DIGINEXT project focus its attention on European Local Action Groups (LAGs) establishing them as the conjunction of ring transferring innovative digital skills from Adult Education sector to low-skilled adults and seniors in rural areas.
Context
According to the “Impact of Demographic Change,” by 2050 30 percent of the population will be 65 or older (20.8 percent in 2021), while people of working age will decline to less than 2 for every elderly person. An older EU with a smaller workforce will likely increase the pressure on public budgets, which will be forced to devote 25.9 percent of GDP to the costs of aging by 2070.
The Commission has just begun to look to rural areas for a solution to the problem. The implementation of a “Long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas” and the “Rural Action Plan” clearly testify to this goal.
New opportunities for active public participation can make rural areas more attractive, involving, for example, the elderly, who are more likely to be excluded from digital technology and encounter obstacles in accessing goods and services. The DIGINEXT project fits into this context, trying to ensure that older people who are less inclined to use digital technologies acquire new skills to facilitate social interactions and foster independent and autonomous living.
Objectives
DIGINEXT project focus its attention on European Local Action Groups (LAGs) establish them as the conjunction ring for transferring innovative digital skills from Adult Education sector to digitally low-skilled adults and seniors in rural areas, targeting three main outcomes:
- Active ageing
- Digital skills and competences
- Tackling Geographical remoteness
Activities
- Creation of a new professional profile to be established in regional repertoires and dedicated to the promotion of seniors and digitally low-skilled adults’ inclusion in rural areas;
- Realisation of a training toolkit and course for LAGs officers;
- Realisation of a guideline to outline formats and experiences to the wider European Rural Development community.
Resources
- e-Rural lnclusion Specialist Professional Profile. This profile is dedicated to enhancing the digital, critical thinking and communication skills of Seniors in rural areas, by enhancing their digital information access, literacy, social involvement and active belonging to the community.
- e-Rural lnclusion Specialist Training Course. The aim of the training course is to include adult education in Local Action Groups (LAGs) as a bridge to forward digital skills and competencies to digitally low-skilled adults and seniors in rural areas. It includes information and data literacy, equal access to (online) goods and services; safety – protecting personal data, privacy, well-being and environment competencies.
- Training of trainers for consortium institutions. This outcome involves organizing a modular train-the-trainer activity targeting LAG officials from 5 European regions to assess the characteristics of the professional profile, collect feedback from LAGs, and finalize the creation and promotion of the Professional Profile.
- Local Pilots in Spain, ltaly, Greece, Austria and Romania. The pilots aim to provide seniors in rural areas the digital skills to participate in social life and make rural areas more inclusive. This inclusive community will be created by using intergenerational pedagogy and testing on the ground the circular system between adult education institutions, LAGs, low-skilled adults and seniors. The relevant themes involve the continuous investment on learning; the enhancement of digital skills and initiatives at local and regional level; and a boost for intergenerational community programmes.
Impact
The DIGINEXT Consortium will actively share and promote the results of the project and raise awareness of intergenerational training courses in rural areas, thereby helping to achieve positive impact in the communities. DIGINEXT is designed to have a dynamic systemic impact from the local to the European level.
At the local level DIGINEXT will have a direct impact. LAG officials in rural areas are the main beneficiaries of the activities, and will be involved in:
- Local action groups (LAGs)
- Development of professional practice
- Training of trainers for LAG coordinators
- Finalization of the DIGINEXT training course
- Capacity building of local mentors
- Implementation of local DIGINEXT pilot projects
AII products are fully designed to create innovative adult education providers in rural areas. The connection with the regional area will be pushing towards the national and European one and will become effective over the realisation of promotional events and final event in 5 countries. In this scenario the main target of the project is reaching the European Network of rural Development (ENRD).
Partners
- University of Seville (Coordinator, Spain)
- KMOP (Greece)
- INCOMA (Spain)
- CESIE (ITALY)
- dieBerater (Austria)
- Asociatia Euro Adult Education (Romania)
