Ireland - Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition
The Irish Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition was established in April 2017 as an association-led, multi-stakeholder initiative bringing together 50 partners from academia and education, industry, the public and not-for-profit sector. The primary objectives of the Coalition is to strengthen the workforce and enhance digital inclusion of all citizens, with a special focus on the digital skills of younger adults in the context of a modernised education system.
Coordinated by the Irish Computer Society, the partners set several priorities, such as promoting a modern approach to teaching, upskilling the labour force, promoting professions in the information and communication technology sector (ICT) as a career choice, identifying obstacles to developing digital skills, as well as raising public and employers’ awareness of digital upskilling.
National coalition details
The Irish DSJC has succeeded in bringing together a range of stakeholders in the digital education and employment. It has enabled a sharing of information about national actions, a collaboration among the organisations and individuals implementing them. A review of current activities promoting digital skills led to identifying the priorities for consideration and support by the coalition. The priority list is long, reflecting the breadth of focus of the partners. The list includes:
- Understand what we mean by digital skills
- Support initiatives to upskill citizens for inclusion and employment, utilising digital technology for learning.
- Upgrade teacher skills and qualifications, and modernise teaching content and pedagogies
- Up-skill and re-skill the labour force, promoting cooperation between education and industry
- Promote ICT as career choice (girls too), informally and through curriculum
- Support alternative approaches to ICT education (apprenticeships, for example)
- Leverage European-level competence frameworks, (DigComp, e-CF etc.)
- Source and advocate for funding for digital initiatives and actions
50 partners from academia and education, industry, the public and not-for-profit sector.