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Digital Education Action Plan – Action 12

Digital opportunity traineeships

Most jobs in all sectors require some level of digital skills, yet 42% of people in the European Union (EU) lack even basic digital skills (European Commission, 2021).

Companies all over the EU struggle to find qualified workers to help them go digital. In 2017, 53% of all businesses that recruited or tried to recruit information and communication technology (ICT) specialists had difficulties filling vacancies.

Objectives 

In 2018, the European Commission set up a pilot project – digital opportunity traineeships – for undergraduates and recent graduates in all disciplines. This scheme gives them a chance to gain handson professional experience in digital skills that will be of value on labour market.

The scheme:

  • provides trainees with an opportunity to develop their ICT skills in fields such as cybersecurity, big data, quantum technology and machine learning  
  • boosts digital skills for businesses in areas including web design, digital marketing and software development

According to the latest data on the traineeships:

  • more than 77 000 people did an Erasmus+ traineeship abroad under the current programme
  • more than 52 000 completed a digital traineeship (45 000 of which were in higher education)
  • over 25 000 staff from different fields have opted for the scheme (training, course, or job shadowing) with a focus on developing their digital skills

The traineeship scheme was extended in 2021. In addition to students in higher education and recent graduates, it now also covers higher education staff and vocational education and training students and recent graduates. In 2022, the scheme was further extended to include staff in the school, vocational education and training and adult-learning sectors.

Key activities

Digital opportunity traineeships (with extended coverage) are a funded activity under the Mobility Action (Key Action 1) of the Erasmus+ Programme annual calls.

Expected results

  • improved digital skills for vocational education and training as well as university students and recent graduates in their fields of study
  • improved digital teaching skills for school, vocational, higher-education and adult-learning staff

Timeline

The action started in 2021 and will continue until 2027 under the annual Erasmus+ general call.

Funding

This action is funded by the EU's Erasmus+ programme.

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