Digital literacy for modern employment in the future era

The current societal and economic landscape is undergoing significant transformation, ^[2]emphasising the importance of specific skills for workforce integration and organisational competitiveness.^[1]

This period of change has elevated digital literacy to a status equivalent to traditional literacy and numeracy, acknowledging its critical role in securing employment and leveraging the opportunities presented by an increasingly digital economy and society for personal and social advancement.^[4]

Digital skills, the capabilities enabling individuals to engage with technology across various domains, including work, education, commerce, information access, entertainment, and social participation, are integral to virtually all facets of life and employment ^[5]. These skills enhance employability, productivity, creativity, and adaptability to future technological shifts. ^[3]

Notably, the digital competencies required today differ from those of the past, highlighting the importance of foundational digital literacy alongside cultivating an ethos of lifelong learning to navigate the evolving technological landscape.^[4]

In policy discussions, digital skills are categorised into three distinct levels using the classification by the International Telecommunications Union ^[5]:

1. Basic level: This refers to basic digital skills such as using keyboards or touchscreens, operating standard software (e.g., word processors), managing files, sending emails, completing online forms, and navigating the internet.
2. Intermediate level: At this skill level, individuals can use digital technologies more efficiently to create content, engage in automated processes, and evaluate technology. This category is characterised by a constant need to develop new skills, including the ability to analyse, produce, interpret, and visualise large amounts of data, which are increasingly important for employability in the modern workforce.^[3]
3. Advanced level: This level refers to the skills required for specialised roles in the IT sector or related fields, such as graphic design, multimedia development, and data analysis. The demand for individuals with these advanced skills is projected to increase, driven by technological advancements in artificial intelligence, big data, coding, and the Internet of Things. Typically, these skills are acquired through higher education, although coding boot camps offer viable alternatives. From the perspective of vocational training, two significant challenges need to be addressed.^[2]

From the vantage point of vocational training, two pivotal challenges emerge: firstly, the development of training programs that span all levels of digital skill acquisition in anticipation of the ubiquitous need for these skills across all professions. Secondly, the digital evolution of Vocational Education and Training (VET) necessitates continuous professional development for its management, administrative, and teaching personnel to remain abreast of technological progress.^[5]

1. Adams Becker, S., Cummins, M., Davis, A., Freeman, A., Hall Giesinger, C., & Ananthanarayanan, V. (2017). NMC Horizon Report: 2017 Higher Education Edition. The New Media Consortium. ↗︎
2. European Commission. (2020). Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027). European Commission. ↗︎
3. Hurrelmann, K., & Schultz, T. (2020). The Theory of Socialisation. In J. Mansel, K. Speck, & C. Palentien (Eds.), Socialisation during the Life Course. Routledge. ↗︎
4. International Telecommunications Union. (2020). Measuring digital development: Facts and figures 2020. ITU Publications. ↗︎
5. van Laar, E., van Deursen, A.J.A.M., van Dijk, J.A.G.M., & de Haan, J. (2017). The relation between 21st-century skills and digital skills: A systematic literature review. Computers in Human Behavior, 72, 577-588. ↗︎