Commission launches Digital Skills and Jobs Platform to accelerate digital upskilling in Europe

The Commission, together with various partners in the Member States, launched today the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform, a one-stop shop for high-quality information, initiatives and resources on digital skills. At a time when 42% of Europeans lack basic digital skills, the new platform will help close the digital skills gap in Europe and strengthen the European Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition and its 25 National coalitions. It is funded by the Connecting Europe Facility. Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, said: “Whether looking for a new job or starting a business, digital skills are key to success. Bringing together hundreds of initiatives from around Europe, the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform is a unique place for citizens to enhance their learning experiences and to discover new opportunities.” As the EU’s central hub for digital up-skilling and re-skilling, the platform bundles best practices in digital skills, resources and the main actors in the field, to make a tangible impact on both basic and advanced digital skills. It will also navigate users through curated national and EU initiatives, opening up a community space for discussions and collaboration. In the near future, smart functionalities, such as a self-assessment tool and online courses on emerging technologies, will make it easy for anyone to find the right resource or service. Jointly with the Digital Europe Programme and the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the platform will contribute to the objectives of Europe’s Digital Decade, namely that 80% of Europeans will have at least basic digital skills and that there will be 20 million employed digital technology experts by 2030. It will also contribute to the Pact for Skills, a shared engagement model for skills development in Europe. More information is available here.