Type of initiative of the good practice

The Skills Labs, developed by the Ministry of Education of Greece, member of the Greek National Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition, give children the opportunity to discover and cultivate multifaceted knowledge, skills and inclinations, in order to become active citizens in a changing environment with challenges related to the use of new technologies. This action is aligned with the Digital Transformation Bible 2020-2025, the national strategic document for the digital transformation of Greece.

The goals of the programs have been determined based on the so-called skills of the 21st century: life skills, soft skills and technology and science skills. The addressed skills include critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, flexibility and adaptability, initiative, organizational ability, empathy and social skills, problem solving, digital and technological literacy.

The Ministry of Education has included the Skills Lab in the compulsory timetable of all kindergartens, primary and junior high school from September 2022, after the pilot implementation in 218 schools across the country. According to the Statistical Service, the students who are expected to benefit from this initiative are about 1.000.000.

The program and training material of the Skills Labs are grouped into four thematic pillarsfrom the Global Indicators of Sustainable Development (environment, well-being, security, civil society, modern technology and entrepreneurship) and is adapted by age group.

Children’s digital skills are given the opportunity to be cultivated in several topic units, such as the so called 21st Century Skills (e.g. Digital Communication, Digital Collaboration, Digital Creativity, Digital Critical Thinking, Combined Digital Skills technology, etc.) and Digital Citizenship Skills (E-Government, Safe Browsing, Protection from Technology Addiction, etc.). Also, more specialised skills in engineering technology and computer science are taught (e.g. creation and production of digital content, use of new technologies etc. Finally, Media Management Skills (Computer literacy, Digital literacy, Media literacy, Internet security, Robotics with modeling and simulation skills and computational thinking) and organisational and mind skills such as Strategical thinking, problem solving and many more.

The pioneering program of Skills Labs is published in the collective edition of the Network with Good Practices for Quality in Global Education (GENE Award 2021 Compendium of Quality in Global Education) and can be a good practice for other countries.

ICT Skillnet Ireland is a national agency supporting businesses in Ireland to address their skill needs by promoting and facilitating enterprise training and workforce learning, especially in the context of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). It also targets jobseekers and employees looking to upskill or reskill, through capacity-building initiatives and resources, with the aim of driving further employment.

About ICT Skillnet Ireland

Skillnet Ireland was established 1999 and is funded from the National Training Fund through the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. Nationwide Learning Networks (groups of companies within the same industry sector or region) coordinate the training and assist SMEs in identifying their skill needs. The Learning Networks receive funding from Skillnet to subsidise the training of companies. Technology Ireland represents the Learning Network for the provision of information and communication technology (ICT) skills.

The training programmes listed are partly free or paid, intensive short-term (upskilling) courses to MSc (Masters level) programmes. Unemployed learners receive free courses and can participate in conversion programmes, including a certificate in emerging technologies. Work placements within ICT companies are also offered.

In March 2021 ICT Skillnet Ireland launched Future in Tech, an initiative comprising of 9 tech skills programmes to help jobseekers with no technological or digital background to understand and develop the digital skills they need to access a rapidly changing job market.

Why is this a good practice?

Since its launch, the initiative has been successful in ameliorating the national landscape when it comes to digital skills, jobs and employment for the labour force and citizens alike. So far, over 30 accredited courses on different technology topics of relevance have been launched.

Skillnet Ireland currently supports over 22,500 businesses nationwide and provides a wide range of valuable learning experiences to over 86,500 trainees. ICT Skillnet Ireland also launched Ireland’s first masters-level higher education programme in Artificial Intelligence (2018) and has continued expanding and developing its network through distance and blended learning opportunities, industry-led programmes, engagement of stakeholders, and continuous commitment to funding. The qualification courses produced by ICT Skillnet have also proven successful in leading towards a qualification recognised by employers and have contributed to increasing employability on a national level, evidenced by high employment progression rates.

Over the last 20 years, ICT Skillnet Ireland has achieved tremendous results. More than 5,000 companies have participated in workshops and training provision in advanced digital skills, and basic skills required for the digital transformation. Over 12,000 professionals have been trained with critical tech skills for key industries – a major contribution to Ireland’s efforts towards the Digital Decade.