The demands of society and of Europe itself have been calling for an increasing focus on promoting digital literacy and citizenship and the development of information and communication technologies (ICT) skills.
The acquisition of such skills is an essential condition for achieving full digital citizenship in an inclusive manner for all citizens, paying particular attention to the most vulnerable groups of citizens, such as the old age group, citizens with disabilities or unemployed young people.
It is within this framework that the initiative to promote digital skills and information and communication technologies — PROTIC — has emerged, which aims to promote digital inclusion and combat e-exclusion through training activities with appropriate educational content for the target audiences.
At the same time, PROTIC has updated the way in which support is granted to entities active in the promotion of ICT skills, especially in ICT spaces, which have spread in a disorderly and redundant manner in recent years. The previous model of action based on ICT Spaces is currently out of line with the specific needs of the digital society and fails to respond adequately to Europe’s increasingly present demands for a society with digital skills, particularly in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and MATH) areas such as robotics and programming.
The PROTIC initiative consists of a set of 4 measures to promote digital literacy and citizenship and the development of ICT skills, including the measure to promote non-professional training actions aimed at acquiring the skills needed for full digital citizenship, with a particular focus on the groups of citizens most vulnerable to e-exclusion.
In this context, Digital Competence Offices (DOCs) emerge, which aim to:
- Ensure digital literacy and inclusion for the full exercise of citizenship, as part of e-Government tools;
- Stimulate specialisation in digital technologies and applications for job qualification;
- Encourage professional reorientation towards information and communication technologies;
- Promote specialisation in digital applications used in everyday activities;
- Stimulate and strengthen digital skills in adult learning and lifelong learning, covering not only basic skills but also more advanced skills.
There are currently 25 Digital Skills Offices, each with a duration of 3 years, with 20 in São Miguel, 1 in Santa Maria, 1 in Terceira, 2 in Faial and 1 in São Jorge, representing a total investment of over EUR 640.000,00 in support provided by the Regional Directorate for Science and Digital Transition.
Digital Competence Offices are driven by very diverse entities, such as:
- Science centres
- Municipal Houses
- Parish joints
- Santas Casas da Misericórdia
- People’s Houses
- Ponta Delgada Regional conservatory
- Non-profit associations
The 25 Digital Skills fiches currently in operation have already been responsible for more than 320 training activities involving around 6.000 training courses, as part of the following typologies: