DIGITAL SKILLS INITIATIVE
FOR AUSTRIA

Office for Digital Skills

The Digital Skills Office was established on October 12, 2023. It is located in the OeAd, Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalization.

In Austria, approximately 63% of people aged 16 to 74 possess basic digital skills, placing us nine percentage points above the EU-27 average. The European Commission's goal is that at least 80% of the 16- to 74-year-old population of the EU member states should have at least basic digital skills by 2030.

4,500 Workshops Throughout Austria

In Austria, 4,500 “Digital Überall” (“Digital Everywhere”) workshops are being held to teach basic digital skills. You can find more information on this under “Digital skills - make the internet your friend”.

The “Digital Skills” office is also involved in implementing the work program of the Digital Skills Strategy. The development and implementation of a uniform digital skills model is also on the agenda.

Cooperation Partner for Course Providers

In addition to contributing to the implementation of the Digital Skills Strategy and the Digital Skills Model, the office's work program until 2026 also includes a concept for quality assurance and certification of digital skills, the establishment of a Digital Skills Network involving stakeholders and initiatives, and active positioning in the European Commission's Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition.

The Digital Decade

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Shaping Europe's digital future together

The Digital Decade 2030 is the EU's Digitalisation strategy and defines objectives and paths for the digital transformation in Europe by 2030. The sustainable and people-oriented version pursues the goal of strengthening the digital society, citizens and companies. The policy program of the Digital Decade is based on the Digital Compass.  The Digital Compass defines digital skills and competencies as one of the four dimensions for the future.

The four goals of the digital compass:
1. Skills: building a digitally skilled population and highly qualified digital professionals
2. Infrastructures: Building a secure and sustainable digital infrastructure
3. Business: Digitalisation of companies
4. Public services: Digitalisation of public services

The Commission will implement the EU's digital ambitions for 2030 in concrete terms:

• Targets at EU level and trajectories at EU and national level
• A common governance framework to monitor progress and address weaknesses
• multi-country projects with combined investment from the EU, Member States and the private sector

Digital Skills Initiative

23.2.2023: Start of the implementation of the "Digital Skills Initiative for Austria"

A joint press conference was held by the participating ministries to kick off the implementation of the Digital Skills Initiative for Austria (DKO). The digital skills model makes digital expertise transparent for employers, employees and providers and promotes digital development.

The initiative, which is supported by the BKA (previously by the BMF), BMKOES, BMAW and BMBWF, aims to improve basic digital skills in the population and IT skills for the economy in a targeted manner. Surveys such as the European DESI Index show the need for action in Austria. The DKO brings together all stakeholders and initiatives in Austria to improve digital skills.

Making Austria a pioneer in digital skills

Joint initiative of the BKA (initiated by the BMF), BMKOES, BMAW and BMBWF: By 2030, as many people as possible in Austria should have basic digital skills - existing initiatives of all ministries should be strengthened in a targeted manner.

In order for Austria to benefit from the economic and ecological advantages of digitisation, the breadth and depth of digital skills in society, business and administration are essential.

The “Digital Skills Initiative for Austria” was presented on December 7, 2022 by Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (BMKOES) and the Federal Ministers Magnus Brunner (BMF), Martin Kocher (BMAW) and Martin Polaschek (BMBWF).

With this initiative under the European umbrella of the “Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition” (DSJC), we want to make Austria a European pioneer in the field of digital skills and establish a strong European axis.

Fields of action

The "Digital Skills Initiative" bundles the quality-assured teaching of basic digital skills among the population and in various fields of activity such as ICT experts, education, citizens, the world of work and business and public administration.

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The fields of action include the following areas:

Education: Under the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
Citizens: Under the responsibility of the Federal Chancellery
Companies, employees and workers: Under the responsibility of the Federal Minister of Labour and Economy
ICT experts: Under the responsibility of the steering group/Federal Chancellery and Federal Ministry of Finance
Public administration: Under the responsibility of the Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport
Awareness-raising and networking: Under the responsibility of the steering group
Cross-cutting issues (e.g. kindergarten): Under the responsibility of the steering group

Goals and measures

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Teaching digital skills

The aim is to impart digital skills to everyone. The cross-departmental digital skills initiative ensures that forces are pooled and that the digital skills of citizens are increased in a joint strategy.

