Digital skills

Summary

Digital Skills is an innovative European project that strengthens the skills of digital mediation professionals to better support those who are least digitally connected. Through cooperation between France and Portugal, the project has produced open-access guides, tools, and educational resources that can be reused across Europe and make a lasting contribution to improving the practices of digital mediation professionals, thereby promoting more accessible and equitable digital inclusion. 

“Digital Skills has shown us that digital inclusion depends not only on tools, but above all on people. By sharing our experiences across Europe, we have created practical resources that will provide lasting support to professionals as they work to better assist those who are most digitally excluded.”

Topic(s) addressed

• Digital inclusion 
• Adult education
• Digital skills development
• Educational innovation
• Support for vulnerable populations, 
• “Outreach” methods
• Open educational resources, and 
• European cooperation. 

Target group(s)  

• 40 mediators
• 100 professionals
• 50 organisations
• Vulnerable populations in Europe 

Methodologies used

The project combines formal, non-formal and informal learning through practical, field-based methodologies. It promoted innovative ‘outreach’ (‘aller vers’) approaches to engage vulnerable learners directly in their everyday environments. Partners developed and tested multilingual toolkits, training modules and practical guides, which were validated by digital inclusion professionals. The project strengthened knowledge, skills and attitudes through collaborative learning and the exchange of good practice from across Europe. It promoted inclusion, active participation and peer learning while involving associations, training providers, public authorities and digital inclusion professionals. This European cooperation ensured that the resources are transferable, open-source and adaptable to diverse local contexts and target groups. 

Innovation environment

The project created a collaborative learning environment based on European cooperation, experimentation and the exchange of good practices. Both organisations mobilised their teams, networks and external stakeholders to identify, adapt and disseminate effective support methods and approaches. Regular cooperation, shared digital tools and continuous peer learning fostered a positive organisational culture that encourages innovation. By making all resources openly accessible, transferable and suitable for long-term use, the project strengthened organisational capacity and facilitated the replication of its results across different European contexts. 

Teachers’ role

Teachers, trainers and digital mediators played a key role in identifying, sharing and promoting existing good practices rather than creating entirely new methodologies. Drawing on their field experience, they contributed to the production of practical guides, training resources and open educational materials. Cooperation between the French and Portuguese partners encouraged peer learning, the exchange of experience and the dissemination of effective approaches. The project strengthened professionals' capacities by making proven practices more accessible, transferable and reusable across different European contexts. 

Impact and output

The project strengthened the capacities of digital mediators and trainers by giving them access to proven, practical and transferable methodologies. The guides, toolkits and training resources produced enable more effective support for people at risk of digital exclusion, including seniors, unemployed people, migrants and people with disabilities. By making all resources freely accessible, the project extends its impact beyond the partner organisations. Local authorities, training providers, associations and digital inclusion networks across Europe can reuse and adapt the outputs, creating a lasting multiplier effect and improving digital inclusion in their own communities. 

Learn more about the project