Resources for developing skills

Many digital platforms or websites are specifically purposed to collect digital tools, learning and teaching resources, good practices in order to better help and facilitate the users in the choice of the programs that best match their needs. Here listed some excellent examples of collections of resources:

  • DG EAC repository of online tools: it is a selection of online resources and tools for learners, teachers and educators during the outbreak of COVID-19[1].
  • How VET stakeholders are facing the COVID-19 emergency is a document published by the European Commission to bring together a list of initiatives put together from different sources: main initiatives of international organisations active in the field of education and training; resources shared on various EU platforms; resources shared through surveys; resources identified by the ET 2020 Working Group on Innovation and Digitalisation in VET.

  • UNESCO has published a list of educational applications, platforms and resources[2] aimed at facilitate student learning and provide social care and interaction. They tend to have a wide reach, a strong user-base and evidence of impact. They are categorized based on distance learning needs, but most of them offer functionalities across multiple categories.
  • HundrED is a network of innovators, has published a collection of 30 simple, yet effective solutions that help parents, teachers and children navigate through the plethora of challenges facing education during the pandemic. From the opportunity for teachers to form much stronger connections with parents, students (especially for students with disabilities) to challenges of untrained teachers and lack of access to digital learning resources, the report has plentiful insights and resources[3].
  • The European Vocational Skills Week is a platform to make VET’s potential more widely known, and an opportunity to exchange information and good practice across Europe and beyond. This year’s theme is VET for Green and Digital Transitions, in line with the Commission priorities of a “European Green Deal” and a “Europe fit for the digital age”.[4]
  • ET 2020 Working Group on Digital Education: Learning, Teaching and Assessment[5]: is one of the ET 2020 working groups that are set up as part of the EU’s policy cooperation process in education and training supporting common policy objectives. This Working Group discusses the purposeful and innovative use of digital technologies in education and training, and the development of digital competences. It examines how education systems can best respond to changes in society and a labour market driven by digital transformation, promotes good practices and the co-development of policy solutions.
  • EPALE (Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe)[6]: is a European, multilingual online community of adult learning professionals, including adult educators and trainers, guidance and support staff, researchers and academics, and policymakers. This platform provides different kinds of contents as well as professional developments tools to support and strengthen the adult learning professions. It enables members to connect with and learn from colleagues across Europe, through its blog posts, forums, the Partner Search tool, complemented with physical gatherings. Specific sections are focuses on collecting resources to support digital transformation of adult education, digital skills development and training for people with disabilities. You can find relevant Digital Skills and e-Learning resources by using the Search Bar on EPALE. You can find useful tools and materials to teach and learn, following these blog posts:
  1. COVID-19 is reviving the need to explore online teaching and learning opportunities
  2. Key competences for lifelong learning: resources for online education
  3. EPALE Resource Kit #1 - Distance Learning

  • The Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition[7]organizes thematic webinars with the National Coalitions and their members. During these sessions, the participants share their challenges, solutions and experiences in response to the sudden need for digital skills among Europeans. These initiatives cover various topics surrounding the new context in which teachers, students, SME owners, employees, self-employed and citizens find themselves. Different initiatives and good practices identified and collected by the National Coalitions are kept and updated on the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition webpage.

  • Online platforms for teachers and educators is a digital platform that provide a range of online EU-supported platforms for teachers and educators during the outbreak of COVID-19.[8]
  • Digital Capabilities for Social Workers[9] is a project aimed to help social workers to be confident using digital technology and data to support their increasingly evolving role. A collection of resources that define what the digital capabilities are, while providing examples and tools to help social workers be confident using digital technology and data to support their increasingly complex role.

[2] https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/solutions

[3] https://hundred.org/en/collections/quality-education-for-all-during-coronavirus

[4] https://ec.europa.eu/social/vocational-skills-week/european-vocational-skills-week-2017_en

[5] https://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/european-policy-cooperation/et2020-working-groups_en

[6] https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en

[7] https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/digital-skills-and-jobs-coalition-compiles-digital-skills-resources-and-best-practices

[8] https://ec.europa.eu/education/resources-and-tools/coronavirus-online-learning-resources/online-platforms_en

[9] https://www.scie.org.uk/social-work/digital-capabilities