ICDL - Standard Modules Trainings

ICDL Standard Modules: the recognised foundation of digital skills in French-speaking Switzerland

ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence), now ICDL (International Certification of Digital Literacy), is a widely used tool certification for digital skills for professionals and students in French-speaking Switzerland. The certification is managed in Switzerland by ECDL Switzerland AG, which validates training centres, candidate profiles and exam sittings. The ICDL Standard profile groups modules beyond the Base foundation (Word, Excel, web navigation, digital fundamentals) and covers more specialised skills: presentation, databases, online collaboration, IT security and image editing. The ICDL Standard certificate is widely recognised by cantonal administrations, Lake Geneva international organisations, companies of all sizes and higher education institutions in French-speaking Switzerland.

In French-speaking Switzerland, HR departments, continuing education schools, placement agencies, employees in transition, recent graduates, people in professional reintegration and secretariats use ICDL to validate and recognise their office automation skills. ITTA is an ECDL/ICDL training centre and offers the ICDL Standard modules, complementary to the ECDL Base foundation. Our training is delivered by experienced office automation trainers in French-speaking Switzerland, following a hands-on approach aligned with official ICDL syllabuses and concretely preparing for exams.

Following ICDL Standard modules opens access to highly demanded roles: administrative assistant, HR manager, reception agent, secretary, back-office collaborator, communication officer, database manager, presentation officer, office security officer. The ICDL certificate is officially recognised by employment services and continuing education organisations, and is among the skills expected on the office automation side in French-speaking Switzerland.

Whether you are preparing a full ICDL Standard certification, validating one or more modules for a specific position, or ramping up in presentation, databases, security or image editing, our ICDL Standard Modules training in Geneva and Lausanne covers the full path.

The ITTA ICDL Standard Modules catalogue

ICDL STANDARD Presentation (SM2)

ICDL STANDARD Presentation (SM2) covers creating effective presentations with PowerPoint. The programme addresses slide design, masters, templates, transitions and animations, integration of tables, charts, images and multimedia objects, advanced formatting, logical organisation of a visual narrative and preparation for delivery. Targets collaborators regularly producing presentations for meetings, seminars or internal training materials.

ICDL STANDARD Using Databases (SM1)

ICDL STANDARD Using Databases (SM1) covers fundamentals of relational databases via Microsoft Access. The programme addresses table, field, record, relation, primary key and foreign key concepts, simple and advanced query creation, input form design, report editing and printing, and good practices for data entry and integrity. Targets collaborators operating or designing small and medium-sized business databases.

ICDL STANDARD Online Collaboration (SM3)

ICDL STANDARD Online Collaboration (SM3) covers key skills for working remotely and in a team digitally: cloud storage tools (OneDrive, Google Drive), document co-editing, videoconferencing and online meetings, shared calendar management, collaborative platforms (Teams, SharePoint), good asynchronous communication practices, security and protection of shared data. Targets remote or hybrid collaborators wishing to validate their digital collaboration skills.

ICDL STANDARD IT Security (SM4)

ICDL STANDARD IT Security (SM4) covers essential security skills for any professional user: identification of common threats (phishing, ransomware, social engineering), password and authentication best practices, device securing, safe email management and web browsing, data backup, GDPR and nLPD compliance, and corporate policies. Ideal target to broadly sensitise collaborators to digital hygiene.

ICDL STANDARD Image Editing (SM5)

ICDL STANDARD Image Editing (SM5) covers essential photo retouching and image preparation skills for web, print and presentations. The programme addresses pixel concepts, resolution, image formats, colour spaces, basic retouching (cropping, light, contrast, colour), layer management, selections, optimised exports. Targets communication officers, administrative agents and collaborators preparing images for their internal materials.

ICDL and the publisher ecosystem at ITTA

The ICDL Standard modules fit into a broader office automation ecosystem. The root publisher ECDL regroups Base, Standard and Advanced modules. The office automation certifications sub-domain covers ICDL as well as Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certifications for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook. The Microsoft Office publisher regroups in-depth training on Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook. Microsoft Office 365 covers cloud and collaborative uses, complementary to ICDL Online Collaboration. The office automation sub-domain regroups all available office automation training.

