Info Day: DIGITAL Europe Programme 8th Call for Sectoral digital skills academies
On 16 May, the European Commission presented the 8th round of DIGITAL Europe Programme call for proposals in a dedicated Info Day.
Europe needs more people with advanced digital skills to stay competitive, ensure digital sovereignty, and support the green and digital transitions. The goal is to reach 20 million ICT specialists by 2030, focusing on inclusion and closing the skills gap. On 28 March 2025, the European Commission adopted the final Digital Europe Programme work plan for 2025–2027, allocating €1.3 billion to strengthen digital skills, AI, cybersecurity, and other key technologies.
DIGITAL Europe Programme 8th Call for Sectoral Digital Skills Academies
On 15 April 2025, the DIGITAL Europe Programme 8th Call for Sectoral Digital Skills Academies opened with the mission of establishing academies in key digital fields: Quantum, Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Worlds. The academies, in collaboration with industry and research, aim to address the skills gap, develop new training programmes, and expand successful ones.These academies will offer flexible, up-to-date pathways, promote careers—especially for women—and align with the EU's strategic goals for technological sovereignty. Additionally, they will coordinate with an EU-wide initiative to strengthen Europe's digital capabilities and enhance cooperation across projects.
Discover more about the Digital Skills Academies.
On 16 May 2025, the Digital Skills and Jobs Platfrom hosted an online Info Day with representatives from the European Commission and the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA).
Agenda
09:30 - 09:40 Welcome and introduction, agenda and procedure for questions
09:40 - 09:50 Sectoral digital skills academies - Call introduction
09:50 - 10:10 DIGITAL-2025-SKILLS-08-QUANTUM-ACADEMY-STEP Quantum Skills Digital Academy + Q&A
10:10 - 10:30 DIGITAL-2025-SKILLS-08-GENAI-ACADEMY-STEP Digital Skills Academy in GenAI (AI Skills Academy, Part 1/2) + Q&A
10:30 - 10:50 DIGITAL-2025-SKILLS-08-VIRTUAL-WORLDS-ACADEMY-STEP Virtual Worlds Skills Academy + Q&A
10:50 - 11:00 Registering your organisation, legal validation and financial capacity assessment
11:00 - 11:20 How to submit your application, evaluation and award criteria
11:20 - 11:40 How to prepare your Lump Sum budget
11:40 - 11:50 STEP Seal
11:50 - 12:00 Admin Q&As
Check out the master slides presented during the event. Missed the online event? Rewatch the recording now available on the DigitalEU Youtube channel!
Now is the time to find partners and join a consortia, join the online discussions on the Partner for DIGITAL Skills Networking Group.
