Careers and Skills

Things are changing in IT recruitment and training. Everyone knows how difficult it is to express technical issues to non-technical people. Now a standard for expressing technical skills and the level of competency in them has been adopted by the UK government and thousands of businesses. The standard is known as the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA).

SFIA (pronounced “sophia”) is a 'common language' for expressing technical skills in a manner that can be understood by everyone. As you may already appreciate, such a standard has had a significant impact in recruitment, HR and training.

The OGC (Office of Government Commerce) has released a Code of Practice that essentially compels recruitment agencies to express candidates' skills according to the SFIA framework. Thousands of companies are set to follow suit, including IBM, Accenture and Norwich Union, to name but a few.

You may not have heard of SFIA yet – but you will. It is likely that the standard will be adopted across Europe by governmental agencies and most major businesses.

ITnews is pleased to announce that it is the only current facility for expressing your skills using SFIA. You can then use this information when dealing with recruitment agencies or directly with employers.

Please browse these pages to find out more about SFIA and how it can help you. First, find out How SFIA Works »