17 Feb Insights on digitization, EU policies and fundings for digital skills with David Mekkaoui, All Digital CEO on MosaicoEuropa
17 Feb, 2025
Interview with David Mekkaoui, All Digital CEO
For MosaicoEuropa, biweekly newsletter of Unioncamere Europa
We invite you to read an exclusive interview with our All Digital CEO, David Mekkaoui, featured in Mosaico Europa, the renowned publication by Unioncamere – Unione italiana delle Camere di commercio, industria, artigianato e agricoltura.
In this thoughtful conversation, David shares insights on how we support the digitalisation process, our journey, and how the EU can continue supporting our mission of enhancing digital skills.
The interview is in Italian, available on the Mosaico Europa website and social networks. Read the Italian version here.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Can you introduce All Digital and explain how it supports the digitization of individuals in Europe?
First, I want to thank Unioncamere Europa for the opportunity to share how All Digital contributes to Europe’s digital transformation. In a time when businesses, public institutions, and individuals alike are navigating rapid technological change, conversations like these are essential.
Now, imagine a Europe where every entrepreneur, every employee, and every citizen not only has the digital skills to thrive in an increasingly digital world but also feel empowered to fully embrace creativity, productivity and well-being. That’s the vision driving All Digital—a European network dedicated to equipping individuals with the digital skills they need to navigate and shape the economy of tomorrow and an inclusive digital future.
At the heart of our work is a network of organizations across Europe, from digital competence centres to training providers, all focused on empowering individuals with essential digital skills. Through our members, we help people develop competencies in areas such as digital communication and collaboration, data literacy, cybersecurity, coding and AI—skills that make workplaces more resilient, innovative, and competitive.
Competence centres play a key role in this ecosystem, acting as bridges between technological advancements and their real-world applications. By joining All Digital, they gain access to a strong European network that amplifies their impact, connects them with like-minded organizations, and provides opportunities to share best practices, access EU funding, and influence digital policy discussions. As members, they also contribute to shaping the future of digital skills in Europe, ensuring that individuals and businesses alike can thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
In addition to this, the All Digital Academy offers structured upskilling opportunities for training centres on cutting-edge digital topics, enabling them to create engaging learning experiences for diverse learners and facilitate the digital transformation. Digitization is no longer optional—it’s the backbone of resilience and growth in today’s economy. But digital transformation isn’t just about adopting new tools; it’s about people understanding, using, and innovating with technology. When individuals are empowered with the right skills, businesses, communities, and entire economies benefit.
For SMEs looking to navigate the digital shift, the best place to start is with a skilled and digitally confident workforce. We invite entrepreneurs and business leaders to explore our website to find digital competence centres and training opportunities near them. The future of business is digital, and it starts with people.
What EU initiatives or policies are fostering the adoption of digital technologies among individuals, and what are the main obstacles?
The European Union has implemented several initiatives to promote the adoption of digital technologies among individuals. Programs like the Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027) aim to modernize education and training systems, while the European Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition brings together stakeholders to bridge the digital skills gap. Funding mechanisms such as the Digital Europe Programme provide resources for advanced training, and the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) offer practical support for businesses and citizens adopting digital tools. Despite progress, several challenges persist, limiting widespread digital engagement.
One of the biggest challenges is the digital divide, which isn’t just about access to the internet but about real opportunities. Too often, policies focus on infrastructure, but what good is broadband if people lack the skills to use it effectively? Digital education should be treated as a public utility, as essential as electricity. We stand for systematic, long-term investment in empowering citizens and especially young generations for a digital future, ensuring that up-to-date digital skills are integrated in curriculums at all education levels, rather than relying on fragmented, short-term projects.
A second challenge is Europe’s inconsistent approach to digital skills development. Right now, whether someone gets the right digital training depends too much on their country or region. We propose anchoring national strategies in existing frameworks like DigComp, ensuring that everyone, from jobseekers to professionals, has access to comparable, high-quality training. A European-level certification for digital skills—recognizable across industries—would also help individuals transition seamlessly between jobs and countries.
Technology evolves faster than most institutions can adapt. AI is already reshaping the workplace, but many digital skills programs still focus on basic IT literacy. This mismatch leaves businesses and workers unprepared. We stand for incentivizing rapid curriculum updates for training providers and integrating hands-on AI training across all education levels. Every worker should have access to on-the-job AI coaching, helping them use automation tools in real-world tasks, not just in theoretical settings.
