Enhancing digital literacy, skills and inclusion

The digital era should be about empowerment and emancipation; background or skills should not be a barrier to accessing this potential.

As more daily tasks are carried out online, from applying for a job to paying taxes or booking tickets, using the internet has become an integral part of daily life for many Europeans. Yet, 150 million Europeans – some 30% - have never used the internet. Often they say they have no need or that it is too expensive. This group is largely made up of people aged 65 to 74 years old, people on low incomes, the unemployed and the less educated.

In many cases the take-up gap is due to lack of user skills such as digital and media literacy, not only for employability but also for learning, creating, participating and being confident and discerning in the use of digital media. Accessibility and usability are also problems for Europeans with disabilities. Bridging this digital divide can help members of disadvantaged social groups to participate on a more equal footing in digital society (including services of direct interest to them such as eLearning, eGovernment, eHealth) and to tackle their disadvantage through increased employability. Digital competence is thus one of the eight key competences which are fundamental for individuals in a knowledge-based society . It is also key for all to understand how to be safe online.

In addition, ICT cannot function effectively as a European growth sector and as a motor of competitiveness and productivity gains across the European economy without skilled practitioners. The EU economy is hampered by a shortage of ICT practitioner skills: Europe could lack the skills to fill as many as 700,000 IT jobs by 2015.

Digital literacy and skills

It is essential to educate European citizens to use ICT and digital media and particularly to attract youngsters to ICT education. The supply of ICT practitioner and e-business skills, i.e. the digital skills necessary for innovation and growth, needs to be increased and upgraded. In addition, given there are 30 million women between the ages of 15-24 , it is necessary to improve the attractiveness of the ICT sector for professional use and in particularly for the production and design of technology. All citizens should be made aware of the potential of ICT for all kind of professions. This calls for multi-stakeholder partnerships, increased learning, recognition about digital competences in formal education and training systems, as well as awareness raising and effective ICT training and certification outside formal education systems, including the use of online tools and digital media for re-skilling and continuing professional development . Based on the experience gained from the first "European e-Skills Week" (1-5 March 2010) , the Commission will support the in 2010 and thereafter, national and European awareness raising activities with a view to promote ICT education, careers and jobs to young people as well as to foster digital literacy among citizen and ICT training for the workforce and the adoption of best practices.

Inclusive digital services

The benefits of the digital society should be available to all. The Commission will examine, in the light of its recent public consultation, how best to meet demand for basic telecom services in today's competitive markets, what role universal service could play in achieving the objective of broadband for all, and how universal service should be financed. Should it appear necessary to do so, the Commission will bring forward proposals in regard to the Universal Service Directive by the end of 2010.

There is also need for concerted actions to make sure that new electronic content is also fully available to persons with disabilities. In particular, public websites and online services in the EU that are important to take a full part in public life should be brought in line with international web accessibility standards . Moreover, the UN Convention on the Rights of persons with disabilities contains obligations concerning accessibility.