To integrate the labour market effectively*, young people should understand how digital technologies can support communication, creativity, and innovation, and be aware of their opportunities, limitations, effects and risks. Digital competence includes information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, media literacy, digital content creation, safety (including digital well-being and competences related to cybersecurity), or even intellectual property-related questions.
effectively* means to do something in a way that is successful and achieves what you want.
!!! efficiently means working or operating in an organized, quick, and effective way.
The main skills that the EU focuses on connected to digital competence are:
- Critical use of information technology for work
- Basic skills in ICT *
- Understanding the role, opportunity, and risks related to ICT in everyday life
- Ability to use and handle technological tools and machines.
- Fundamental understanding of the ethical and legal issues surrounding the access and use of information technologies.
- Apply Technology Effectively: technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate, and communicate information.
The term ICT refers to Information and Communications Technology.
EU created a tool to improve digital competence called European Digital Competence Framework “DigComp.”
European’s Digital Competence Framework report called “DigComp 2.0” identifies the key components of digital competence in 5 areas which can be summarised as below:
Information and data literacy: To articulate information needs, to locate and retrieve digital data, information and content. To judge the relevance of the source and its content. To store, manage, and organise digital data, information and content.
Communication and collaboration: To interact, communicate and collaborate through digital technologies while being aware of cultural and generational diversity. To participate in society through public and private digital services and participatory citizenship. To manage one’s digital identity and reputation.
Digital content creation: To create and edit digital content To improve and integrate information and content into an existing body of knowledge while understanding how copyright and licences are to be applied. To know how to give understandable instructions for a computer system.
Safety: To protect devices, content, personal data and privacy in digital environments. To protect physical and psychological health, and to be aware of digital technologies for social well-being and social inclusion. To be aware of the environmental impact of digital technologies and their use.
Problem-solving: To identify needs and problems, and to resolve conceptual problems and problem situations in digital environments. To use digital tools to innovate processes and products. To keep up-to-date with the digital evolution.
