Digital skills are essential for social inclusion, work, and broader economic growth. They are also crucial for the EU’s economic growth and competitiveness. In addition, digital jobs offer more autonomy and opportunities for skills development, but they also tend to offer better working conditions, job satisfaction, and growth potential.
However, a 2023 report on digital skills in the EU paints a worrying picture. Even though 90% of the jobs in the future will require some level of digital competence, only 54% of the EU population can perform basic digital tasks. This means that over one third of the EU’s labor force lacks the necessary digital skills required in most jobs. This skill gap is a serious obstacle for most businesses, preventing them from investing in and growing their workforce effectively.
In response to this growing concern, Empower Employees project was developed, focusing on improving digital skills training within the workplace. The project seeks to determine whether employees are given the opportunity to develop their digital skills within the workplace. To effectively do so, the project consortium partners have focused their research on five occupations: Entrepreneurship, Tourism, Finance, Engineering, and Culture.
Through field research on both employers and employees in these occupations, the project developed a Mapping Tool that helps SMEs determine whether their employees’ digital skills need development. The tool provides a personalized SWOT analysis, which can help both individuals and businesses customize their training so they can address specific needs.
The project’s next deliverable is the development of a Handbook of Good Practices. The practices will provide practical solutions for organizing and delivering digital training. This resource will cover ways to evaluate the effectiveness of training and provide smart ways to use employees’ digital competence in order to participate in organizations digital transmission.
Finally, the project will create a Resource Center, which is an interactive online platform that will host all project outcomes. The RC, with highly interactive features, will allow both adult educators and SME management to interact online. The RC will be built with the sole aim of being user friendly and easily navigated, taking into consideration the target group features. Through this platform, users can access extended guidelines, tailored e-learning materials, and best practices for facilitating digital skills training. The RC will be an essential tool for SMEs looking to enhance their digital capabilities and remain competitive in a rapidly changing market.
As we look to the future, it’s clear that improving digital skills is not just a necessity but a critical investment in both individual careers and broader economic growth. By addressing the digital skills gap, initiatives like the Empower Employees project will help ensure that the EU’s workforce is prepared to thrive in a digital-first world, making businesses more innovative, profitable, and sustainable in the long run.
In conclusion, the path forward for Europe’s digital future requires concerted efforts to upskill the workforce. By empowering employees with digital training and tools like the RC platform, the EU can close the skills gap and foster a more competitive, inclusive, and resilient economy.
