Digital Skills

Through the EU4Digital Initiative, the EU aims to set the basis for digitally empowering one million Eastern Partnership (EaP) citizens via the provision of digital learning opportunities. Bridging the digital divide through a digital competence framework for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and increasing the quality of digital transformation monitoring are focal areas under Digital Skills.

In support of these goals, the EU4Digital Facility in Phase II will:  

• Facilitate development of a regional EdTech platform, with a wide curriculum of skills training; 
• Develop country-specific methodologies to facilitate mentorship programmes, based on the guidelines on bridging the gender gap in ICT developed during Phase I;  
• DESI Accelerator: facilitate and support implementation of the EU’s Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) in the Eastern partner countries. 

These build on the successes of the Digital Skills activities in Phase I, which include the development of a methodology to measure and forecast digital skills gaps in the EaP, in line with DESI. A Digital Competence Framework for SMEs was also created, and support was provided for the establishment of National Coalitions for skills and jobs in the countries.  

The Facility supports the work of the EU4Digital Digital Skills network, which has the following priorities in focus: 

• Digital skills for citizens 
• Digital skills for ICT professionals 
• Digital skills for non-ICT workforce, including SMEs 
• Digital skills in education (digital skills for educators, youth and students) 
• Measurement of digital economy and society indicators 

Digital skills are vital to increasingly digitalised economies and societies. By supporting the development and measurement of digital skills through EU4Digital, the EU is helping to match skills with the demands of emerging sectors, contributing to jobs, private sector development, and dynamic economic growth.