DIGITAL SME, together with IRESDES4.0, organised a workshop “How can social dialogue embrace digital skills for SMEs?” on 29 April 2022, 10.00-12.00 CEST.

Almost two years ago, social partners signed the European Social Partners’ Framework Agreement on Digitalisation (Agreement). One of the key pillars of the Agreement is Digital skills, as it stresses an urgent need to prepare a current and future workforce and enterprises with the appropriate digital skills. Meanwhile, Digital Decade 2030 targets highlight the goal to reach 20 million ICT specialists in Europe and ensure that 80% of the population is acquainted with more basic digital skills.

Although significant progress has been made in the past years, digital skills gap remains one of the key societal challenges in Europe. In this light, collaboration among social partners has proved to be an important facilitator to develop digital skills in the European workforce. Thus, the Industrial Relations and Social Dialogue for an Economy and a Society “4.0” (IRESDES4.0) project is analysing the effect of collective labour agreements (CLAs) and other social dialogue practices on digital skills development in SMEs. The event brought together researchers, stakeholders and representatives from unions and employers to discuss different tools and instruments available for social partners to facilitate digital skills development. It also looked at the preliminary findings of the IRESDES 4.0 project and concrete stories and examples of how collaborative labour agreements and other tools (such as mutually agreed guidelines, etc.) can support skills development at company, sectoral and territorial level.

Presentations:

Workplace Learning – Determinants and Consequences Presentation by Giovanni Russo, CEDEFOP

Presentation of IRESDES4.0 Project Findings by Margherita Roiatti and Diletta Porcheddu, ADAPT

Rewatch here: