Inclusive training for digital jobs : Simplon.co, a "success story" according to the European Commission

Friday, 4 August 2017

Identified as good practice, the Simplon.co approach is considered by the European Commission as an example to be followed in an inclusive digital single market. The "success story" is detailed on the Commission's website.

Launched on May 2015, the Digital Single Market aims to improve access to digital services and networks and to create an favorable environment to the development of these networks.

More than an economic opportunity, the European Commission advocates a digital single market capable of providing real social opportunities enabling everyone to access the skills needed for this new economy. There is no question here of leaving the exclusivity of this broad employability vector exclusively to the socially advantaged populations. It is essential to take advantage of the economic situation by allowing everyone to acquire an equal level of digital skills so as not to perpetuate the inequality cycle within highly skilled jobs. On this issue Frédéric Bardeau, president of Simplon.co, describes his school as "having as ambition to have the biggest social impact possible. In Europe as in France, there are many young people who are neither students, nor employees nor trainees (NEETs, for Not in Education, Employment or Training, ed.), while the recruitment needs in the digital field stay broad".

Thus, the inclusive development of digital skills is a unique opportunity for social cohesion and the reduction of inequalities. And the potential is there, as described by Frédéric Bardeau: "The European Commission estimated that by 2020 there will be in France between 50,000 and 127,700 unfilled positions in the digital field. Simplon.co's courses respond to this skill shortage via educational paths based on the profiles of the participants but also on the needs of companies, in particular of local companies ".

It was in this perspective of inclusion and training of the workforce that has been launched the digital skills and jobs Coalition, composed of Member States, companies, social partners, Nonprofit and educational structures. By 2020, the Coalition hopes to train 1 million young unemployed for digital jobs.

Simplon.co is presented as a "success story", an example to follow in the field of digitization, employability and inclusion. You can find the factsheet on Simplon.co and six other European initiatives on the European Commission website.