Young people and young adults are often thought to have particularly good digital skills, but in reality their level of digital skills varies greatly. If skills are lacking, it can make it difficult to study and find employment, or even hinder them. Deficiencies in digital literacy can also make it difficult to participate in society and use various services. The management and control skills of various digital functions as well as the ability to utilize versatile digital platforms and solutions will also be an important part of key working life skills in the future.
The goal of the APT – sparring the digital skills of young people and young adults -project was to improve the digital skills of 16-35 year olds in the Southern Savonia region to promote their employment. The project was managed by South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences youth research and development centre Juvenia.
PROJECT MEASURES
- The project developed the target groups digital skills to promote their employment through trainings, workshops and low-threshold individual guidance. The trainings and workshops entirety’s contents were compiled to answer the target groups and the partner’s needs. Information of the target groups needs for development of digital skills, in relation to the future’s working life’s requirements, were gathered by an inquiry and surveys.
- The project developed target group’s participants ability to bring their own competence forward on digital platforms to promote their employment. In addition, strengthening their skills in identifying their competence acquired in their free time, studies and hobbies, were strengthened and utilized in job search.
PROJECT RESULTS
As a result of the project, young people and young adults who participated in the project’s trainings, workshops and individual counseling:
- competence identity strengthened, and they knew how to market themselves and their competences on different platforms, that promote employment.
- the ability to recognize their own already acquired skills developed. This increased their opportunities of getting a job, that corresponds to their skills. At the same time their confidence as a job seeker grew.
- knowledge of various digital platforms and solutions for employment grew, and they were able to assess, what would benefit them as job seekers.
- the ability to learn to network on digital platforms developed, and in this way promoted employment.
- skills to learn and gain experience on utilizing various digital solutions accrued, such as making a video CV and a visual CV and promoting employment with the help of these.
- skills of using various systems developed, which sped up the job search. The job search becomed more fluent, which sped up employment.
- skills to learn to use various digital platforms and solutions, required by telecommuting, improved. The participants interaction skills increased in relation to the challenges of telecommuting, which in it’s part added to participants coping and digital well-being.
- during the activities of the project, the participants were challenged to ponder, which direction is their career going and what kind of skills do they need to accomplish, to have a chance in the future to pursue their career dreams
