Digital Advisor project - Slovakia

The Slovak program "Digital Advisor: Guidance in the Context of the Changing IT Labour Market" aims to help job seekers with work experience or education in the field of ICT to understand current labour market trends, prepare for upcoming changes, and identify their strengths that they can use when planning their future careers and education. 

According to the 2023 Digital Decade report, while the rate of ICT specialists in Slovakia remains stable at 4.2% of total employment in the country, there has been a decline in basic digital skills from 55% to 51% in the past year, below the EU average of 55%. 

About this initiative

Through renowned diagnostic and self-assessment tools coupled with individual coaching, sessions, participants receive career recommendations that reflect their personal profile and the current labour market situation. Based on these recommendations, one can then apply for a state financial contribution to cover the costs of further training in line with the Memorandum of Cooperation concluded with the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family and Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family in Slovakia. 

Why is this a good practice? 

An important part of the project's success has been the continuous and comprehensive media awareness campaign about labour market transformation, active labour market policies, and the benefits offered through the project. The campaign was massive (e.g., a TV show, video shorts, press releases and promotional articles, web banners and content on social media), thus drawing attention to the challenges associated with the increasing impact of modern, digital technologies on the career prospects of workers. The content of individual communication activities was adapted and targeted to specific target groups, so as to generate the widest possible awareness of the project activities. The number of visits to the project website reached the inspiring number of 233,336 users.

Moreover, the cooperation with the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family was instrumental in ensuring that target groups were informed about the possibility of participating in the Project. A substantial element of achieving Project's objectives was a proper selection of diagnostic tools provided to job seekers. The Occupational Personality Questionnaire OPQ32 and the Verify G+ Cognitive Ability Test supplied by the British company SHL® were used to identify the occupational aptitudes and potential of individuals from eligible target groups. The reliability and validity of the SHL tests have been confirmed by various professional studies, and they are used by millions of people annually worldwide.

Replicability

The methodology of the project (analytical mapping of tech and AI influence on the labour market; creation of informative content and digital awareness campaign; job aptitude testing to assess individuals' work potential; coaching) is replicable and can be easily transferred to different regions or contexts. Employees and job seekers all over the world face similar challenges associated with the increasing impact of digital technologies and artificial intelligence on their work environment, therefore the project structure can easily be adapted to other settings. 

Effectiveness (measurable outcomes and demonstrated impact) 

According to feedback of clients, who used the online job aptitude testing and coaching services, 88% got an excellent or good overall impression of the Digital Advisor project and 92% would recommend the project to their friends or colleagues. As part of the pilot implementation of the project, 517 individuals received testing and coaching services. The number of unique visitors to the project website (as of December 15, 2024) reached 164.671 visitors.

Sustainability

In the long run, the overarching goal of the project is to contribute to the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of the Slovak economy and labour market in the context of digital transformation, automation and AI impact. To support this objective, the project grew to a national level and was approved with implementation until 2027. The national project's mandate is to ensure a smooth transition of employees whose jobs are at risk due to automation, digitalisation and AI advancement to other, more sustainable employment - whether this is with their current employer or with another one. The target group are employees from all sectors who will be eligible to apply for job aptitude testing and coaching services.