The global skills and competency framework for the digital world

The Skills Framework for the Information Age - SFIA version 6

SFIA, the Skills Framework for the Information Age, describes skills required by professionals in roles involving information and communications technology.

SFIA

Formally established in 2000, and regularly updated, SFIA has become the globally accepted common language for the skills and competencies required in the digital world.

The collaborative development style involves open consultation and input from people with real practical experience of skills management in corporate and educational environments. That is what sets SFIA apart from other, more theoretical, approaches and has resulted in the adoption of SFIA by organisations and individuals in nearly 200 countries.

The SFIA Timeline

The SFIA Framework began as a UK initiative in 2000. It was preceded by a number of individual skills initiatives, some dating back to around 1990, that came together and collaborated to provide a single definitive framework for the IT industry.

Since 2000, SFIA has become the de facto global IT skills Framework, used in nearly 200 countries by organisations and individuals to characterise and manage their skills.  The SFIA Framework remains relevant and useful because it is simple and generic and is updated through a consultation activity where its extensive global user base comes together to collaborate on initiating, drafting and reviewing updates to the Framework.

While many skills and competency frameworks, specialist or otherwise, can trace their roots back to SFIA, the SFIA Framework remains independent and self-sustaining with a long-established ecosystem supporting the Framework and its users.