e-Skills Match: A framework for mapping and integrating the main skills, knowledge and competence standards and models for ICT occupations

Definition of skills, occupations, professional profiles and similar concepts have been explored in the ICT area since long ago. It has been only recently in Europe when new frameworks and standards have strived in getting a real systematic conceptual map to this challenging and fast evolving field. More precisely, three are the most important references which provide different aspects and approaches to the challenge of creating a common language in the area: e-Competence Framework e-CF (EN 16234-1:2016), ESCO (European Skills, Competences and Occupations classification) and the European ICT BOK. This paper addresses the challenge of studying them with the goal of providing a consistent model covering the different views of the area. This is an essential step to integrate ICT profiles, competences, skill, knowledges and qualifications, keeping both an interlink to the different already existing systems and the capability to acknowledge and integrate emerging areas in ICT profession in the future. The resulting framework, named as eSkills Match, will allow development of future support systems which may provide self-assessment functions for job candidates, recommender modules to guide their training to target occupations and the possibility of knowledge validation options aligned to the specific set of skills, knowledges and competences used as basic elements of the model.