1. Digital Opportunity Scheme
The European Commission Pilot Project
Boosting digital skills on the job
ESF TWG Meeting – 5 October 2017
Lucilla Sioli
Head of Unit, DG Connect
European Commission
Workshop - 22 September 2017
@DigitalSkillsEU #DigitalSkills #DSJCoalition

2. Digital skills in numbers
44% Europeans do not have basic digital skills
Of these 80 million people have no digital skills at all
Source: DESI 2017

3. Digital Skills of the Labour force
do not have basic digital skills
ICT jobs now 3.7% of total employment
At least 300,000 vacancies for ICT specialists
40% of companies trying to recruit ICT specialists face difficulties in finding them

4. Digitisation is transforming the economy

5. Now what?

6. Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition
1 of 10 actions in New Skills Agenda for Europe
Multi-stakeholder partnership
Take action to tackle the lack of digital skills in Europe for four target areas.
ICT professionals
Citizens
Education
Labour force

7. Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition
A multi-stakeholder partnership
Public and private companies
Member States and Regions
Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition
Social
Partners
European Commission
Training providers
Education actors at all levels

8. Where are we? More than 240 Members
More than 70 “pledges”, concrete commitments to do something
17 National Coalitions

9. But this is not enough

10. Role of the EU
Federate the Coalition to encourage the workforce of all sectors to become digital
Involve Member States in designing and delivering solutions
Best-practice exchange
Better use of European and national funds also through the support of pilot projects

11. Digital Opportunity scheme
pilot project to provide cross-border traineeships for up to 6,000 students and recent graduates in
ICT specialist skills
Digital skills for business

12. Cross-border traineeships
Students and recent graduates from all faculties
On-the-job training
Implemented through Erasmus +
Cross-border traineeships
Online platforms to advertise offers
Budget EUR 10M
Horizon 2020

13. Extending the Digital Opportunity?
Include also VET students, unemployed young people
Target group
Erasmus + carries a cross-border dimension, however companies expresses a big interest for the possibility of having a local traineeship scheme
National/local dimension
Actors can be mobilised at national/local level for the implementation of the project (e.g. national coalitions, chambers of commerce, employment services, local networks)
Actors involved

14. Questions
Are there specific interventions for digital skills development implemented in your country?
What kind of interventions for digital skills development are most common?
What is the estimated volume of resources in this field?

15. Digital Opportunity Scheme
The European Commission Pilot Project
Boosting digital skills on the job
ESF TWG Meeting – 5 October 2017
Workshop - 22 September 2017
Lucilla Sioli
Head of Unit, DG Connect
European Commission
@DigitalSkillsEU #DigitalSkills #DSJCoalition