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Perception and reality: Measuring digital skills in Europe

Perception and reality: Measuring digital skills in Europe

Type:
Document
Content Type:
Perception and reality: Measuring digital skills in Europe
Language:

English

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english
Identifier
skpEng
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Other sources

Experts from many international, regional and national agencies generously share their views, experiences and findings on skills, helping policy-makers among other stakeholders to understand the linkages between education, training and the world of work, and how to integrate skills into national development planning to promote employment and economic growth.

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skpOSource
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other-sources
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Access to training

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Access for all to good quality education, vocational training and workplace learning is a fundamental principle of social cohesion and economic growth. Some groups of people may require targeted attention if they are to benefit from education, training and employment opportunities.  

This is particularly the case for disadvantaged youth, lower skilled workers, people with disabilities, and people in rural communities. The attractiveness of vocational education and training is enhanced when combined with entrepreneurship training and when public policies encourage utilization of higher skills by business. 
 

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skpATSU
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access-to-training

Other topic

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skpOIssue
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other-topic
Knowledge Products:

Research papers

Working papers, reports, and other publications from international organizations, academic institutions and bilateral agencies. Research findings to stimulate informed debate on skills, employment and productivity issues. 

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skpRPS
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research-papers
Publication Date:
01 Jul 2016
Our day-to-day lives are more and more dependent on digital technologies. Life without a computer, a tablet or a mobile phone has become unimaginable, and more people than ever have access to the internet. There are 134 mobile subscriptions per 100 people in the EU and 83% of households in Europe have access to the internet at home. These impressive numbers can create an illusion that, by having access to digital technologies, people automatically know how to use them. People tend to assume that if they own a digital device and know how to use certain applications, then they already have all the necessary skills for personal and professional life.

A number of the National Operators of ECDL in Europe have carried out digital literacy studies to find out what the actual digital skills levels in their countries are. Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Switzerland are all considered to be digitally advanced countries – they appear at the top of various international digital development indexes (for example, the Digital Economy and Society Index developed by the European Commission). However, surveys conducted in these countries revealed that gaps exist between self-perceived and actual levels of digital skills. Even young people, who are falsely assumed to be ‘digital natives’, usually under-perform in practical tests. This paper provides an overview of the main findings of the five studies and discusses their implications for digital skills development on the national and European levels.
Subject Tags:

Information and communication technologies

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information-and-communication-technologies
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346

Internet

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internet
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347
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Education, training and demand for labour in Finland by 2025

Education, training and demand for labour in Finland by 2025

Type:
Document
Content Type:
Education, training and demand for labour in Finland by 2025
Language:

English

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english
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skpEng
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Governments

Governments hold a wealth of knowledge on skills development, and are increasingly realizing the value of learning from each others’ experiences. Their policy documents, programme evaluations, and research findings contain their experience and ideas on how to better link skills to employment

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skpGov
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governments
Topics:

Anticipating and matching skills needs

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Anticipating and building skills for the future is essential to a rapidly changing labour market. This applies to changes in the types and levels of skills needed as well as in occupational and technical areas. Effective methods to anticipate future skills needs and avoid potential mismatches include: sustained dialogue between employers and trainers, coordination across government institutions, labour market information systems, employment services and performance reviews of training institutions. 

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skpAFSN
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anticipating-and-matching-skills-needs
Knowledge Products:

Research papers

Working papers, reports, and other publications from international organizations, academic institutions and bilateral agencies. Research findings to stimulate informed debate on skills, employment and productivity issues. 

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skpRPS
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research-papers
Publication Date:
15 Apr 2016
This report provides a description of the Mitenna model for anticipation of long-term demand for labour and educational needs, complete with anticipation data relating to demand for labour up until 2025 as well as intake needs for education and training in the latter part of the 2010’s based on this data. The report also describes the use of anticipation results in preparation of the Development Plan for Education and Research adopted by the Government. The purpose of the report is to offer a concise overview of long-term quantitative anticipation of demand for labour and educational needs for international experts in the field and other people interested in anticipation of educational needs.
Subject Tags:

Skills anticipation

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skills-anticipation
Identifier
677

Skills mismatch

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skills-mismatch
Identifier
654

Vocational training

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vocational-training
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124
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Countries and territories:

International comparisons in further education

International comparisons in further education

Type:
Document
Content Type:
International comparisons in further education
Language:

English

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english
Identifier
skpEng
Sources:

Governments

Governments hold a wealth of knowledge on skills development, and are increasingly realizing the value of learning from each others’ experiences. Their policy documents, programme evaluations, and research findings contain their experience and ideas on how to better link skills to employment

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skpGov
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governments
Topics:

Training quality and relevance

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skpTrainQR
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training-quality-and-relevance
Knowledge Products:

Research papers

Working papers, reports, and other publications from international organizations, academic institutions and bilateral agencies. Research findings to stimulate informed debate on skills, employment and productivity issues. 

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Identifier
skpRPS
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research-papers
Publication Date:
24 Jun 2015
This report compares selected issues of Further Education (FE) in England with other comparable FE systems in Finland, Ireland, Sweden and New South Wales, Australia. This research emphasises the complex nature of post-compulsory provision in the four country contexts, and highlights the acute necessity for ‘joined-up’ policy thinking that crosses different policy domains, carefully designed and prepared reforms, and ‘creeping rather than jumping’ reform. The evidence suggests that excessive reform of one particular feature of a system (such as qualifications) will not provide the stability and coherence that post compulsory VET systems need in order to be able to attract learners to that provision and employers to learners who successfully complete that provision.
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Lifelong learning

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lifelong-learning
Identifier
400

Qualification frameworks

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qualification-frameworks
Identifier
651
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Nordic skills policies

Nordic skills policies

Type:
Document
Content Type:
Nordic skills policies
Language:

English

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english
Identifier
skpEng
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Information is gathered from other international organizations that promote skills development and the transition from education and training to work. The Interagency Group on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (IAG-TVET) was established in 2009 to share research findings, coordinate joint research endeavours, and improve collaboration among organizations working at the international and national levels.

