The digital skills gap widens and narrows depending on the region and the speed at which technology changes. Blending education with workplace practice is one way to help to meet the ICT industry’s digital skills requirements.
The EU has implemented various funding mechanisms to offer all students opportunities to gain workplace and cross-border experience, and this includes the digital technology sector. Following meetings, workshops and lobbying by all country stakeholders involved in the digital sector, the EU has now launched an important pilot scheme of traineeships specifically aimed at strengthening specialist ICT skills in fields such as cybersecurity, big data, quantum technology and software development.
The Digital Opportunity Traineeships initiative is an EU-funded project to provide cross-border traineeships in digital skills for 6,000 students and recent graduates from 2018 to 2020. The first traineeships will start in spring 2018. Trainees will receive an allowance of around €500 per month for a maximum of five months.
The project is open to all countries benefiting from the Erasmusplus and Horizon 2020 programmes, including Malta. Considering that the project is open to all European countries it is expected that the 6,000 places available will be quickly swallowed up. If the project reaps the right benefit and is deemed value for money, there would be a good chance that funding for it will grow further.
The eSkills Malta Foundation encourages organisations from the private and public sector to show their interest and register their intentions in taking on digital trainees from other countries. On their part, local students are encouraged to contact their education provider to register their interest in the scheme accordingly.
All EU countries need to ensure that the knowledge, skills, competence and innovation of ICT practitioners meet the highest professional standards. The European Foundational ICT Body of Knowledge, the European e-Competence Framework, professional ethics and continuous professional development are all part of the framework for IT professionalism, a framework to uphold these high standards.
Students and recent graduates may apply through their respective university, according to the timing and procedures established by the university for Erasmusplus traineeships.
On their part, companies may publish their offers on the platforms Drop’pin@EURES or ErasmusIntern, or they can advertise them through direct contacts with universities’ career offices.
For more information e-mail eSkills Malta Foundation on info.eskills@eskills.org.mt.
Carm Cachia is executive coordinator, eSkills Malta Foundation.