome, does not fit the description in the e-CF to its full extend. Here we used a grading (G/P/S) such that for e-competency:
For each e-competency the G (General), P (Partial) and S (Superficial) indicate the extend the competency is covered by the certificate:
- General
Someone with this certificate will most likely have the competence. - Partial
The content of the requirements for the certificate match with the description of the competence but some parts of the competence are missing (e.g. no evidence of some of the practical skills). - Superficial
The content of the requirements mentions parts of the competence description, but there is no evidence that obtaining the certificate will show possession of this competence.
The methodology behind the Certification Profiles has been developed during the eSkills Quality study for the European Commission. The final report of this study is available here.