BRIDGING COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY: A COMPETENCY-BASED ARCHITECTURE USING E-CF
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20998/2079-0023.2025.02.17Keywords:
competency-based learning, recommendation system, knowledge gap, European e-Competence Framework, personalized learning paths, education labor market alignmentAbstract
The rapid growth of the information technology (IT) sector has made the existing gap between university training and industry requirements even more noticeable. As a result, many graduates feel the need to pursue additional qualifications to stay competitive in the job market. This paper suggests a recommendation system that connects academic results with professional expectations by using competency-based learning principles and the European e-Competence Framework (e-CF). Competency-based learning shifts the focus from traditional knowledge assessments to skills and real-world outcomes. The e-CF offers a standardized and internationally recognized way to describe IT roles, skills, and proficiency levels. Based on previous research in personalized learning and curriculum changes, the proposed system identifies gaps between competencies gained in a student’s university program and those needed for specific IT roles. Using course similarity measures, the system maps both academic disciplines and job profiles, finds missing competencies, and calculates a personalized learning path that includes the minimum number of extra courses needed to fill these gaps. The architecture uses the IDEF0 functional modeling method, which clearly shows key processes such as analyzing competency gaps, and optimizing course paths. Preliminary evaluations suggest that this approach can reduce the time and effort needed for aligning competencies while improving the accuracy of skill gap detection. The findings are useful for universities looking to update their curricula, individuals aiming to develop specific skills, and employers wanting clearer and more comparable candidate profiles. By combining competency-based learning with a standardized European framework, this system provides a flexible and scalable solution for enhancing the connection between higher education and the changing demands of the IT job market. It can also be applied to other fields with established competency models.
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