EU4Digital: eSkills Network Workshop in Tbilisi
This Tuesday and Wednesday, December 17-18, the capital of Georgia will host an eSkills network workshop. The main goal of the seminar, which is being organized by EU4Digital, is to enable the Eastern Partner countries of the EU to exchange insights and latest developments in the field of digital skills and discuss the current baseline in the partner countries regarding the measurement of digital skills indicators. The mentioned Eastern Partner countries (EaP) in this EU Program are: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine.
The organizers report that the “main outcome of the network workshop will be the validation of the results of the EU4Digital Questionnaire for gathering relevant information and data on the existing situation (baseline) for measuring and forecasting of digital skills in the EaP countries.”
Additionally, within the frames of the workshop, the development methodology of a competence framework for SMEs and microbusinesses and Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition status in individual EaP countries will be presented and discussed with the country representatives.
Under the EU4Digital initiative, the eSkills network focuses on formulating and implementing national digital skills strategies in the EaP partner countries, notably by establishing national coalitions for digital jobs, taking into account the EU’s ‘digital skills and jobs coalition’.
The overall objective of the EU4Digital program is to eliminate existing obstacles and barriers for pan-European online services for citizens, public administrations and businesses, including through the harmonization of the digital environments among the EaP partner countries and with the EU.
To analyze the above in more detail, this program aims to extend the benefits of the European Union's Digital Single Market to the Eastern Partner states, supporting them in reducing roaming tariffs, developing high-speed broadband to boost economies and expand e-services. The organization hopes that the program will amount to harmonizing digital frameworks across society in areas ranging from logistics to health, building cyber security, developing skills, and creating more jobs in the digital industry.
The program was implemented in 2019 and is planned to achieve its objectives by the year 2022 with a budget of EUR 11 million. EU4Digital focuses its support across six key policy areas:
Telecom rules: the program aims to achieve a common roaming space among EaP countries by 2020, to strengthen the independence of National Regulatory Authorities, while developing coordinated strategies for frequency distribution.
Trust & Security: EU4Digital supports the development of trust services in the digital economy and cyber-security to strengthen cross-border eServices in the Eastern Partnership region.
eTrade: the program supports trade facilitation and harmonization among Eastern Partner countries and with the EU by promoting common frameworks for eCommerce, eCustoms and eLogistics, and working towards Digital Transport Corridors.
ICT Innovation: EU4Digital supports reforms and actions to favor the development of ICT research, start-ups and innovation ecosystems across the Eastern Partnership region, drawing from EU experience and best practices.
eHealth: the program supports the development of harmonized national frameworks for eHealth, both among EaP partner countries and with the EU.
eSkills: EU4Digital supports the implementation of digital skills strategies in the Eastern Partnership countries, acting to establish national coalitions for digital jobs and a competence framework for small businesses.
By Nini Dakhundaridze