TLDR : The "Open Badges for IT" project, launched by the University of Lille and supported by the Interreg France-Wallonia-Flanders program, aims to develop a European framework for recognizing IT skills based on digital badges. These badges, already adopted by tech giants like IBM, Mozilla, or Microsoft, certify specific skills and promote transparency and credibility of certifications.
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On May 22, the University of Lille hosted the launch of the "Open Badges for IT" project, a cross-border initiative supported by the Interreg France-Wallonia-Flanders program. This project aims to develop a European framework for recognizing IT skills based on the use of digital badges.
Open Badges, born in the digital ecosystem in the early 2010s, are digital artifacts that certify specific skills or experiences. Their potential relies on three main strengths: verifiability, portability, and interoperability. Unlike a fixed certification, they allow for real-time and granular recognition of skills, whether through training, professional, or personal experiences.
Their growing adoption in the tech world, as seen with IBM or initiatives led by Mozilla or Microsoft, demonstrates their relevance. Each badge contains detailed metadata that ensures its authenticity and allows tracing the learning journey, thus promoting the transparency and credibility of certifications.
A European Project Serving Innovation
"Open Badges for IT" is part of a cross-border dynamic linking the ecosystems of the Hauts-de-France region and Wallonia. Coordinated by the Eurometropolitan e-Campus, an innovation platform of the Eurometropolis Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai, the Franco-Walloon consortium includes:
- Technocité (Belgium)
- IDETA (Belgium)
- University of Lille (France)
- IPN – University of Mons (Belgium)
- CITC (France)
Additional associated partners include:
- Agence du Numérique (Belgium)
- Eurometropolis Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai (France and Belgium)
- FormaForm (Belgium)
- Association Reconnaître (France)
- IFAPME WAPI (Belgium)
- Hangar K (Belgium)
- Leiedal (Belgium)
The project, funded 60% by the European Union, has four years to create frameworks, deployment tools, and evaluation methodologies tailored to market needs. Launched to meet the growing demand for specialized IT profiles in Hauts-de-France and Wallonia, two regions where digital technology is a strategic sector, it aims to position Open Badges as a certification standard at the European level.
Full-Scale Tests to Validate the Approach
A first pilot program is underway with job seekers in cybersecurity at Technocité, allowing them to acquire digital badges certifying key skills such as firewall management or network traffic analysis. Ultimately, these badges are expected to facilitate their employability and professional mobility in this high-demand sector.
To better understand
What are the main advantages of Open Badges compared to traditional certifications?
Open Badges provide benefits like verifiability, portability, and interoperability, allowing for granular and real-time recognition of acquired skills, which is not possible with traditional certifications.
How does the European Union support the development of IT skills through initiatives like Open Badges for IT?
The European Union supports these initiatives by funding cross-border projects aimed at harmonizing IT certification standards, thus facilitating employability and professional mobility within member states.