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The Ministry of Economic Affairs pays attention to the development of digital skills of the workforce in its ICT policy. Studies and media reports show that the Dutch workforce is at risk of falling behind in these skills. A gap is emerging between the demand for ICT specialists and users. This gap is particularly evident in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Due to this gap, SMEs may not benefit as much from the advantages that ICT can offer for labour productivity, innovation, competitive position and economic growth.
Given this issue, the question has arisen of what role the government, in particular the Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ) and possibly also the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, together with educational institutions, companies, and employees, can play in addressing this (potential) shortage.
On behalf of the ministry, Dialogic is compiling examples of how governments and companies in foreign countries stimulate digital competencies of employees. It is known that other European countries are also facing similar issues to varying degrees. Solutions are being devised by governments and companies in these countries. These solutions may be suitable for the Dutch situation. The effects of the identified solutions are often still unknown. When selecting solutions in this quick scan, emphasis is placed on solutions that are mentioned relatively frequently and on the parties involved in the initiative.
