Challenge

Europe’s ability to benefit fully from digitalisation depends on having enough people with the right ICT skills. However, demand for ICT specialists continues to outpace the supply of qualified professionals, while available talent, training opportunities and vacancies are unevenly distributed across countries. At the beginning of DIGITALJOBS, the projected shortage was estimated at up to 900,000 ICT professionals. Gaps in education, certification, career awareness and cross-border mobility further limit the connection between potential candidates and available digital jobs.

Solutions

DIGITALJOBS established the Secretariat of the Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs, bringing together employers, education and training providers, public authorities, professional bodies and civil society organisations. Instead of developing isolated new initiatives, the project identified successful approaches and helped transfer them across Europe. Its work covered ICT training, labour mobility, professional certification, awareness raising, digital education and the creation of national and local coalitions. Practical activities included an EU catalogue of ICT courses, mapping sought-after job profiles against the European e-Competence Framework, mobility pilots connecting candidates with employers, new training resources for teachers and guidance for establishing national coalitions.

Results

DIGITALJOBS translated cooperation into tangible opportunities. A European Digital Jobs Fair connected 36 employers with 350 jobseekers and offered more than 1,000 ICT-related vacancies; a further 700 people participated online. The event generated 244 initial interviews, with 106 candidates invited to continue the recruitment process. Research involving more than 2,200 ICT professionals also provided a clearer picture of digital competences across Europe, while the project’s promotion of the e-Competence framework contributed to its recognition as a European standard in 2016. The project produced training catalogues, mobility guidance, three MOOCs for teachers and a toolkit for establishing national and local coalitions. New coalitions were launched in 11 Member States, helping translate the initiative into action at national and regional level. Communication activities reached more than 2.3 million people through social media and over 262,000 through events and meetings, strengthening the visibility of digital careers and expanding participation in the grand coalition.