C-DISK – Certify DIgital Soft sKills

"<< Background >>The project responded to the challenges posed by Digital Transformation (DT), which impacted three key areas: technology, organizational strategies, and social-economic dynamics. The increasing penetration of digital technologies reshaped business models, organizational processes, and professional skills systems, requiring organizations and workers to adapt or risk losing competitiveness. Despite this urgency, there was a notable skills gap: only 20% of companies had initiated cultural and skills development for DT, while 36% reported lacking adequate digital talent. Moreover, vocational education programs were insufficient to meet labor market needs, and reports from the European Commission and the World Economic Forum forecasted that 9 out of 10 jobs would require solid digital skills by 2022. This ""digital mismatch"" was expected to cause up to a 50% productivity loss, with 37% of the EU workforce lacking essential digital skills. Additionally, the ""technological paradox"" highlighted the gap between young people’s familiarity with technology and their inability to align these skills with labor market demands. This underlined the urgency of updating vocational education and professional training to support digital transitions.<< Objectives >>The project aimed to achieve the following objectives:Support the growth of digital skills: The project sought to enhance the digital skills of students and workers involved in VET and continuous training processes, including both technological knowledge and soft skills/e-leadership.Address the skills mismatch: It contributed to reducing the gap between supply and demand (skill shortage) in the labor market, particularly in light of the digital transformation's evolving needs.Promote formal recognition of digital skills: The project worked to support the formal certification of digital skills—both technical and interpersonal—thereby facilitating transitions and mobility across school-to-work pathways, sectors, regions, and countries.Enhance training institutions’ capacities: It focused on increasing the ability of vocational training institutions (both initial and continuous) to design and deliver effective training courses aimed at developing digital skills for students and workers.<< Implementation >>The implementation of the C-DISK project was structured around the production of its three key results:R1: C-DISK Digital Skills ModelThis model, developed and validated through a systematic review of the literature, surveys, and focus groups, structured digital competencies into three main areas: technological knowledge, soft skills, and e-leadership. Activities included:•Conducting a literature review on digital skills and e-leadership, benchmarking frameworks such as DigComp 2.1.•Designing and refining the model through surveys (587 responses from students, trainers, and managers) and 8 focus groups involving 45 participants.•Formalizing the model into practical guidelines tailored for target groups (students, workers, and trainers).R2: C-DISK Self-Assessment Platform (SAP)The SAP was developed as a comprehensive tool to assess and provide feedback on digital competencies. Key activities:•Benchmarking existing solutions and selecting Moodle as the platform base.•Designing a user-friendly, multilingual platform aligned with the skills model, with differentiated evaluations for target groups.•Technical implementation, testing, and populating the platform with tailored content.•Conducting a pilot phase integrated with multiplier events, leading to 680 users and 499 certifications issued.R3: C-DISK Blended Training ToolkitThis toolkit provided structured training paths to enhance digital competencies. It featured modular content with gamified levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold) for three groups: students, trainers, and managers. Activities included:•Macro and micro design of training modules addressing technical skills, soft skills, and e-leadership.•Peer-reviewed content development and translations into all partner languages.•Piloting of the toolkit during five multiplier events, involving 200 participants who tested the full learning journey.•Development of a Teacher’s Guide to assist educators in delivering the training effectively.•the partnership developed a set of recommendations to further advance the implementation of micro-credentials.<< Results >>The C-DISK project delivered the following concrete results:1. C-DISK Digital Skills Model (R1)An innovative Digital Skills Model was developed and validated, comprising three main areas: technological knowledge, soft skills, and e-leadership. It includes:•19 competence blocks, with tailored examples for three target groups: VET students, VET teachers, and workers in continuous training.•Comprehensive guidelines for using the model in self-assessment, training, and certification processes.The model serves as a reference for digital skills development and labor market alignment.2. C-DISK Self-Assessment Platform (SAP) (R2)A multilingual self-assessment platform was developed and implemented, based on Moodle, to evaluate digital competencies. Key features include:•A structured evaluation aligned with the Digital Skills Model.•Personalized feedback and certification for different skill levels.•A user base of 680 registered participants and 499 certificates issued during the pilot phase.The platform facilitates skill gap analysis and development for students, workers, and trainers.3. C-DISK Blended Training Toolkit (R3)A modular Blended Training Toolkit was created to enhance digital skills in three levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold). It includes:•Detailed macro and micro-designs, with specific modules on technological knowledge, soft skills, and e-leadership.•Training materials and gamified elements to engage participants.•A Teacher’s Guide, providing practical instructions for educators on delivering the toolkit in both classroom and blended formats.•a set of recommendations to guide the future integration of micro-credentials in professional training.The toolkit was piloted with 200 participants during multiplier events, receiving positive feedback on its usability and content.These outputs contributed to addressing the digital skill gaps of the target groups and provided sustainable tools and methodologies to support digital transitions in education and the labor market."