DIGIT-ABLE meets in Brussels to map digital needs of WISEs and service providers
On 29 October, the DIGIT-ABLE partners from Belgium, Netherlands, Romania and Spain met for the first time in Brussels.
DIGIT-ABLE was launched in September 2024 and builds on the groundwork of B-WISE, whose aim is to develop a European strategy to tackle the digital skills gaps in the Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs) sector. To ensure a comprehensive digital transition, DIGIT-ABLE takes a step forward in this direction. In particular, the project addresses the barriers that prevent WISEs and service providers in accessing advanced digital tools and technologies.
In other words, DIGIT-ABLE is designed to enhance the digital capabilities of Social Enterprises, WISEs, and other service providers, placing a special emphasis on those supporting individuals with disabilities. To achieve this, the project will:
Conduct a Digital Needs Assessment to understand which types of capacity-building activities would be most effective for boosting the digital transition of the target groups.
Establish Digital Innovation and Acceleration Hubs in each target country.
Create Digital Transition Pathways through capacity-building and training activities.
Provide financial support to promote cross-Border Cooperation and increase the amount of digitally skilled workforce in Social Economy Enterprises (SEE).
During their meeting in Brussels, the project partners discussed the desk research that is currently being conducted to evaluate and map the digital needs in the four target countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Romania, Spain). The immediate next steps will be oriented towards the creation of Digital Innovation and Acceleration Hubs, which will foster collaboration between tech companies, social enterprises and service providers to boost digital skills.