The goal is to make Austrians digitally fit by 2030. The measures range from financing future training and further education for all interested parties to a uniform competence level and certification system.
 

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Strengthen basic digital skills

The aim is to equip as many people in Austria as possible with basic digital skills. To reach this goal the "Digital Skills Initiative"  bundles quality-assured teaching of basic digital skills in the population and in various fields of action (primarily ICT experts, education, citizens, employees, companies and public administration).

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Increase proportion of IT specialists

Another aim is to increase the proportion of IT specialists and especially female IT specialists.

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Talent development

Promoting digital talent

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National reference framework for digital skills

Introduction of a national reference framework for digital skills to make them measurable and comparable.

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Role model for the public sector

By strengthening the digital skills of administrative staff, we are further expanding the basis for a modern, service-oriented state.

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"Digital Skills for All" initiative November and December 2023

As an immediate measure of the Digital Skills Initiative, around 800 workshops for digital beginners were held nationwide from October to December 2023 as part of the “Digital Skills for All” pilot project.

Over 8,500 interested people took part in the free workshop offer.
A total of 36 education providers carried out the workshops on the main topics of digital senior education, E-government and (safe) use of digital media for parents and young people.

Digital Skills Dialogues

Quelle: vorarlberg.at/presse, A. Serra

The "Digital Skills Dialogues" initiated by the Digital Skills Initiative took place in the federal states in spring 2023. The aim of the dialogues was to strengthen joint cooperation between the federal and state governments in the area of digital skills. The Digital Austria Pact was concluded as the basis for the cooperation. The dialogues started on 3 March in Dornbirn, the last event took place in Klagenfurt on 26 May.

A total of 145 measures from the federal states were collected at the Digital Skills Dialogues and many good practices were presented as a learning field for the federal governments and other federal states.

In addition to the topics of cross-sectional measures (overarching strategy development, database, digital skills network, awareness-raising, certification), funding and IT specialists, the focus of the workshops was on low-threshold, target group-orientated measures to promote digital skills:

• broad basic qualification,
• "Train the Trainer" programmes and the
• Further training/professional qualification.

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Dates of the Digital Skills Dialogues

Starting in March 2023 in Vorarlberg and stopped on the 26th of May 2023 in Carinthia

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Digital Austria Pact of the Digital Skills Initiative

Successful digital transformation offers Austria great opportunities for new value creation, jobs, sustainable quality of life and social participation. The prerequisite for exploiting all these opportunities is the broad anchoring of digital skills in society, business and administration. The pooling of all forces and the implementation of transparent quality standards for digital skills create an important basis for jointly advancing the development of digital skills in Austria.

With this in mind, the federal government's Digital Competence Initiative Austria (DKO) aims to

- by 2030, as many people in Austria as possible will have basic digital skills ,

- the proportion of IT specialists and especially female IT specialists will be increased and digital talent will be promoted in order to meet the economy's need for skilled workers and to make the best possible use of the growth potential of digitalisation,

- digital skills will be made measurable and comparable with the introduction of a national reference framework.

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Securing digital skills together

Against this background, the supporters of the Digital Austria Pact of the Digital Skills Initiative Austria are committed to this,

→ raise awareness of the crucial importance of digital skills for the future in all areas of life and business

→ contribute to closing the existing “digital gap” and support digital accessibility for the secure participation of all people, regardless of age, income or disability

→ improve the basic digital skills of all citizens so that they can benefit as much as possible from the many opportunities offered by Digitalisation - including in the area of administration,

→ to inspire as many people as possible - especially girls and women - interested in digital training and professions and to support their ongoing training in the sense of lifelong learning,

→ to support existing employees from all industries and sectors as well as job seekers in securing or expanding their professional skills through digital competencies

