DIGITAL-2025-SKILLS-08-GENAI-ACADEMY-STEP — Sectoral digital skills academies: AI Skills Academy (Digital Skills Academy in GenAI)

Context

The AI Skills Academy is aimed at bridging the growing AI skills gap in the EU, enlarging the pool of AI experts and training AI specialists across the Union’s key economic sectors. 
With a particular focus on Generative AI, the Academy will play a key role in increasing expertise and employability in the field, fostering both the development and the application of AI technologies, and providing tailored opportunities for women wishing to enter or return to the AI job market.

Call Objective

The AI Skills Academy will be a one-stop-shop for a range of activities supporting or developing educational and training schemes. Two projects will be selected to implement the AI skills academy, covered by two separate Digital Europe Programme calls:
(1) skills for the development of responsible AI models and their application in the EU’s key economic sectors (topic 1 out of 2; described here)); 
(2) skills related to the development and deployment of AI models in the AI Factories facilities (topic 2/2; call expected in Q4 2025).
The AI Skills Academy will have a dedicated landing page in the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform (DSJP), where its activities, events and initiatives will be uploaded.

Scope

The activities of the AI Skills Academy will be centred around three pillars of action.

Pillar 1: Supporting knowledge, education, and training
Under the first pillar, the AI Skills Academy will offer top-level education and training at different levels, focusing on the existing needs of the EU market:

1. Complement existing information on AI skills needs and gaps in the EU.
2. Design curricula for educational programmes and trainings for higher education and  technical education, as well as on-the-job trainings.
3. Implement and pilot the designed educational programmes and trainings, including the implementation of at least one Bachelor or Master’s programme in generative AI.

Participation of women will be supported through scholarship and returnship schemes, and particular attention will be given to providing training opportunities for the unemployed.

Pillar 2: Building the ecosystem
Under the second pillar, the AI Skills Academy will focus on attracting and retaining European and international talent in the EU labour market, including the facilitation of the matching of AI-skilled workers with suitable opportunities.

1. Build and nurture a diverse and rich ecosystem of stakeholders, including businesses, higher education, vocational and training institutions, research organisations, as well as EU national and regional public, which will among others promote AI fellowships for talent from abroad to work in the EU;
2. Within the ecosystem, offer practical professional experiences in collaboration with the industry and the public sector– including a pilot of a full-time AI apprenticeship programme;
3. Communicate about the opportunities provided by the Academy and more generally the EU AI education and job market, as well as disseminate outcomes and results through a dedicated landing page integrated in the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform.

Pillar 3: Measuring progress
Within the third pillar, the AI Skills Academy will monitor the impact of its activities, both in terms of progress achieved in closing the identified AI skills gaps and of feedback received by participants.

Consortium Composition

The consortium members should demonstrate complementary roles in the proposal and prove an outstanding track record in their respective fields. The Consortium should be composed of a minimum 6 entities (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from a minimum 3 different eligible countries.

It is highly recommended to include in the consortium at least:

• Two degree-awarding higher education institutions from Digital Europe Programme eligible countries which are part of the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE).
• Two industry partners whose headquarters are based in an eligible country - particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as start-ups.
• One independent research organisation, hub or competence/excellence centre in AI.
• One Vocational Education and Training (VET) institution.

Member State national and regional institutions relevant to the topic may also apply.

Funding and Duration

• Budget: €7 million of European Commission funding  (to be complemented by a further €7 million for the AI Factories Skills in the second call).
• Funding rate: 50%
• Project duration: 3-4 years

Timetable