As technology has evolved with automation, robotics or Artificial Intelligence for example, many new digital job opportunities are being unlocked. More than ever, digital working skills and ‘digital attitudes’ are essential for employees to take advantage of these job opportunities and play a key role in the digital transformation of society and the job market. However, a European Commission survey in May 2017 identified that those lacking basic digital skills are concerned about the impact of robots and artificial intelligence on employment:
The first phase of the project entailed research and development in the spring and summer of 2019. The partners explored the needs of employers though a survey, before developing a tailored programme of learning, which was then to be piloted in the three target countries up to the Summer 2020. The project and piloting was delayed by the Covid-19 crisis , and piloting will now complete by the end of 2020. The project will be continuously evaluated and will look to create a successful and scalable model and curriculum by the summer of 2021.
The project will encourage employers to think differently about employment and recruiting when it comes to facing the challenges and opportunities that technology disruption presents to their sector. It promotes the idea of employers’ ongoing engagement in the process of preparing their (existing and future) employees for digital transformation through tailor-made training programmes. The project will focus on sectors that are highly disrupted by digital transformation (such as retail, hospitality, service, etc, but excluding the ICT sector), and on new, entry level ‘digital jobs’ that are available across these sectors. The rationale for this selection is found in recent research by Empirica, which shows that:
ian.clifford@all-digital.org