Digital technologies have fast permeated every aspect of our lives – from the way we make decisions at work to the way we communicate with one another or stay in touch with our loved ones. According to the latest State of the Digital Decade report, only 55.6% of Europeans have basic digital skills. Although European Member States have invested over €288 billion in digital projects, there's a shortage of ICT specialists, especially women, affecting fields like AI and cybersecurity. More than half of EU companies struggle to find employees with the right skills, resulting in vacancies going unfilled. Bringing quality jobs to people is also at the forefront of the ‘Union of Skills' package – one of the first key priorities of the European Commission, adopted by the College of Commissioners on 5 March 2025. EU strategic ambition, reflected in the Digital Decade targets, wants to see 80% of EU citizens with at least basic digital skills and 20 million ICT specialists by 2030.
Our work
To ride the wave of growth the digital transformation promises, Europeans need to be equipped not just with the right digital tools and skills to excel in their studies and careers, but also with top-tier skills that enable them to make the most out of the increased uptake of digital in our social lives. Navigating the new and ever-changing digital landscape means being mindful of the importance of technology in staying connected with the world.
As part of this strategic priority, the 2024 "Council recommendation on improving the provision of digital skills in education and training" articulates the steps needed to promote digital competence development from early on and at all stages of education and training to empower Europeans to develop basic, intermediate and advanced digital skills.
European Schoolnet will therefore continue to strengthen its activities on digital skills for jobs, in particular through the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform(DSJP)– the home for digital skills and jobs in Europe: This platform is run by the Digital Citizenship Team of European Schoolnet, on behalf of the European Commission.
To strengthen further synergies with and between Digital Skills and Jobs Coalitions at national level, European Schoolnet is also engaged in the Champions for the Digital Decade (C4DD) project, funded by Digital Europe Programme, which is set to start in November 2024.
Resources
School Strategies for Fostering Students' Digital Competences: Guidelines for School Leaders
30/01/2025
This publication serves as a resource for school leaders seeking to develop a whole-school digital education strategy that strengthens teachers' efforts to foster students' digital competences. Drawing on insights from 15 case studies across eight European countries, it offers practical guidance while recognising that each school's approach should align with its unique values, vision, and needs.
Projects
The Digital Skills and Jobs Platform
Since its launch in 2021, the Digital Skills & Jobs Platform has succeeded in solidifying its place as a central hub for all things linked to digital skills and jobs in Europe, counting a vibrant and diverse community of over 15.000 active stakeholders bridging the digital divide. Dedicated to everyone, the Platform is a place where prospective students can find specialised new Master's courses developed by leading EU universities and embark on a new career in technology. Those looking to up or re-skill can find relevant training opportunities and resources to bring their digital competencies up to speed and at their own pace, with flexible learning paths made available to all. Skills intelligence reports and highlighted news articles give an overview of the main updates and trends on national, EU, and global levels.
With 22 National Coalitions for Digital Skills and Jobs in the EU Member States connected to the Platform (and more to come!), news, strategies, and good practices on the national level can now reach the citizens of Europe in mere minutes. National Coalitions also play an important role in helping the EU reach the objectives set out by the Digital Decade. In collaboration with National Coalitions and the European Commission, the Platform has also supported the organisation of the European Digital Skills Awards since 2023, putting the spotlight on the most impactful projects that aim to bring digital competencies closer to all Europeans, with hundreds of inspiring applications received each year. Since April 2023, the Platform has become the home of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy, a European policy initiative, part of the 2023 European Year of Skills, that aims to bring together and improve the coordination of existing cyber skills initiatives in order to close the cyber security talent gap, strengthen the EU cyber workforce, and boost EU competitiveness, growth and resilience.
Champions for the Digital Decade (C4DD)
C4DD aims to ensure easy access to relevant opportunities on basic and advanced digital skills at national level via the National Coalitions (NCs) and their websites, and on the other hand raising the profile of relevant national initiatives and opportunities to a wider European audience by making them available via the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform (DSJP). Via the network of already established National Coalitions, the project will improve access to digital skills resources and training opportunities, enabling individuals and organisations to adapt to digital technologies and participate fully in the digital economy. By facilitating collaboration, information sharing and synergy between stakeholders at national and EU level, the project will strengthen the digital ecosystem, promote inclusivity and advance the Digital Europe Programme's goals of increasing Europe's digital competitiveness and resilience. For this purpose, European Schoolnet has formed a large consortium together with 13 established National Coalitions with existing websites (established under CEF-TC calls in 2019 and 2020, and API connection to the DSJP) - Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain; one NC not funded via the CEF calls (Estonia) and one NC at early stages of establishment (Germany). The consortium will facilitate engagement of other and new NCs by offering financial incentives via an FSTP mechanism (Financial Support for Third Parties).