→ actively promote qualification in companies, intensify cooperation and networking between state and non-state actors to promote digital skills,

→ ensure a transparent and reliable standard for digital skills at the various competence levels by using and disseminating the Digital Competence Model for Austria - DigComp AT, and

→ to support the Digital Skills Initiative for Austria as a platform for the strategically sound further development of digital skills in Austria

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Digital Skills Summit

The "Digital Skills Summit" marked the conclusion of the federal/state strategy development process and is a visible sign of national solidarity. The jointly developed "Strategy of Digital Skills in Austria" and its key points and guiding measures were presented at the event.

Strategy Digital Skills in Austria

Shaping the future together!

The acquisition and further development of citizens' personal digital skills is an essential prerequisite for successful digitisation. The joint strategy sets targeted priorities and measures for society, business and administration. 
You can also find the entire strategy paper in the download area. 

The skills package for Austria

Joining forces to promote digital skills

With the Digital Skills Initiative, Austria is pooling all its strengths for more digital skills and has established a holistic stakeholder initiative supported by four ministries (BMF, BMKOES, BMAW, BMBWF) for the first time.

The "Strategy Digital Skills for Austria" of the Digital Skills Initiative was developed in a nationwide dialogue process with more than 500 experts and stakeholders from 80 institutions. Around 350 measures and initiatives were identified, clustered and bundled.

On this basis, the "Strategy Digital Skills for Austria" sets eight strategic priorities in a skills package with specific measures for the further development of digital skills.

The competence package comprises the following eight strategic priorities:
 

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1. Introducing a frame of reference

Austria will receive a national competence framework for digital skills, which will be introduced jointly.

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2. Low-threshold education

Low-threshold offers will be further developed in a target group-oriented manner. This will be done with the “Digital Everywhere” workshop program for basic skills in every municipality in Austria and with the “Digital Everywhere PLUS” development program.

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3. Train the trainers

The “Train the Trainer” concept is intended to support actors in the (adult) education landscape in teaching digital skills. To this end, there are information events and workshops for educational institutions, IT trainers and multipliers.

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4. Utilising best practices

To make the best possible use of existing resources, best practices for teaching digital skills are identified, scaled and offered nationwide.

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5. Public sector as a role model

As an education provider, the public sector should also act as a role model in the teaching of digital skills. The national reference framework will be introduced at the Academy of Finance and the Academy of Public Administration, among others.

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6. train IT specialists

In order to counteract the shortage of IT specialists, an “IT Experts” funding call will support innovative implementation ideas to combat the shortage of IT specialists.

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7. accompany AI in the world of work

The spread of AI in the world of work is to be accompanied by cross-departmental measures on the topic of "digital skills and AI". To this end, experts are developing recommendations and a roadmap.

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8. Being an international pioneer

Austria's pioneering role in teaching and recognising digital skills is also reflected in its participation in international initiatives. For example, Austria is participating in the piloting of the European Digital Skills Certificate (EDSC).
 

Digital Innovation School for Top IT-Talents

As part of the Digital Skills Initiative (DKO) for Austria, the federal government is implementing a joint initiative to develop and secure top IT-talents for Austria.
With the Digital Innovation School, a globally unique interdisciplinary training opportunity is being created at the Complexity Science Hub (CSH). The doctoral program will start in autumn with the first students.
This will support the DKO's strategic goal of increasing the number of IT experts.
The doctoral program will accept at least five outstanding students each year.
These students do not have to commit themselves to a scientific niche. The program integrates a range of topics and disciplines such as Data, Network & Complexity Science.
In addition, students will be able to gain important experience in the implementation of research results in policy and practice - through collaborations and internships in public administration and companies.

The doctoral program meets the growing demand for specialists who are able to find solutions to current and future challenges facing society and the planet.

The CSH Digital Innovation School is run in cooperation with the partner universities of the Complexity Science Hub.
In addition, students of the Digital Innovation School will benefit from the CSH's close relationships with numerous other institutions in Austria and worldwide.