Digital skills

Rail companies should upskill workers for shift to digital: EU Commissioner
The digitalisation of the rail sector will create ‘quality jobs’ but many existing workers will need to reskill to meet the demands of new technology, according to EU employment commissioner Nicolas Schmit.
EU40 president: Basic digital skills have to become mainstream across Europe
As digital skills have become essential in the labour market, especially for young people, there is an increased urgency to tackle the inequalities of the digital divide caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers have said.
Commission to give fresh push to social pillar in COVID times
The European Commission’s action plan to implement the EU Social Pillar will aim to bolster the protection of social rights following the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic, a Commission official has said.
‘Relearning’ education in the age of AI
After decades spent discussing how and what to teach in the classrooms, the focus is now turning more to implementation, experts said at the World Innovation Summit for Education conference in Doha. Education experts discussed how to reap the benefits of the digital revolution as new challenges arise in the era of artificial intelligence.
Make the digital transition fair as well, experts warn
The world of work is changing dramatically as a consequence of the digital transformation, while the social protection systems are often not added to the new realities of the labour market, experts warned during an event hosted by EURACTIV.
Basic income: the meaning of unpaid work
The German crowdfunding project "Mein Grundeinkommen” (my basic income) has already funded 300 people who have benefitted from a monthly income of €1,000 for a year and 13 Departments in France are eager to introduce such a financial subsidy. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Closing the gender digital gap, a priority for Commissioner Gabriel
Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society defended the need for a collective response to the digital gender gap on Tuesday (29 January), during a conference on gender equality organized by the Martens Center in Brussels.
Delays in equipping classroom 4.0 in Germany
In order to make society fit for digitisation, its youngest members should be equipped with digital skills. The German government is promoting its “Digital Pact for Schools,” for which the government will provide €5 billion, according to the coalition agreement. But to date, not a cent has changed hands. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Paris draws inspiration from Yerevan to give teenagers digital education
With the support of European funding, Paris has started a school for digital creation called “Tumo”. This concept, which comes from Armenia, allows young people aged between 12 and 18 to learn about digital creation in an autonomous manner. EURACTIV France reports.
Germany only in the mid-range of digitalisation, EU index shows
As the European Commission pushes forward with digitalisation policies, its DESI-index is meant to measure how digital individual member states already are. Germany, however, is only in the midfield. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Simplon – coding as a tool for social inclusion
The company Simplon trains free of charge long-term job seekers and employees in retraining to become web developers, a project currently supported by different categories of European funds. EURACTIV.fr reports.
Forget the skills gap, in energy cyber security, it’s a chasm
There are frighteningly few cyber security experts with the right skills in the electricity industry, warns Michael John. While there is room for hope in the longer-term, he outlines what can be done now to plug the gaps.
Work 4.0 – opportunities and risks
Digitization is on everyone’s lips and will change the working world in the next couple of years. For employers this poses a range of risks – but could also open some chances, as a recent analysis shows. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Europe is recovering but needs to confront lingering dangers to its unity
Europe is on the road to recovery which means now is the time for it to take the lead on a global scale and tackle the concerns and needs of its citizens, write Martina Larkin and Eckart Windhagen.
Cohesion funds can stop Europe from moving at different speeds
Cross-border and inter-regional cooperation in cohesion and research & development spending is still limited, but very much needed to prevent a multi-speed Europe writes Lambert van Nistelrooij. To unlock Europe's growth opportunities, the MEP calls for smart regional specialisation and an Innovation Pact 2.0.
If Europe wants to lead, it needs to invest in digital skills
Northern European countries are in a strong position to reap the benefits of digitalisation, according to new research from McKinsey. But this will depend on how fast companies adopt new technologies, and how quickly people can acquire the skills needed for new, or different jobs, writes Iarla Flynn.
What is next for eGovernment ?
This year the Estonian EU Presidency is putting eGovernment at the forefront of discussions leading up to a Tallinn Declaration. Estonia is ranked number 1 in the EU and has emerged as a global leader in eGovernment operations.
Navracsics: Education policy is tomorrow’s economic policy
Europe's future schools need to be more skills-oriented. Faced with falling education expenditure, member states need to keep focused on their education policy goals to ensure returns on investment, according to EU Education Commissioner Tibor Navracsics.
Digital revolution forces rethink of labour and welfare
The transformation of jobs in the digital era will force governments to review their welfare systems and workers to constantly update their skills, senior European officials, experts and ministers agreed during a conference held in the Estonian capital Tallinn this week.
Estonian minister: The digital economy needs more social Europe
There needs to be an EU-wide solution to precarious app economy jobs, said Estonian Labour and Health Minister Jevgeni Ossinovski in an interview with EURACTIV.com.
Millennials see robots as job creators rather than a threat
Young people remain optimistic about the impact of robots and artificial intelligence in the work place, as a large majority of them believe that more jobs will be created than will disappear, according to a global poll published on Monday (28 August).
Digital skills: who is being left behind?
Some people are being left behind by the digital revolution. But how do you help people who don’t want to be helped?
Darknet guru: New technology can help build European identity
Modern technology could shore up the European project, boost transparency and help governments collect taxes. Author Jamie Bartlett told EURACTIV.com that the EU should become the great technological innovator but warned that politicians simply aren’t prepared for massive changes ahead.
