Digital Skills for Inclusion

Digital skills for inclusion

2022 is the European Year of Youth, and the ETF is launching the year with a communication campaign in January focusing on: Digital Skills for Inclusion. Digital skills are a way to ensure that everyone can participate, contribute, and benefit in the digital world. The EU has set a target to ensure that at least 70% of adults have basic digital skills by 2025. Why? Because Learning Connects.

Young people are a top priority of the European Union, as shown in the EU’s strategic policies such as the European Skills Agenda, the Digital Education Action Plan, and the European Pillar of Social Rights, which enters its fifth year in 2022. Building young people’s digital skills – allows them to better access the digital sphere in their studies, transition to work, and to participate democratically in society. This is especially important to overcome the isolation experienced during the pandemic and to ensure that young people are connected and engaged in the world around them.

As the ETF Director, Cesare Onestini, highlights in this video announcing the launch of the campaign, without young people and a digital economy powered by skilled citizens, there can be no sustainable development.

Follow our communication campaign throughout January. We highlight and discuss the latest developments in digital skills for inclusion in our partner countries in the EU’s neighbouring regions through articles, live discussions, blogs on Openspace and our podcasts in the following key areas.

Digital skills for inclusion and digital inclusion.

What are digital skills for inclusion? And what is digital inclusion? Why do we need it so much? ETF actively supports our partner countries by implementing EU tools such as SELFIE and the EU Digital Competence Framework.

Connectivity: ensuring digital institutional readiness for learners

Who needs digital skills? Everyone, but in a different way! ETF works with many partners in various sectors and institutions, enterprises and schools, and vocational training centres to ensure readiness for the digital world informed by EU experience and sharing EU tools, for example, the EU’s SELFIE tool for work-based learning. We also support the continuous professional development of teachers and trainers to develop their digital competence.

Support to policy development and reform

The ETF works closely with policymakers and shapers in the partner countries to ensure a coherent policy framework for enhancing digital skills for inclusion and to ensure that the digital world leaves no one excluded from learning and working. We undertake policy monitoring together with key stakeholders in our partner countries, through the Torino Process, for example, to monitor progress and support reform.

Partnership

Partnerships are the essence of ETF. We work with many organisations at European, national, regional, local and international levels to develop digital, green and inclusive education and training and employment systems. Whether UN agencies, local training centres or small businesses, we engage with others for greater impact and inclusion in our partner countries so that the future travels at the same pace for all.

To know more, join our community on OpenSpace with 4000 members from all over the world.