The initiative places digital inclusion at its core. With the ICDL (International Certification of Digital Literacy), students—regardless of background, school type, or region—can build digital skills in a structured way and document them with an internationally recognised certificate, supporting educational equity and social participation.
At the Mainz ceremony, Thomas Michel, CEO of ICDL Germany (DLGI), noted that “digital competences are indispensable for education, work, and participation in society,” adding that the first ZDiK recognitions “show where digital education is already implemented excellently.” He emphasised that renewing the ICDL framework agreements with both state ministries “enables us to build on these successes together,” and that ICDL is an effective tool for equal opportunity because it “makes competences visible and opens pathways in education and employment.”
Representing Minister Sven Teuber in Rhineland-Palatinate, State Secretary Bettina Brück underlined the equity goal: “We want all young people in Rhineland-Palatinate to acquire and strengthen digital competences—regardless of origin, place of residence, or school type.” Extending the ICDL agreement, she said, is “a key step toward that goal,” creating “the foundation for participation, self-determination, and professional success in a digitally shaped society.”
In Esslingen, State Secretary of Baden Württemberg, Sandra Boser highlighted the lighthouse role of the newly recognised schools in Baden-Württemberg: the ZDiKs “set examples and help ensure quality in teaching digital skills across the state.” She called the renewed framework agreement “an important step in sustainably embedding digital competences in school education.”
The ICDL Centre for Digital Competence Development (ZDiK) recognition is being awarded for the first time in 2025. It honors schools that implement the ICDL program particularly successfully—many of them long-standing ICDL test centres that certify both digital and vocational competences and help prepare young people for a digital world.
As the organisation responsible for ICDL in Germany, DLGI connects schools, learners, and education stakeholders with current developments in digital competence. Through practice-oriented programs, targeted qualification, and expert exchange, DLGI helps education systems keep pace with change and set new standards for a future-ready, digitally competent society.
More information
ICDL Germany: www.icdl.de DLGI www.dlgi.de
