The annual Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition, held in Brussels the last 7th of November, has been a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the organisation throughout its first year of life, delving into the best practices promoted by the members at EU level and outlining strategic perspectives for the future.
DLEARN – represented by its president Mr. Gianluca Coppola – proudly attended the event, bringing forward its precious commitment to the interests pursued by the Coalition and illustrating its fundamental contribution, in particular with relation to the new Digital Opportunity scheme for traineeships in digital.
In fact, DLEARN, through the valuable contribution of its members, has provided for 20 cross-border internship opportunities for trainees in the field of digital from all over Europe, demonstrating once more its active role in digital education, essential for the future of young people in terms of employability. DLEARN joined the panel as a front-runner for this initiative, which is going to give students of all disciplines the opportunity to get hands-on digital experience in fields demanded by the labour market.
Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, has officially launched the scheme with a keynote speech, leaving then the floor to the winners of the European Digital Skills Awards 2017, the best projects of the year promoting excellence in digital skills.
Plenary panels assessed future investments to govern the digital revolution, current and future digital skills gaps and possible solutions to address them, maximising at the same time the effect of the EU added value. The panelists have discussed the role of the EU, of the Member States and of the private sector, reflecting on how synergies among these players shall be achieved, and then they focussed on digital literacy and how to build a digitally inclusive society during the parallel interactive workshop held in the afternoon, allowing each participant to take an active role during the event.
One of the most demanding topics emerged during the several speeches has regarded the need for a common syllabus about digital disciplines, which should be addressed since primary school at EU level. Nowadays, there is still a large difference between European countries when it comes to digital teaching in schools. A difference that the digital national coalitions may have the potential to cover, pooling their efforts and developing a common action which shall deliver a proposal for a uniform European syllabus for digital education in primary schools. Another gap ready to be bridged. Another challenge for the Coalition – and for DLEARN in the first line –, ready to take it over.
