Brussels, May 10, 2019
CEPIS marked its 30th anniversary on 10 May, bringing members and stakeholders together for an event in the Hilton Brussels Grand Place hotel dedicated to best practices in digital skills development in Europe. The session was co-hosted with digital skills certification body, ECDL Foundation, which launched its new brand identity ‘ICDL’ in Europe, as well as a new programme structure.
Representatives from the European Commission and the private sector were invited to share their views and participate in a panel discussion on how to improve collaboration between private and public organisations. Speakers included the Head of the Digital Economy and Skills Unit, Fabrizia Benini, from DG CONNECT, European Commission, who presented the Commission’s multi-stakeholder approach to digital skills, as well as André Richier (DG GROW, European Commission), Oliver Roethig (UNI Europe), Mary Cleary (Irish Computer Society and CEN TC 428) and Izabela Milewska from Amazon’s Web Services Training & Certification department.
This event highlighted CEPIS’s continued effort to promote the best practices for ICT professionals in Europe, working closely with partners at European and national levels. CEPIS President, Byron Nicolaides, said:
“As the representative body of national associations of IT professionals across Europe, CEPIS has been promoting the development of the information society in Europe for 30 years, and we remain committed to supporting the highest digital standards in the years to come.”
Under its focus on promoting professionalism, CEPIS is working to ensure ethical aspects related to the IT workforce, the role of women in IT, cybersecurity, as well as growing the pool of new talent, focusing on computing in schools. Together with ICDL Foundation, CEPIS has launched IT Professionalism Europe (ITPE), a network of stakeholders committed to the advancement of IT professionalism in Europe.
ENDS
About CEPIS
The Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS) is a non-profit organisation seeking to improve and promote high standards among IT professionals, in recognition of the impact that IT has on employment, business and society. CEPIS currently represents 30 Member Societies in 29 countries across greater Europe. Through its members, who are the professional IT bodies at national level, CEPIS represents approximately 450,000 ICT professionals.
Established in 1989, CEPIS has since grown to be more than just the European sum of its national parts. In addition to the resources it provides its members to support their activities, the association has established itself as the authoritative voice and principal network for European ICT professionals. It has successfully developed a privileged relationship with the European institutions and Brussels-centric stakeholders, promoting the development of the information society, and pushing the digital skills and IT professionalism agenda for the benefit of society and the economy.