Community of Practice on Digital Skills and Digitalization
Community of Practice on Digital Skills and Digitalization
English
ILO
The International Labour Organization is the tripartite U.N. agency that promotes Decent Work through employment, social security, labour standards and social dialogue. Its work on skills development is guided by the conceptual framework on Skills to improve productivity, employment growth, and development agreed in 2008 by representatives of Governments, Employers’ Associations and Workers’ Associations. Research, policy advice, and pilot projects and technical cooperation programmes to apply good practices in different circumstances across its 185 member States aims to boost the employability of workers, the productivity and competitiveness of enterprises, and the inclusiveness of economic growth. The ILO Secretariat in offices in 40 countries works with Ministries of Labour, employers’ organizations, and trade unions to integrate skills development into national and sector development strategies in order to better meet current labour market needs and to prepare for the jobs of the future; to expand access to employment-related training so that youth, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups are better able to acquire skills and secure productive and decent work; and to improve the ability of public employment services to provide career guidance, maintain labour exchange services, and deliver active labour market programmes.For more information regarding the ILO’s work on skills and employability go to: http://www.ilo.org/skills/lang--en/index.htm; for ILO/Cinterfor's Knowledge Management Plarform, see: http://www.oitcinterfor.org
Digital skills
The world of work is undergoing a substantial transformation due to new forces. In particular, technological advances, such as AI, automation and robotics, have produced numerous new opportunities, but also given rise to urgent challenges. While new jobs are constantly being created with the emergence of the digital economy, many jobs are at risk of becoming obsolete. Digital innovations will rapidly change the demand for skills, thereby creating a wider skills gap that has the potential to hold back economic growth. Equipping people with basic or advanced digital skills promises to prepare them for unprecedented job opportunities in the digital economy. This will lead to innovation, higher productivity and competitiveness, as well as expanding markets, access to work and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Lifelong learning
There is a critical need for a greater overall investment in education and training, particularly in developing countries. Education and training investments should be closely linked to economic and employment growth strategies and programmes. Responsibility should be shared between the government (primary responsibility), enterprises, the social partners, and the individual. To make lifelong learning for all a reality, countries will need to make major reforms of their vocational and education and training systems. School-to-work schemes for young people should integrate education with workplace learning. Training systems need to become more flexible and responsive to rapidly changing skill requirements. Reforms should also focus on how learning can be facilitated, not just on training for specific occupational categories.
Youth employability
Globally, nearly 68 million young women and men are looking for and available for work, and an estimated 123 million young people are working but living in poverty. The number who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) stands at 267 million, a majority of whom are young women. Significantly, young people are three times as likely as adults (25 years and older) to be unemployed.
Skills development is a primary means of enabling young people to make a smooth transition to work. A comprehensive approach is required to integrate young women and men in the labour market, including relevant and quality skills training, labour market information, career guidance and employment services, recognition of prior learning, incorporating entrepreneurship with training and effective skills forecasting. Improved basic education and core work skills are particularly important to enable youth to engage in lifelong learning as well as transition to the labour market.
Tools and guidance
The platform includes a variety of practical tools and guidance materials developed by the ILO at global and national levels. The resources include guides, case studies, cheklist, visual materials and more, and they cover a wide range of topics. Some are specifically aimed at certain groups of stakeholders, for example employers, workers or governments, and some are designed to support specific groups of beneficiaries.
At the session, Eugenio Donadio from Goodwall will be introducing their mobile-first platform and technology that they leverage to provide digital learning and upskilling pathways for youth based on experiential learning. Working alongside global and local partners, Goodwall has developed an inclusive environment where young people can come together to support and learn from each other while building, testing and showcasing their skills. Over the past years, Goodwall has created and scaled up partnerships with influential actors such as UNICEF, GIZ, Generation Unlimited and PwC, among others, which led them to host virtual programmes and launch hybrid online-offline initiatives.
As Chief Impact Officer at Goodwall, Eugenio oversees the Business Development department and leads the Social Impact work of the organization. He has a background in civil and management engineering, and started his career in the international development sector, working for over 10 years across 20+ countries leading humanitarian responses for crises such as Syria, Gaza, Ebola and Zika. Over the years he covered key roles such as Director of WeWorld and at executive management level in Plan International.
CoP live session this coming Tuesday, 27 September 2022, 13:00 CET.
Zoom link for the session: https://ilo-org.zoom.us/j/97961629539 (meeting ID: 979 6162 9539).
At the session, Eugenio Donadio from Goodwall will be introducing their mobile-first platform and technology that they leverage to provide digital learning and upskilling pathways for youth based on experiential learning. Working alongside global and local partners, Goodwall has developed an inclusive environment where young people can come together to support and learn from each other while building, testing and showcasing their skills. Over the past years, Goodwall has created and scaled up partnerships with influential actors such as UNICEF, GIZ, Generation Unlimited and PwC, among others, which led them to host virtual programmes and launch hybrid online-offline initiatives.
As Chief Impact Officer at Goodwall, Eugenio oversees the Business Development department and leads the Social Impact work of the organization. He has a background in civil and management engineering, and started his career in the international development sector, working for over 10 years across 20+ countries leading humanitarian responses for crises such as Syria, Gaza, Ebola and Zika. Over the years he covered key roles such as Director of WeWorld and at executive management level in Plan International.
CoP live session this coming Tuesday, 27 September 2022, 13:00 CET.
Zoom link for the session: https://ilo-org.zoom.us/j/97961629539 (meeting ID: 979 6162 9539).
