THE COALITION
The National Coalition for Digital Skills and Jobs, hereinafter referred to as the “Coalition”, is a group of organizations from the public and private sectors and civil society, aimed at promoting digital literacy across the whole spectrum of social structure and economic activity, so as to bridge the digital divide and create an open, democratic and inclusive society. The Coalition aims to promote effective coordination and to build a relationship of trust and constructive cooperation between all stakeholders, in order to maximize impact and avoid duplication of effort and initiatives.
The Coalition runs under the supervision of the Digital Champion, a title assigned to the Permanent Secretary of the Deputy Ministry, by Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 89,557 and date. 10.06.2020, and is part of the National Action Plan for Digital Skills 2021-2025, which has been included in the national Recovery and Resilience Plan, “Cyprus_tomorrow”.
Digital skills are a key tool for learning, working and actively participating in digital communities, providing citizens with the opportunity to fully reap benefits arising from the digital transition, as well as for quality jobs and careers with high remuneration. At the same time, as an integral part of the wider digital agenda, they contribute significantly to productivity, sustainability and prosperity, and, as such, they have been included as one of the four (4) key action pillars of Europe’s Digital Decade . According to the Digital Compass, which defines the EU’s digital ambitions, by 2030, at least 80% of all adults should have basic digital skills while the EU should employ 20 million IT and ICT specialists.
This action is a part of a pan-European initiative aiming to promote cooperation between EU Member States (MS), companies, social partners, non-profit organizations, education and training providers to bridge the digital divide and advance the use of digital technologies across the EU.
The main purpose of the National Coalition is to promote ICT initiatives, events and education and training programs, that will address the wider workforce (and unemployed) but also ICT professionals, as well as the general population, with an emphasis on vulnerable groups and remote areas aiming at:
- Improving society’s response to the digital challenge and ensuring the active participation of all citizens in the digital society and economy
- Bridging the gap between supply and demand in the labour market, both in terms of future skills and the availability of ICT professionals, so as to meet the growing and more specialized needs of organizations in today’s highly competitive environment
- Promoting women’s participation in the ICT sector
- Redesigning the education system to advance the skills of the future, utilize new technologies in learning and teaching, and promote STEAM fields as career options
- Raising public awareness for the importance of digital skills and lifelong learning
