SKILLS TO CONNECT: Digital skills at the service of seniors

European project

October 2023 to December 2025

Supported by Erasmus+, the SKILLS TO CONNECT project aims to enable current and future professionals working with senior citizens to acquire basic digital skills.

Context

There is an increased need for digital inclusion for professionals working with the elderly who, as front-line workers, are often faced with technological obstacles in their day-to-day work. The COVID-19 health crisis has only confirmed the importance of these barriers at both a professional and personal level. Studies carried out in 2019 among these professionals in various European countries show alarming results, for example:

In Portugal, 60% of professionals have insufficient digital skills (survey carried out by the association of establishments and services for the elderly "APESF").
In France, 70% of professionals suffer from illiteracy (survey carried out by the Syndicat national des établissements et résidences privées pour personnes âgées "SYNERPA").
In Belgium, only 30% of professionals had sufficient digital skills (study carried out by the Institut national d'assurance-maladie-invalidité "INAM").

These results show that the vast majority of professionals working with older people in Europe have limited digital skills. It is therefore vital to offer them appropriate solutions to help them acquire the skills and knowledge they need to use digital tools effectively.

Objectives

By implementing the SKILLS TO CONNECT project, the partnership aims to enable the project's target groups to improve access to information and services, boost their employability and social participation and enable them to become active European citizens. Enabling current and future professionals to put into practice the new skills they have acquired in the digital field by training senior citizens in their turn will give them the opportunity to succeed and be valued.

Three productions will be available at the end of the project, providing an understanding of the difficulties involved in using digital technology and creating relevant educational solutions:

The creation, with and for current and future professionals, of digital training modules based on the European DigComp 2.2 and GreenComp reference frameworks.
The creation, with these professionals and the trainees, of a toolbox to help remove the barriers to priority digital uses for the people they support on a daily basis
Drawing up a white paper for local, regional and European stakeholders to report on the partnership's work and recommendations.

Target groups

The two main target groups are:

Professionals in these support professions: care workers, home carers, domestic helpers, etc.
Learners, future professionals in these professions.

A third target group will also benefit from the project's activities and results: