EN 16234-1 (e-CF)Classifications & recognition

EN 16234-1 — the European e-Competence Framework (e-CF)

What is it?

The official European standard for describing ICT skills: 41 competences (from programming to security management) on proficiency levels e-1 to e-5. It is the ICT equivalent of what trade certificates are for welders — a shared, vendor-neutral language.

What evidence should a candidate have?

CVs rarely cite e-CF directly — map the candidate's roles and projects to e-CF competences and levels; formal degrees and vendor certificates support the placement.

Why it matters for staffing

Describing IT candidates in e-CF terms makes profiles comparable across countries and clients — and signals professional rigour generic IT recruiters lack.

Official sources

CEN e-CF ↗

Used in trade modules

Software developer / IT

Related standards

2005/36/ES · RegProf

Directive 2005/36/EC & RegProf — regulated professions

ESCO · ISCO-08

ESCO & ISCO-08 — the EU classification of occupations and skills

EQF · NPK · Geselle/Meister

EQF, NPK, Geselle/Meister — vocational qualification systems

89/391/EGS · TPO

First aid & BLS — workplace safety trainings (Dir. 89/391/EEC)

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