NEF Gdansk April 2023

The European Commission's goal is ambitious: "The EU will pursue a human-centric, sustainable vision of the digital society throughout the digital decade to empower citizens and businesses." The digital society and digital technologies bring with them new ways to learn, entertain, explore and pursue ambitions. They also bring new freedoms, including the opportunity to work in new professions created in the digital environment.

All Europeans need digital skills to learn, work, communicate, use online public services and find reliable information. However, many Europeans lack adequate digital skills. The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) shows that 4 in 10 adults and 1 in 3 working people in Europe lack basic digital skills. Women are also underrepresented in technology-related professions and studies, with only 1 in 6 ICT professionals and 1 in 3 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates being women.

The European Commission has set targets in the European Skills Agenda and the Digital Education Action Plan to ensure that 70% of adults have basic digital skills by 2025 and digital illiteracy drops from 30% (2019) to 15% in 2030.

The EU needs to address the digital divide, but at the same time adapt to the Green Deal. In regions such as Pomorskie, the changes will be far-reaching. Suffice it to say that the offshore industry will need about 30,000 trained employees. Offshore Wind Energy will require well-educated staff to operate wind farms, but not only. The energy generated in Pomerania will flow into the interior of the country, which means the need to build over 250 km of overhead high-voltage lines. Both investments will require a supportive environment that will provide services for employees working on the new infrastructure.

It is necessary to build awareness of these significant changes and opportunities for further development of the voivodeship and the Metropolis. Representatives of regional and local administration and business should tighten cooperation in order to communicate more widely about the planned changes, as well as staffing needs and other expectations towards educational institutions in the region.

European education should support Europe's transition to a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable way of living and working. Sustainability should be part of the entire spectrum of education and training, including curricula and teacher professional development, and should also include the adaptation of educational buildings, infrastructure and activities. NEF Gdańsk will answer what solutions in the field of digital education are most needed and which are possible from the point of view of employers, local government, teachers and students.