A trusted global framework for validating and certifying qualifications across borders, certified and overseen by Talent Odyssey.
ABOUT
GCCS is a global certification standard designed to improve transparency, comparability, and trust in qualifications in an increasingly international labour market. It supports lifelong learning and facilitates the validation of learning outcomes. The GCCS framework has been developed with reference to the principles and key requirements of ISO/IEC 17024 (certification of persons), to strengthen impartiality, competence-based assessment, and auditability.
Traditional vocational exams often assess fixed occupational profiles, while today’s labour market demands much more than that. GCCS was created to reflect how professions are changing — by certifying green, digital and cross-functional competences in a way that is relevant to employers, aligned with EU priorities and grounded in real consultation.
Our worldwide network of certification bodies, accreditation & oversight body and experts
HISTORY
GCCS was developed in response to structural changes shaping the European and global labour market, particularly the green transition, digital transformation, and the growing need for upskilling and reskilling. Traditional qualification systems often rely on narrow occupational profiles and may not fully reflect modern, interdisciplinary competence needs. GCCS addresses this gap by enabling the certification of combined and cross-cutting competencies within a consistent quality framework.
Established in 2023, Talent Odyssey was founded as a premium pan-European recruitment agency dedicated exclusively to the hospitality industry, built on the conviction that exceptional placement requires exceptional understanding of both people and business. As our network of candidates and clients expanded, so did our commitment to quality — leading us to broaden our scope to encompass formal skills assessment and professional qualification verification for every individual we place. Today, Talent Odyssey operates as an integrated recruitment and credentialing organisation, providing employers with the assurance that each candidate meets not only the expectations of the role, but the standards of the industry.
| Legal Name | ΤΑΛΕΝΤ ΟΝΤΥΣΣΕΥ ΕΠΕ |
| Commercial Title | Talent Odyssey Ltd |
| GEMI Number | 171996458001 |
| EUID | ELGEMI.171996458001 |
| VAT Number | EL 996723750 |
| Legal Type | Foreign Branch within the EU |
| Registered | 17 August 2023 |
| Chamber | Athens Chamber of Commerce & Industry |
| Registered Office | Zoodochou Pigis 1A, Athens 10678, Greece |
| Parent Company | HE 434990 — Cyprus |
Deliver supervised examinations, verify candidate identity, issue certificates, and maintain full documentation of certification decisions.
DOWNLOADS
Access official GCCS template documents designed to support consistent implementation of the standard across accredited organisations. Templates are provided to improve clarity, comparability, and audit readiness of certification processes.
JOIN US
If your organisation certifies qualifications and operates examination processes, you can apply for GCCS accreditation. Accreditation confirms that your certification model, governance, and examination integrity align with GCCS requirements and can be trusted across borders.
GLOBAL COMPETENCE CERTIFICATION STANDARD 🌎
In 2024, Talent Odyssey successfully developed and launched the Global Competence Certification Standard (GCCS) – an initiative designed to bring real clarity and consistency to how professional competencies are assessed on an international level.
This milestone is the result of over 1.5 years of intensive work, research, and consultations with partners across the world – with a particular focus on the European market.
For years, we have been operating at the intersection of education and the labour market. Our team consists of experienced professionals in international recruitment, vocational training, and educational project development across Europe. We have designed and delivered training programmes that not only enhanced skills but, most importantly, translated into real employment opportunities and long-term career growth.
This experience led us to a clear conclusion:
despite many years of efforts to harmonise standards across Europe, employers have continued to face significant challenges in accurately assessing the qualifications of candidates from different countries. Differences in education systems, certification frameworks, and practical experience often made it difficult to fully recognise a candidate's true potential.
That is why, leveraging our experience and our extensive network of partners across Europe, we created a standard that addresses this gap.
Today, the Global Competence Certification Standard (GCCS) is already in operation and aims to:
We believe that the future of the global workforce requires a shared language of competencies. GCCS is our contribution to making that vision a reality.
Talent Odyssey, the international certification body responsible for the Global Competence Certification Standard, provides dedicated information about GCCS, its purpose, certification approach, and role in supporting modern competence validation.
Visit the official Talent Odyssey page to learn more about how GCCS is positioned within its international certification and credentialing activities.
Visit Talent Odyssey GCCS pageExternal reference page presenting GCCS as part of Talent Odyssey’s international certification and competence validation activities.
