Skip to main content
Shaping Europe’s digital future
News article | Publication

A Digital Europe needs Digital Skills: best practices from around the EU

There are so many ways in which we can foster digital skills among EU citizens. It is important that we share information on the many good practices across Europe, to see what is working well in one country and replicate it in others, adapting to the specific local needs and demands. The European Commission, with the contribution of the Digital Champions, has identified some great projects that could be an inspiration for other similar initiatives, that could also be supported by the European Social Fund.

A Digital Europe needs Digital Skills: best practices from around the EU

European Commission

The European Commission, with the contribution of the Digital Champions, has identified some great projects that could be an inspiration for other similar initiatives, that could also be supported by the European Social Fund.

These nine projects are "just" good examples of the amazing creativity, passion and hard work of so many individuals and organizations – who all believe that, indeed, "a digital Europe needs digital skills":

  • The Biblionet project has turned public libraries throughout Romania into digital hubs for local communities. The project installed technology into libraries and trained librarians to provide ICT-based services. Libraries now contribute to Romania’s digital development while introducing more people to the benefits of technology.
  • Sweden’s Digilyftet pilot project has helped small and medium-sized industrial sector companies overcome the significant barriers to using digital technologies – a means to become more competitive and grow their operations.
  • The IT for SHE project in Poland encourages and trains women for digital-age careers – helping them find work in a traditionally male-dominated sector.
  • Italy builds digital skills for businesses: the Italian Union of Chambers of Commerce – Unioncamere – has launched an e-Gov training and certification scheme for staff at local chambers of commerce. Employees improve their digital skills and businesses benefit from simpler, faster services.
  • The Make IT Work programme in the Netherlands is training non-IT university graduates for new careers in IT. In parallel, employers participating in the fast-track training partnerships gain access to the high-quality specialists they need to provide services and grow.
  • The Netherlands’ MediaMasters project has created a game that introduces young people to digital skills – while having fun. In a society where online media is a dominant force in our lives, children need to learn how to use such tools responsibly.
  • Rails Girls Sofia is making technology more approachable for women in Bulgaria. The organisation provides a community, free workshops and study groups where women and girls can learn the basics of web programming and develop their projects.
  • The Refugeeks programme in France provides specially-adapted web developer training to help refugees find a job and integrate into society. For employers, the programme relieves the shortage of website developers.
     
  • School of Data is a global network of individuals and organisations who train civil society, journalists and citizens with the skills they need to use data effectively.

More information:

Downloads

Model_Project_Postcards
Download