The great divide: digitalisation and digital skill gaps in the EU workforce

The European Skills and Jobs (ESJ) survey, undertaken by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), is the first survey on skill mismatch carried out in the EU28 Member States, examines drivers of skill development and the dynamic evolution of skill mismatch in relation to the changing complexity of the tasks and skills required in people's jobs. ESJ reveals that more than seven in 10 adult employees in the European Union (EU) need at least some fundamental information and communication technology (ICT) level to be able to perform their jobs. Yet, about one in three of those employees are at risk of digital skill gaps. At the same time, almost half of all employees in low-skilled occupations do not require ICT skills to do their work.

In this survey insight paper, the author notes that 'the digital divide is alive and well. A strikingly high share of the EU adult workforce is still employed in a semi-analogue world, at the same time that others are faced with technological obsolescence. Reaping the full benefits of digitalisation will require modernisation of education and training systems but, crucially, more investment in digital capital infrastructure and continuing online learning for groups excluded from the digital economy'.

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