There’s also a growing trust gap with digital technologies, particularly around AI and data privacy. Many citizens hesitate to fully embrace digital tools because they’re unsure how their data is used. Instead of broad awareness campaigns, we propose targeted digital rights training embedded into public services—when someone applies for a loan online, books a medical appointment, or accesses government benefits, they should immediately be offered a micro-learning module on data privacy and security.
These aren’t abstract policy discussions—they’re practical, scalable solutions. The goal isn’t just to get more people online; it’s to make sure they thrive in the digital world. That’s the future Europe should be building.
What are your most recent European initiatives or projects for upskilling and reskilling individuals, and how can they get involved?
Europe has set ambitious goals to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies among individuals, with programs like Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe playing pivotal roles in this transformation. But what does this mean in practice? From our work at All Digital, we see the impact of these initiatives firsthand—where they succeed and where individuals still face barriers.
To make real progress, collaboration is key. We work with training providers, digital competence centres, and education stakeholders to ensure digital skills reach those who need them most.
Through Erasmus+, we participate in projects like HER TECH, which empowers women in tech, tackling gender disparities and fostering inclusivity in digital careers. Similarly, the PERMA DIGITAL project applies a whole-school approach to digital well-being, ensuring that students and educators alike develop healthy, sustainable relationships with technology.
The DIGITAL FIRST project is revolutionizing digital education by treating informatics as a core skill for thriving in a tech-driven world and. The project calls for tailoring a new educational approach for today’s children, the digital natives, who arrive at school already with a certain set of digital skills.
As digital transformation reshapes industries, individuals often struggle to keep up with evolving skill requirements. That’s why projects like CONVERT exist—to help people acquire the digital competencies needed for future-proof careers.
Under Horizon Europe, initiatives like T4R (Twin 4 Resilience) focus on enhancing resilience through digital twins, helping professionals apply advanced digital tools to real-world challenges.
These projects showcase how EU funding drives innovation and inclusion, but progress isn’t automatic. We need strong partners—educators, policymakers, and local organizations—to make digital training more relevant, more engaging, and more accessible to everyone.
If you are leading a training initiative, developing a digital skills project, or looking for the right partners to scale your impact, we want to hear from you. All Digital brings expertise, connections, and experience to help projects succeed—whether they are funded by the EU, national programs, or local initiatives. Let’s work together to ensure that no one is left behind in Europe’s digital transformation.
What additional funding measures or incentives could the Commission introduce to support individuals’ investment in skills acquisition to accelerate the digital transition?
Imagine a Europe where no one is left behind in the digital transition—where every individual, regardless of age, background, or profession, has the tools to adapt, innovate, and thrive. That vision isn’t just about technology; it’s about smart investment in people. Today, digital skills define economic opportunity, yet too many people struggle to access the training they need because financial barriers still stand in the way. The question isn’t whether we should fund digital upskilling—it’s how we do it effectively, at scale, and in a way that truly empowers individuals.
We advocate for Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs), giving every citizen a personal fund for digital training that they can use when and where they need it. Learning must be as accessible as water—always available, always relevant. We stand for large-scale adoption of micro-credentials, backed by financial incentives, so that people can upskill rapidly and flexibly, gaining recognized certifications for shorter but powerful learning experiences unlocking real job opportunities.
Financial barriers should never prevent someone from improving their skills. That’s why we recommend tax incentives and credits for individuals and employers investing in accredited digital skills training. Whether it’s through direct subsidies or co-financing models, making training more affordable means more people will take advantage of it. And because education should always reflect real-world needs, we advocate for public-private partnerships to ensure that training programs are built with industry insights and lead directly to employment opportunities.
Crucially, we stand for targeted grants and vouchers to boost diversity in the digital economy. Digital transformation must include everyone—not just the digitally native or well-connected. Financial support should prioritize those who need it most, whether it’s women, older workers, or those from disadvantaged backgrounds, so that Europe’s digital workforce is as inclusive as it is skilled.
If you’re working on policy solutions for digital education, if you want to partner with us to drive meaningful change, or if you have a vision for making digital skills more accessible, let’s talk. Whether you’re from the European Commission, an education provider, a competence centre, or a company looking to invest in workforce training, this is the moment to rethink how we finance digital skills. Let’s make Europe’s digital transition a success story for everyone.
