‘Digital Skills’: How do we bridge the gap between challenge and opportunity?
‘Digital Skills’ is a very broad term that covers a wide range of knowledge and competencies. Digital skills include both technical skills associated with understanding and using digital systems, tools, and applications, as well as information processing skills, which are the cognitive underpinnings of digital proficiency.
They enable people to create and share digital content, communicate and collaborate, and solve problems for effective and creative self-fulfillment in life, learning, work, and social activities at large. Baseline digital skills are the digital literacy skills that employers ask for in the vast majority of jobs across all sectors. At the advanced spectrum of digital skills are the higher-level abilities that allow users to make use of digital technologies in empowering and transformative ways such as professions in ICT. Major digital transformations such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, big data analytics, change skills requirements, and, in turn, impact capacity building and skills development for the 21st-century digital economy.
For many people today, a career for life is no longer an option. Most people will hold jobs with a variety of employers and move across different employment sectors through their working life.
The challenge is clear. A large skills gap has emerged – with tens of millions of jobs opening up around the world for those with advanced digital skills – and a shortage of qualified people to fill the positions.
The needs of the industry evolve rapidly as new technologies come to the fore, new businesses emerge, and entrepreneurs start new ventures. This dynamic environment requires stakeholders to respond proactively – with new partnerships, programs, and initiatives
that involve innovative approaches for linking learning and workforce opportunities. An enabling business environment is necessary to promote digital transformation, digital entrepreneurship, and other opportunities arising from new digital technologies.
Innovative approaches must be taken to bridge the skill gap between marginalized groups and the larger population. Especially in countries where women have lower language literacy rates than men, bridging this gap will also include the need for complementary
language literacy training to ensure women can use text-based digital content. Consideration can also be given to using video content for people who are not literate, such as YouTube “how-to” videos. Accessibility solutions for persons who are blind (such as screen readers) can also greatly benefit users who lack literacy.
Shaping Europe’s Digital Future
A European approach to digital transformation means empowering and including every citizen, strengthening the potential of every business, and meeting global challenges with our core values.
Shaping Europe’s digital future (https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en) web page contains a discussion on challenges and possible solutions, as well as a wide variety of best practices with sections focusing on a digital transformation that will benefit everyone.
