Explanatory note: Structured dialogue on digital education and skills
The Council Conclusions on digital education in Europe’s knowledge societies of
December 20201 invited the Commission to ensure a coordinated approach on digital
education and training within the Commission and launch, together with Member States and
relevant stakeholders, a strategic reflection process on the enabling factors of successful
digital education. President von der Leyen announced in her 2021 State of the Union
address that digital education and skills “need leaders’ attention and a structured dialogue at
top-level”. This was also echoed in the October 2021 European Council conclusions, which
underlined the need to focus on digital skills and education. Responding to this repeated call,
the Commission announced in October the kick-off of the Structured Dialogue on digital
education and skills. This also delivers on Action 1 of the Digital Education Action Plan
2021-20272 (DEAP), and complements it by including digital skills in its scope.
The structured dialogue will be a process of exchange with the Member States and relevant
stakeholders. The aim of the dialogue is to increase the political visibility and commitments
on digital education and skills, so Europe can deliver on the 2030 targets in this area3. The
dialogue also aims to bring together the different strands of policy into a strong integrated,
coherent and more ambitious approach and make the most of the synergies between the
different policy fields – education, digitalization, labour, finances. The structured dialogue
should encompass the different branches and institutions of government, from education
and training to infrastructure providers, the private sector, social partners and civil
society. The aim of this approach is to share experiences, lessons learnt, success stories but
also unsuccessful measures. It is also to improve investments, so they are made to address
long-term challenges rather than quick fixes, leading towards sustainable, high-performing,
inclusive and digital education and training systems.
The structured dialogue will feed into the future actions at EU level on digital education and
skills, as well as into the negotiations on the 2030 Policy Programme “Path to the Digital
Decade”. It will focus on the following five pillars:
1.1. Impact-focused investment
To develop digital skills, people need to be connected and have access to digital tools. A
large majority of European countries currently have definite plans to invest in schools' and
training institutions’ digital infrastructure. However, equipment itself does not bring
change: users also need to be trained in how to handle computers and the Internet, as well
as be motivated to make use of the new facilities. It is also about how this investment
could be made in order to have the greatest impact. Experience shows that supporting
tools are often lacking (in terms of training of head masters, establishment of digital
coordinators, lack of specific criteria related to digital education in their external school
evaluation frameworks). The dialogue will focus on how to improve investment in digital
education and lifelong learning to better support Member States to educate and train a
digitally skilled population.
1.2. The place of digital competences in education and training systems
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https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52020XG1201(02)&rid=5
2
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0624
3
Minimum 20 million ICT specialists in the EU and at least 80% of the population having basic digital skills
The place of digital competences in education and training systems appears to be an
important success factor. Member States who are treating digital competence as a
horizontal topic and with a lifelong learning perspective, seem to have performed better.
They promote teachers’ digital skills and assess how to build a strong teaching personnel
community that has what it needs to prepare the next generations. Continued digital up-
skilling and re-skilling is also essential to tackle the fast digital transformation of our
economy and society.
1.3. Governance of digital education, training and skills policies
Successful digital education, training and skills policies follow an integrated approach
between the various competent public authorities (education, employment, budget,
industry). The structured dialogue could include a focus on better coordination and how
to ensure that administrations are working together to design and implement policies.
1.4. The role of industry, social partners and relevant stakeholders
Public authorities should not be the only actors in policy design and implementation.
Successful national approaches demonstrate that social partners, employers and
employees need to be fully and systematically associated to the development of strategies
for upskilling and reskilling and in particular when identifying future needs and how to
meet them, including within the education system.
1.5. Contents of digital competence frameworks (skills needed)
While the digital transformation will require specific technical skills (coding, data
analytics, cybersecurity), it will also require particular ICT skills to enable people to use,
apply and innovate applications of such technologies in all industry ecosystems. This is
different from basic digital skills, which could be seen as a basic need for any citizen in
the society. Successful best practices show that the two dimensions (basic and specific
skills) have often been tackled at the same time. A differentiated approach may improve
results.
Keit Pentus-Rosimannus
Rahandusminister
Rahandusministeerium 26.11.2021 nr 10.1-13/1202-1
Liina Kersna
Haridus- ja teadusminister
Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium
Tanel Kiik
Tervise- ja tööminister
Sotsiaalministeerium
Andres Sutt
Ettevõtlus- ja infotehnoloogiaminister
Majandus- ja Kommunikatsiooniministeerium
Austatud ministrid
Edastame teile Euroopa Komisjoni volinike Margrethe Vestager'i, Margaritis Schinas'e, Mariya
Gabriel'i, Nicolas Schmit'i ja Thierry Breton'i 26.11.2021 ühise kirja nr 7555149 (Structured
dialogue on digital education and skills - invitation to nominate national
coordinator/representative by 03.01.2022).
Lugupidamisega
Aivo Orav
Alaline esindaja
Lisad:
1. volinike kiri 3 lk
2. Explanatory note on the structured dialogue on digital education and skills, 2 lk
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Tiiu Noobel
From: Maili Liivamäe
Sent: Friday, 26 November 2021 17:39
To: Esindus EL juures üldaadress; Tiiu Noobel
Subject: FW: Letter on Structured dialogue on digital education and skills
Attachments: Transmission letter EE.pdf; Letter EE.pdf; FINAL_Note-Structured dialogue on digital
education and skills.pdf
From: Aivo Orav <
[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, November 26, 2021 5:18 PM
To: Maili Liivamäe <
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Subject: Fwd: Letter on Structured dialogue on digital education and skills
Välisministeerium | Aivo Orav |
[email protected]
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: JORGENSEN Kim <
[email protected]>
Date: 26 November 2021 at 17:17:44 CET
Subject: Letter on Structured dialogue on digital education and skills
To: Aivo Orav <
[email protected]>
Cc: Marten Kokk <
[email protected]>
Your Excellency,
On behalf of Head of Cabinet Kim Jørgensen, kindly find enclosed a letter from Executive Vice-President Margrethe
Vestager, Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, and Commissioners Mariya Gabriel, Nicolas Schmit and Thierry Breton,
for the attention of Minister of Finance Keit PENTUS-ROSIMANNUS.
Kind regards,
Johan VERLY
European Commission
Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe VESTAGER
Assistant to Kim JØRGENSEN, Head of Cabinet, and Christiane CANENBLEY, Deputy Head of Cabinet
BERL 12/075
Rue de la Loi, 200
B-1049 Brussels
phone : +32 2 29 58422
European Commission
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