21.12.2023

EIT DIGITAL LAUNCHES A NEW TRAINING PLATFORM FOR ACQUIRING DIGITAL SKILLS

EIT Digital introduced the global education initiative (d)Academy, which aims to help develop the digital skills needed in today's economy.

More than three-quarters of companies in the European Union report that they are struggling to find employees with the right skills, and a quarter of small and medium-sized enterprises consider the lack of qualified employees and experienced managers to be the biggest problem they face.

New technologies are changing the way we work and live, necessitating the need to retrain and upgrade the skills of the workforce to avoid falling out of the labor market and ensure a fair digital transition. Data from the 2023 DESI Digital Economy and Society Index shows that only 54% of European citizens have at least basic digital skills.

The (d)Academy will bring together experts from industry, education and research communities who will develop modular educational programs on topics ranging from cybersecurity to data analytics and machine learning. Programs will range from online courses to blended and hands-on training.

EIT Digital (d)Academy

The initiative will be implemented through the EIT Digital (d)Academy platform – a modern ecosystem designed to bring together trainers, training providers and workers. Employers will be able to use the platform to predict what skills they will need, determine the gap between available and required skills and synchronize learning outcomes with new recruitment, said Vanessa Wainwright, founder of abodoo.

With the help of the platform, it will be possible to determine the available skills of each learner and prepare personalized recommendations for training and career development. Each of the users will be able to indicate how they want to develop their career and in what field, after which they will receive a personalized package of trainings and learning content that will effectively fill the gaps between the available and necessary skills to achieve the goals of the learner. Also, employers will be able to identify skills gaps in their employees and align talent hiring with learning outcomes.

The platform will also offer skills-based job-hunting options, rather than the widely used method of reviewing resumes. This is expected to provide a wider selection of talent and increase efficiency in the search for new employees.