On October 12th, 2022, Visions participated in the kickoff meeting of the Skills Data Space project. This event took place in Brussels with the goal of establishing a detailed work plan for the project over the next 12 months.
The Skills Data Space : an open, secure and reliable Skills Data Space
Under the leadership of DIGITALEUROPE, a consortium of 14 partners has launched the Skills Data Space (DS4Skills) project. This consortium brings together key stakeholders from industry, education and the data ecosystems. The creation of this data space is funded by the European Commission under the Digital Europe program. This opportunity was born out of the Skills Alliance, co-founded by Visions and aNewGovernance in 2020 to bring together more than 50 structures across Europe to start work on the skills data space. The Skills Alliance was thus able to convince the European Commission to launch this market.
Born out of the realization that a common skills data space is more necessary than ever, the Skills Data Space aims to establish the baseline for the development of a European skills data space.
Today, skills data are fragmented between different public and private organizations that possess them. The fragmentation of skills data makes it difficult for organizations and individuals to seize opportunities and find relevant resources.
With the Skills Data Space project, the following data set will be able to circulate between actors with the consent of the individual:
– information on skills,
– educational profiles,
– job offers,
– training opportunities,
– statistical information,
– information on research and innovation.
The creation of such a secure and trusted data space will support the sharing of and access to skills data for a variety of purposes, such as:
– analytical and statistical purposes,
– policy development,
– reuse in innovative applications,
– alignment of training programs with emerging digital needs,
– developing quality training and employment recommendations for individuals to reskill and upskill,
– empowering individuals through their skills.
As a result, the project contributes to strengthening the EU’s digital capabilities in building a sovereign, ethical and decentralized digital infrastructure.
Within the Skills Data Space project, Visions is leading the design of the data space plan in close collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders to:
– propose technical, business and governance rules
– identify key use cases for the data space
Next Steps for the Skills Data Space
Following this kick-off meeting, the consortium agreed to work initially on defining the relevant data sources for the Skills Data Space.
To do this, the project members will:
1/ Map and analyze existing platforms and projects on skills data collection, storage and sharing in the public and private sectors, fill out this this form to be part of this mapping !
2/ Categorize the identified platforms and projects to feed the future skills data space, taking into account the needs of the stakeholders.
In a second step, the consortium will develop a plan for the deployment of this data space including various conceptual approaches and options as well as specific use cases.
As one of the core values of this project is people, the development of this skills data space will be oriented in this direction. The project is therefore designed to engage with public and private stakeholders by involving them in defining the foundations and approaches used. Moreover, this will ensure that the use cases and applications meet their education, training and employment needs. More specifically, this will contribute to personalizing education, reskilling and upgrading skillsets, and recruiting the right qualified profiles. This is made possible through the consortium’s networks and public communications, which will identify relevant stakeholders who will then be consulted on the progress and results of the work.
Interested in learning more about the project and participating in the Skills Data Space ? Contact Matthias De Bièvre at matthias@visionspol.eu.