With support of Google.org, the Digital Collective (DigiCo) and its partners are on a mission to close the digital skills gap and improve access to employment for vulnerable individuals across Europe. In the Czech Republic, GUG.cz´s Digital Shift (Digitální směna) project has been designed to close the digital gap and mitigate the impact of low digital skills on the quality of life in the Czech Republic, which affects 44 % of its citizens. It launches on November 15 after a successful pilot in the past months.
Digital Shift is a free-of charge three-month training program that develops the digitals skills of its students leading to increased employment opportunities, wider career options, increased access to local services and enhanced communication with their friends and family.
The key components of the program include:
- On-demand access to core digital skills training, provided in comprehensible language and easy-to-follow form
- Self-paced learning – the program fits the existing schedules of students
- Development of the lifelong learning competency of students
- Creating a safe learning space through several online communities
- Direct access to program facilitators for guidance
- Upon completion, provision of a certificate aligned with the widely recognised European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp).
“The program is designed for people who are not very confident with digital skills and may struggle in the digital world, who may feel limited or even overwhelmed by the digital technology. The program helps them become friends with this world and use this new competency to do more in their work and personal lives,” describes Ludmila Kasalová, Project Manager from GUG.cz.
Thanks to DigiCo´s grant support, the Digital Shift courses are now offered free-of-charge for 240 students during an 18 month period, from January 2022 to July 2023. “As a Pan-European organisation, we greatly value the expertise of local partners such as GUG.cz and count on them to collectively reduce the digital skills gap. We are determined to continue supporting initiatives like Digital Shift to ensure that vulnerable individuals gain the skills needed to be an integral part of our digital society,” affirms Léa Ichikawa, Program Manager at DigiCo.
GUG.cz is now recruiting prospective students for the enhanced version of the Digital Shift course. The deadline to submit applications is on November 13, 2022. Students will start onboarding on November 15, 2022. For more information, including applications details, please visit www.digitalnismena.cz.
The program is a part of a broad initiative by the European Commission to create a European Education Area by 2025 and develop the digital competence of European citizens in five areas—information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, security and problem-solving.
About DigiCo
The Digital Collective (DigiCo) is a Brussels-based non-profit organisation whose mission is to close the digital skills gap and improve access to employment for vulnerable individuals across Europe. We do so by supporting impactful training programs and fostering a common approach to assessing digital skills. They cooperate with private, public, and non-profit actors in a multi-stakeholder approach.
About Google.org
Google.org, Google’s philanthropy, supports non-profits that address humanitarian issues and apply scalable, data-driven innovation to solving the world’s biggest challenges. They accelerate their progress by connecting them with a unique blend of support that includes funding, products, and technical expertise from Google volunteers. They engage with these believers-turned-doers who significantly impact the communities they represent. They want a world that works for everyone.
About GUG.cz
GUG.cz is an independent community that helps educate Czechs about technology. The Digital Shift project aims to bridge the digital divide and create a safe and inclusive space for those who want to acquire digital skills in the Czech Republic.