Driving
Europe's digital competitiveness
Why LEADSx2030 matters
SMEs to reach a level of at least basic digital intensity
Key public services digitalised
Tertiary education graduates in fields like engineering, manufacturing and construction
The need for incentives amidst stagnant workforce trends
In the context of the Digital Decade target, of the 10 million ICT professionals employed in Europe, 80% of them are men. The challenge to reach the 20 million profiles with is significant. The route to these roles, whether specialist or user, is dominated by higher education.
According to Eurostat, 67% of ICT Specialists in the EU possess a higher education degree either coming through from undergraduate or joining through specialised Masters, or professional training programmes.
It is observed that the percentage of academic staff over the age of 50 has remained static at 40% over the second-half of the past decade. To prevent qualified educators from leaving for more lucrative positions in industry, it is crucial to offer attractive incentives
Our connection with LEADS
2022-2024
Across the engagement with hundreds of stakeholders, organisation of dozens of roundtables, workshops and events, participation in high-level forums and the in-depth analysis of key data, the LEADS consortium, and by extension the ADS SO4 Cluster of the DIGITAL Programme have identified the following key messages in relation to the stimulation of the supply of ICT Specialists and advanced digital talent.
The ADS Cluster
The Advanced Digital Skills Cluster aim to support the development of advanced digital skills in areas covered by the Programme to contribute to increasing Europe’s talent pool, bridge the digital divide and foster greater professionalism.
- 37% Higher education establishments
- 36% Private for-profit entities
- 8% Research organisations
- 2% Public bodies
- 17% Other organisations
Our impact
1.
A European digital supply chain and global leadership
LEADSx2030 will help key digital supply chain actors plan for and attract the talent needed to drive future technologies in Europe, enabling a 4-year planning cycle and creating partnerships to address evolving talent needs and digital expertise.
2.
Widescale digital technology adoption
The project identifies areas where start-ups and SMEs may face talent shortages, develops profiles for citizen digital experts, and offers best practices that can be adopted across Europe.
3.
Supporting the digitalisation of European society
Practical guidelines will be provided for the translation of developed insights and data across the spectrum of stakeholders to enable change in advanced digital skills provision.
4.
Ensuring benefits of digitalisation reach all areas
We will work across education and training communities and tech developers to ensure that the advanced digital skills are front and center of all tech transfer activities and organization development.
5.
Accelerating economic growth and recovery
LEADSx2030 will contribute to economic growth, as it promotes informed decision-making.
What we are delivering
Best Practice Hub
The advancedskills.eu portal will host a Best Practice Hub, collecting successful practices from SO4 ADS Cluster projects. This online repository will facilitate matching examples to challenges for annual reports and recommendations. Approved practices will be promoted via social media, with campaigns to encourage further submissions and recognition at the Annual Summit.
ADS Demo Arena
The ADS Demo Arena, hosted on advancedskills.eu and dedicated YouTube channel, offering a TedTalk-style platform for SO4 ADS Cluster partners to share engaging content. It highlights best practices, key learnings, tools, and introduces new projects, enhancing visibility and fostering community among contributors within the initiative.
Annual ADS State of Play
The ADS State-of-Play report offers a comprehensive analysis of advanced digital skills, covering demand, supply, challenges, and best practices. Sections include insights from the SO4 ADS Cluster, key statistics, and a review of the past year. The draft will debut at the Annual Summit, supported by communication campaigns and expert feedback.
Policy Labs
The ADS State-of-Play report will guide annual recommendations for policymakers by identifying key challenges. Current priorities include flexible accreditation, recognition of prior learning, and meeting the demand for specialised ICT talent. Policy labs will facilitate discussions among experts to refine recommendations, resulting in concise white papers for stakeholders in education and industry.
Annual Summit
The Annual ADS Summit is a key event aimed at enhancing advanced digital skills in Europe by uniting academia, industry, and policymakers. Focusing on bridging the skills gap, it features discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities to foster innovation in digital education and strategic collaborations for a competitive workforce in the digital economy.
What are the challenges?
Multilayer and interdependent nature of advanced digital skills
Provide continuous review of demand and supply changes related to ADS through an open and integrated market hub
Demand mapping and supply stimulation
Provide specific mapping of the outputs of the DIGITAL SO4 funded actions to identify key results and success stories across key themes and provide integrated datasets across the whole cluster
Sustainability of networks and ecosystems
Develop further the DIGITAL SO4 funded actions into a dynamic and connected network of actors to support their success, promote best practices and drive excellence across the board.
Our latest events
Marketing webinar
14/01/2025
The session was led by John Collins, sales, marketing and communications manager at Trinity Business School, Dublin. It was quite an informative session and we covered plenty of key points regarding the concept of Marketing.l […]
20×30: Europe’s Advanced Digital Skills Summit
16/05/2024
20×30: Europe’s Advanced Digital Skills Summit In an era of rapid technological evolution, Europe’s competitive edge hinges on its ability to develop and maintain advanced digital skills. Facing a critical […]
LEADS Thematic Webinar: Good Practices in Courses’ Recruitment
08/05/2024
On May 8, 2024, at 11:00am join us for an interactive and insightful webinar on “Good Practices in Courses’ Recruitment”. Join us for an in-depth exploration of the key aspects […]
Our partners