ICDL trends in 2026

ICDL continues to evolve in 2026 with strong attention on transversal digital skills. Syllabuses progressively integrate generative AI uses in office automation (Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), daily cybersecurity for all profiles, cloud collaboration and hybrid remote work. ECDL Switzerland AG maintains alignment of Swiss syllabuses with international ICDL versions. The certificate remains widely recognised by cantonal administrations and continuing education organisations in French-speaking Switzerland. Our pedagogical content regularly integrates these evolutions to remain aligned with current practices.

ICDL Standard Modules training in Geneva, Lausanne and online

All our ICDL Standard courses are available on-site in our Geneva and Lausanne centres, as well as in interactive virtual classroom with a live trainer. Our sessions are organised in 5-week cycles. Each session includes exercises aligned with official ICDL syllabuses, mock exams, practice files and individualised follow-up until certification. Customised corporate training is also possible at your premises, in Geneva, Lausanne, Vaud and across French-speaking Switzerland, with a programme adapted to your target (administrative teams, HR, secretariats, agents in reintegration).

Why train on ICDL Standard at ITTA

ITTA is an ECDL/ICDL training centre. Our office automation trainers are pedagogical experts in French-speaking Switzerland, mastering official ICDL syllabuses and concretely preparing for exams. The ICDL Standard Modules catalogue regroups the Presentation (SM2), Using Databases (SM1), Online Collaboration (SM3), IT Security (SM4) and Image Editing (SM5) modules, complementary to the ECDL Base foundation. Our pedagogical team supports you in choosing modules according to your profile and identifying funding solutions adapted to your professional situation.

Our pedagogical approach favours learning by doing, with exercises aligned with official syllabuses from the first hours, concrete cases inspired by office automation situations encountered in the enterprise, mock exams to simulate real conditions, and individualised follow-up until certification. Each session combines training time, applied exercises and exchanges with the trainer, allowing each participant to progress at their own pace and approach the exam with confidence.

Our training is aimed at varied audiences: collaborators in transition, people in professional reintegration, secretaries, administrative assistants, reception agents, HR managers, back-office teams, communication officers, public agency agents, continuing education students. Our pedagogical team adapts the content to the participants’ context.

Featured courses in this catalogue

Here is a selection of reference training courses in this catalogue, accessible directly:

• ICDL STANDARD Presentation (SM2)
• ICDL STANDARD Using Databases (SM1)
• ICDL STANDARD Online Collaboration (SM3)
• ICDL STANDARD IT Security (SM4)
• ICDL STANDARD Image Editing (SM5)

FAQ

Which ICDL Standard modules to choose?

It depends on your profile and target role. For a general administrative position, Presentation (SM2), Online Collaboration (SM3) and IT Security (SM4) modules are priority. For a position with business database operation, add Using Databases (SM1). For a position with visual production, add Image Editing (SM5). Our pedagogical team guides you according to your professional objective.

What is the difference between ICDL Base, Standard and Advanced?

ICDL Base covers fundamentals (basic computing, Internet, Word, Excel). ICDL Standard adds transversal modules (presentation, databases, online collaboration, security, image editing, IT Security) for a versatile profile. ICDL Advanced targets in-depth mastery of Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint at expert level. Our catalogue covers all three levels.

Is the ICDL certificate recognised in French-speaking Switzerland?

Yes, the ICDL certificate is widely recognised in French-speaking Switzerland by cantonal administrations, international organisations, continuing education schools, placement agencies and companies. It is managed by ECDL Switzerland AG. It is requested or valued in many administrative and office automation job offers.

Are your ICDL courses available for companies?

Yes, the entire ICDL catalogue is available in-house, in Geneva, Lausanne and in virtual classroom, with a programme adapted to your target (administrative teams, HR, secretariats, agents in reintegration). Our team builds the specifications with you and organises sessions according to your calendar.