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skpIntOrg
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international-organizations
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Monitoring and evaluation

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Measuring the outcomes of skills systems, policies and targeted programmes is essential in order to monitor and improve their effectiveness and relevance. Elements of sound assessment processes include: institutions to sustain feedback from employers and trainees; mechanisms to track labour market outcomes of training and systems of accountability that use this information; and, quantitative and qualitative labour market information and its dissemination to all stakeholders.

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skpPolPer
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monitoring-and-evaluation
Knowledge Products:

Other knowledge products

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skpOProduct
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other-knowledge-products
Publication Date:
08 Apr 2014
OECD Skills Strategy Spotlight Series No.1 This OECD Skills Strategy spotlight sets what previous skills policies in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Sweden have delivered. This document is the fruit of a seminar on “OECD Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC): a foundation for reform?” that was held in October 2012 and brought together experts from governments and academia from over 10 countries.
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Economic recovery

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economic-recovery
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667

Lifelong learning

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lifelong-learning
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400
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Monitoring ECVET implementation strategies in Europe in 2013

Monitoring ECVET implementation strategies in Europe in 2013

Type:
Document
Content Type:
Monitoring ECVET implementation strategies in Europe in 2013
Language:

English

Slug
english
Identifier
skpEng
Sources:

Other sources

Experts from many international, regional and national agencies generously share their views, experiences and findings on skills, helping policy-makers among other stakeholders to understand the linkages between education, training and the world of work, and how to integrate skills into national development planning to promote employment and economic growth.

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Identifier
skpOSource
Slug
other-sources
Topics:

Training quality and relevance

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Identifier
skpTrainQR
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training-quality-and-relevance
Knowledge Products:

Research papers

Working papers, reports, and other publications from international organizations, academic institutions and bilateral agencies. Research findings to stimulate informed debate on skills, employment and productivity issues. 

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Identifier
skpRPS
Slug
research-papers
Publication Date:
18 Mar 2014
Working Paper No. 22 The aim of the European credit system for vocational education and training (ECVET) is to allow individuals to gain a full vocational education and training (VET) qualification, or to update/upgrade their VET qualifications in a flexible way, by use of credits.

ECVET requires qualifications to be described in terms of learning outcomes that will be then defined as units that might translate into credits. Learning outcomes recognised in form of credits may be transferred between education and training institutions, whether in the same country or abroad, and accumulated towards achieving a full or a partial qualification. If the VET system allows it, learning acquired in non-formal and informal settings may be assessed and validated as credits to be used for transfer and accumulation purposes. In this context, ECVET is more likely to reach its full potential if linked to the European qualifications framework (EQF)/national qualifications framework (NQF) developments that support the description of qualifications in terms of learning outcomes, as well as with national arrangements and practices for validating non-formal and informal learning.

This report covers ECVET developments in 38 countries and regions up to September 2013; it is the fourth since 2010, when Cedefop started its regular ECVET analysis in relation to national VET reforms. The deadlines of the ECVET recommendation set 2013 as the year for ECVET’s gradual application to VET qualifications at all levels of the EQF, following more than three years of testing and development.

Briefing note: Preventing skill obsolescence

Briefing note: Preventing skill obsolescence

Type:
Document
Content Type:
Briefing note: Preventing skill obsolescence
Language:

English

Slug
english
Identifier
skpEng
Sources:

Other sources

Experts from many international, regional and national agencies generously share their views, experiences and findings on skills, helping policy-makers among other stakeholders to understand the linkages between education, training and the world of work, and how to integrate skills into national development planning to promote employment and economic growth.

Thumbnail
Identifier
skpOSource
Slug
other-sources
Topics:

Other topic

Thumbnail
Identifier
skpOIssue
Slug
other-topic
Knowledge Products:

Research papers

Working papers, reports, and other publications from international organizations, academic institutions and bilateral agencies. Research findings to stimulate informed debate on skills, employment and productivity issues. 

Thumbnail
Identifier
skpRPS
Slug
research-papers
Publication Date:
25 Jul 2013
Rapid labour market changes leave too many workers at risk of losing their skills Skill obsolescence is an integral part of technological progress and, in many cases, it is not a problem. It is natural that some previously necessary skills are no longer needed as people progress in their careers. However, skill obsolescence has become more important as jobs have become more demanding and complex. As technology progresses, this trend is expected to speed up in the coming years.

To obtain a clearer picture of the largely unexplored question of skill obsolescence, Cedefop launched a pilot survey in four European Union Member States (Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands and Finland). The survey looked at how many people in work aged between 30 and 55 felt their skills were, or were becoming, obsolete. It also examined the type of skills and people most affected by skill obsolescence and what enterprises and policy-makers can do to reduce it. This briefing note provides an overview of major findings of the survey.
Subject Tags:

Skills mismatch

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skills-mismatch
Identifier
654

Skills upgrading

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skills-upgrading
Identifier
657

Survey

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survey
Identifier
611
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