ELEVATE: European League of Advanced Digital Skills Academies

Expected Outcome

Deliverables:

1. A seal of quality/accreditation of excellence developed and piloted by the European League of Advanced Digital Skills Academies for training modules offered by existing or upcoming sectoral academies and initiatives;
2. Capacity building activities such as cross-sectoral mentoring programmes;
3. Collaboration established with the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform and learning resources and material provided to the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform catalogue/repository by adding resources/material in the area of advanced digital skills developed by the sectoral academies/initiatives and other EU-funded projects in the area of advanced digital skills (notably the DEP-funded specialised education programmes);
4. A sustainable multi-stakeholder governance structure, fully aligned to the existing and upcoming sectoral academies/initiatives and other initiatives funded by the EU;
5. Networking activities and events to enhance stakeholder collaboration and strengthen community building by creating a community of practice in the area of advanced digital skills and by sharing best practices;
6. Communication, dissemination and outreach activities carried out supporting the four pillars of activities described under scope;
7. Detailed market analyses and impact assessments, providing further insights into the existing education and training offers and related gaps in the area of advanced digital skills (not sufficiently covered by other studies) and foresight studies provided in close collaboration with the selected proposal of the call DIGITAL-2023-SKILLS-05-SPECIAL-PROGEDU - Advanced digital skills analysis and the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform.

Objective

The Commission has set ambitious targets in the Digital Decade Policy Programme of reaching 20 million ICT professionals employed in Europe, while promoting access of women to this field, by 2030. Effective collaboration among stakeholders in advanced digital skills is crucial for this investment to bear fruit and to reach the Digital Decade target. An umbrella action at European level, the European League of Advanced Digital Skills Academies, will spearhead this effort by federating existing sectoral initiatives (e.g. the Cybersecurity Skills Academy and the EuroHPC Virtual Training Academy), the newly created sectoral digital skills academies (see topic 4.1 of the DEP Work Programme 2025-2027) and other EU-funded projects focusing on advanced digital skills (notably the DIGITAL-funded higher (specialised) education programmes), fostering synergies with related initiatives like the Digital Largescale Partnership under the New Pact for Skills and the European Digital Education Hub. It will leverage platforms such as the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform to create a cohesive ecosystem. ELEVATE’s vision is to empower stakeholders through coordination, capacity building, communication, and market analysis, driving collective achievement in advanced digital skills.

A special emphasis of the League will be on the development and piloting of a mechanism to provide a seal of quality/accreditation of excellence for training modules offered by existing or upcoming sectoral academies and initiatives.

Scope

Initiatives such as the Cybersecurity Skills Academy and the four academies (see topic 4.1 of the DEP work Programme 2025-2027) tackle the shortage of ICT specialists in a specific area, highlighting critical issues. The League aims to enhance coordination and collaboration among sectoral initiatives and projects, fostering synergies and a collective approach to minimize fragmentation risks.

The European League of Advanced Digital Skills Academies will be structured around four pillars:

1. Coordination and collaboration among sectoral academies, sectoral initiatives and individual projects in advanced digital skills aimed at pooling resources and expertise. Using the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform, this effort will lead to (a) improved sharing of information and best practices, facilitating mutual learning and staying updated of developments, (b) enhanced stakeholder collaboration, including seeking partnerships and advocating for policy changes, (c) unified advocacy for systemic improvements, such as the provision of European joint degrees and micro-credentials in advanced digital skills and (d) strengthened networking and community building, fostering a sense of shared identity among initiatives.
2. Capacity building activities will complement the training offer of the sectoral academies and sectoral initiatives, for example through implementing cross-sectoral mentoring programmes. Furthermore, the League will help developing a framework for a certification mechanism of modular learning credentials for advanced digital skills and support the sectoral academies/initiatives in implementing it. The certification of other existing trainings at European level through the League will be explored, closely with Member States, in line with the 2022 Council Recommendation on a European approach to micro-credentials1. The League is expected to leverage the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform to offer access to diverse learning materials and courses from various training institutions as well as the newly developed modules. It will also support the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform's matchmaking tool, facilitating collaboration between industry representatives and education and training providers. Additionally, the League will collaborate with the Data Space for Skills, promoting community engagement and uptake and facilitating the implementation of use cases.
3. Communication and awareness efforts aimed at boosting visibility and credibility of career paths in ICT. The League will also support the promotion of the European advanced digital skills competitions (see topic 4.4 of the DEP work Programme 2025-2027). In addition, the League will seek collaboration with Member States and industry to explore further initiatives to boost the engagement of the public with advanced digital skills in innovative manners.
4. Market analysis and impact assessment by leveraging the League’s broad networking activities and existing data/information, including produced by past or recent EU funded coordination and support actions in the field of digital skills and education, to provide more insights into the existing education and training offers in the area of advanced digital skills and to what extent the current offers match the needs of the current and future labour market.

1 Council Recommendation of 16 June 2022 on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability 2022/C 243/02