#Skills4digital within lifelong learning systems

The ETF’s digital skills campaign during the month of March shared knowledge and experience on digital skills and learning, illustrating their importance for jobs and growth, and how education and training systems need to adapt to ensure citizens have the necessary digital skills for employment and engagement in societies and to avoid a ‘digital divide’ that unfortunately emerged during the pandemic.

The ETF's  Facebook Live interviews, our podcast series, provided contributions from experts and practitioners on the situation in the different national and regional contexts of ETF partner countries showing that tailored solutions are needed for to address this cross-cutting policy issue. 

The ETF is working with governments and stakeholders providing policy advice to ensure how best to equip citizens with digital skills and learning opportunities within a lifelong learning perspective. We are working with other international and donor organisations implementing initiatives developing the digital key competence for learners and educators, connecting centres of excellence in skills development, and supporting skills development in enterprises. We are also raising awareness on protecting the well-being and rights of digital workers. 

ETF-UNESCO international conference

The discussions and findings from the campaign will feed into an international conference which the ETF will jointly hold with UNESCO on 21-25 June 2021 entitled: “Building lifelong learning systems: skills for green and inclusive societies in the digital era”.It will reflect on system change progress to facilitate lifelong learning and how responsive education and training systems are to deal with green and digital futures, as well as guaranteeing the right to education for all. Priorities for future cooperation in human capital development will be confirmed.  

The conference will take place virtually bringing together actors from all levels in the development of education and training systems: policy-makers, practitioners, employers, donors, experts, researchers and civil society organisations.   

Background

The ETF’s works within the EU's external action providing policy advice to partner countries informed by the European Skills Agenda (including the Green Deal, the European Pillar on Social Rights, the Pact for Skills, and the Vocational Education and Training Recommendation); the Digital Education Action Plan within the European Education Area, Digital Competence Framework for Citizens, and Digital Competence Framework for Educators; and the EU Industrial Strategy, amongst others.