I was recently reading a job advertisement for a project coordinator. In terms of required skills, there was just one terse line: Word/Excel/Outlook/Teams. Furthermore, there was no indication of the actual skills required. Almost anyone can open an Excel file and enter data. But who can do a Pivot Table?
It’s quite common to ask candidates for this kind of skills, but I wondered if it corresponds to the current needs in digital.
In my experience, familiarity with many software programmes and practices is required. Project coordination software, collaborative work software, databases, searching for information on the Internet, publishing on social networks, computer security, editing simple graphics, are just a number of examples of practices and programmes that I regularly use.
So I looked for a way to assess one’s level. While there is a widely recognised European Computer Skills Passport (https://www.icdlfrance.org), I suggest a free solution proposed by the French government which is extremely well done: pix.fr. This platform will:
- Evaluate your skills
- Direct you to educational content to help complete your skills
- Give you a certification
As you explore the site, you can see that digital skills go far beyond Word/Excel. The site identifies 16 skills and allows you to assess them accurately with practical tests.
INFORMATION AND DATA
- Conducting research and information monitoring
- Managing data
- Processing data
COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION
- Interacting
- Sharing and publishing
- Collaborate
- Entering the digital world
CONTENT CREATION
- Developing text documents
- Developing multimedia documents
- Adapting documents to their purpose
- Programming
PROTECTION AND SECURITY
- Securing the digital environment
- Protecting personal data and privacy
- Protecting health, well-being and the environment
DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT
- Solving technical problems
- Building a digital environment
I believe that as digital becomes a core skill, it is important to know what you are talking about (for recruiters), to assess yourself (for job seekers) and to know how to empower yourself (for employees).
It is also essential for Well Grounded’s local partners, as without these skills it is difficult for the organisation to work with them, especially when collaborating remotely.
Well Grounded has been working with Shauri-CC for years to help its partners overcome digital challenges; using tools that fit their budget, skills and internet connection capabilities.