AISHA joins Digital Skills Talks to explore opportunities from the new academies

Gianluca Misuraca joined the coordinators of the quantum and virtual worlds academies to introduce what the initiatives aim to offer learners, educators and industry.

How will the new academies shape the future of digital skills, and what opportunities will they create for learners, educators and industry? These questions framed Digital Skills Talks episode 24, ‘Inside Europe’s New Sectoral Skills Academies: AI, Quantum and Virtual Worlds’, held online on 10^th July 2026.

The 30-minute session brought together Gianluca Misuraca, AISHA coordinator, Fotis Liarokapis, coordinator of the Virtual Worlds Academy of Skills, and Jacob Sherson, coordinator of the European Quantum Academy. It followed the formal launch of the three new academies at Digital Skills EU Days on 30^th June.

The official episode overview describes a shared ambition to connect education providers, industry and research organisations in developing specialised skills. The brief discussion introduced the academies’ role in meeting demand for expertise across their respective technological fields.

For the European AI Skills Academy, AISHA’s planned work helps explain what this ambition can mean in practice. Learners are expected to benefit from pathways across higher education, vocational education and workplace training, including practical learning opportunities. Educators will have a shared competence framework and evidence on emerging skills needs to inform programme development. Industry involvement will help connect training with the capabilities needed to adopt and use AI responsibly.

These are planned areas of work, rather than a list of courses already open for enrolment. The Digital Skills and Jobs Platform also sets out plans for dedicated academy pages bringing together education, training and funding opportunities, events and community activities.

The episode offered an introduction to this developing landscape and to the opportunities the academies aim to create. Readers can follow the European AI Skills Academy’s progress through aisha-net.eu and consult the official episode page for further information.