As digitalisation, artificial intelligence and automation spread across the world, digital skills are increasingly in demand. However, in many countries they are in short supply. This report looks at how to build effective cross-sector partnerships to tackle digital skills gaps.
Since the global COVID-19 pandemic hit, digital skills have become even more critical to economic survival and social inclusion. Social distancing policies have increased the need for information and communications technology (ICT) skills to deliver services, work and communicate remotely, and connect with people who are socially isolated.
More than ever, stakeholders from industry, trade unions, the education sector, civil society and national and regional governments need to work together to ensure that people can get the digital skills they need for life and work.
Through our Digital Frontrunners and FutureFit programmes, we've engaged over 300 senior policymakers, researchers, unions and industry experts in the Nordic and Benelux region. We share their key learnings and recommendations for effective cross-sector partnerships.
This report serves three key functions:
- It summarises key lessons from four cross-sector partnerships from the Nordic and Benelux region: the Danish Disruption Council; the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition; the Danish Technology Pact and the Dutch Technology Pact.
- It uses Tuckman’s stages of group development – forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning – to capture how these cross-sector partnerships work.
- It serves as a guide; we’ve mapped the journey that partnerships for skills development go on and the key considerations for stakeholders each step of the way.
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