Digital skills are essential for a competitive, resilient, and inclusive Europe. However, 36% of European adults still lack basic digital skills, and 8% have not used the internet recently. To address this challenge, the EU’s Digital Decade Policy Programme has set a target: by 2030, at least 80% of adults (16-74) should have basic digital skills.

A recent policy brief by the EC JRC, based on the Digital Skills Indicator (DSI 2.0 – 2023), provides valuable insights into Europe’s digital skills landscape. It highlights key areas where improvements are needed and identifies the groups most at risk of digital exclusion.

Key Findings: Where Are the Gaps?

📌 Strengths: Adults in Europe perform best in communication and collaboration, such as using instant messaging, social networks, and emails.

📌 Weaknesses: The biggest gaps are in digital content creation (e.g., coding, editing images or videos) and cybersecurity (e.g., protecting personal data and devices).

📌 Who is most at risk? Adults in manual occupations, the unemployed, and those outside the labor market are more likely to have below-basic digital skills. Age, education level, and socio-economic background also play a role, with younger people from lower educational backgrounds facing a higher probability of digital exclusion.

📌 Why targeted policies matter: The data highlights the need for tailored support for adults with below-basic digital skills, particularly in areas like problem-solving, digital safety, and content creation. Strengthening VET and lifelong learning opportunities is key to closing these gaps.

Our Commitment: AI and Digital Skills in Education

As part of our network and project, we are dedicated to supporting VET and adult educators in developing AI and digital skills and competences. By equipping educators with the right tools, knowledge, skills and values, we contribute to a future where digital competence is accessible to all.

Join the Conversation – Save the Date!

📅 AI Pioneers Consultation Webinar – 19 May 2025, 15:00 CET (online)
📅 AI Pioneers Conference in Bremen – 22-23 September 2025 (on-site)

Meet us at EDEN 2025 in Bologna

We’re excited to announce that the AI Pioneers team will present our project results, research, and outputs at the EDEN 2025 Conference “Shaping the Future of Education in the age of AI: Empowering inclusion, innovation and ethical growth” in Bologna, 15-17, June. This event is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about AI Pioneers and explore many other groundbreaking research and best practices in digital education from across Europe and worldwide.

We invite everyone to join us in Bologna to engage in discussions, exchange ideas, and help shape the future of AI and digital competence development.

More about the EDEN Conference: https://eden-europe.eu/event/eden-2025-annual-conference/