Overview
There are many ways to learn how to use a computer, but research done by partners of ICDL Europe shows that proving acquired skills with certification is key to truly equipping people with useful competencies.
A study in Austria compared peoples’ perception of their digital skills with reality as shown through a test. 94% of participants thought their digital skills were ‘average’ to ‘very good’. After testing, only 39% did that well. A parallel study in Switzerland found that people with digital skills certification did 24% better than average in practical tests of digital skills. Studies elsewhere in Europe and beyond have shown similar results.
With advances in technology moving at an extremely fast pace, employers cannot always keep up with the training required to provide skills, therefore it falls upon individuals to keep abreast with these latest technologies and to understand how they can be applied in their daily and working life. Moreover, in a response to the pandemic, studies have shown that employers are less likely to cover the cost of training and certifying their employees to the same scale as previously seen which has introduced a shift in behavior where people are more likely to invest in themselves by spending their own money and time and making the effort it takes to obtain these credentials to remain relevant in the workplace.
As well as proving skills acquired, certification also validates the quality of training, showing that individuals have taken in what they studied, and providing a motivation to complete the course. In addition, people reap many intrinsic benefits from certification, such as an increase in confidence at work, coupled with greater respect from work colleagues and managers as well as an increase in job satisfaction.
Certainly, employers that continue to provide certification training programmes for their employees continue to see a favourable impact in the workplace. Providing employee training creates employer loyalty and retention of talent as employees feel valued and grow in their roles. Efficiency is increased with employees being able to perform a task in less time, which in turn increases productivity and the ability to innovate and enhance work processes and outcomes.
