fit4internet cooperates with Google
Digitalisation has fundamentally changed the way we do business. The increasing dynamics of technological change pose major challenges for many small and medium-sized enterprises. In order to improve their ability to act in the digital age, Google Austria and fit4internet are offering free courses as part of Google Austria's 'Zukunftswerkstatt Österreich', which (business) people can use to expand their digital skills.
With a share of 99.7 percent of all Austrian companies and 2.8 million employees, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) form the backbone of the Austrian economy. This is why Federal Minister for Digital and Economic Affairs, Margarete Schramböck, is particularly concerned about supporting them in their activities to participate in digitalised and globalised markets: "Expanding the digital skills of entrepreneurs and employees that are crucial for business success is an important element in securing Austria as a business location and competitive player. Every initiative and support to raise digital skills is helpful.”
Learning to exploit the potential of digitalisation
The fact that there is still room for improvement in Austria is shown by the European Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI): in the latest DESI ranking of 2020, Austria unfortunately did not receive top rankings, especially in those areas that are business-relevant. According to the report, domestic SMEs generate relatively low e-commerce sales (DESI rank 17 among 28 EU states*), make little use of cloud computing services (DESI rank 17) and hardly focus on the use of big data services (DESI rank 27). However, since the publication of the DESI 2020, digital services and distribution channels have been increasingly used by both companies and the population due to the Corona pandemic. With their cooperation, Google and fit4internet want to transform this trend and further push a positive development for a digitally skilled economy that is essential for economic recovery.
"Our training offer within the 'Zukunftswerkstatt Österreich' aims to also reach those people who have previously been unaware of how to use digitalisation for their personal career and in their company - regardless of their size. With increasing knowledge, creativity also grows in the use of digital tools to educate oneself professionally or to make one's own company fit for the future. Thanks to the cooperation with fit4internet, we are confident that we can make another contribution to increasing the digital skills of Austrian employees and entrepreneurs," says Christine Antlanger-Winter from Google Austria.
As part of the partnership, interested parties can book Google webinars on the fit4internet platform free of charge, most of which conclude with an internationally recognised certification. In the webinars (partly performed live) participants learn about digital literacy, useful skills and about applications of how to approach digital topics and use digital tools. Especially in these challenging times, Google's new offer on the fit4internet platform represents digital literacy that is in high demand on the labour market. The internationally recognised certificates of competence in IT-related fields are intended to help graduates find new job and career opportunities, as well as to promote Austria as a business location as a whole, in particular by supporting SMEs in the country.
Ulrike Domany-Funtan, f4i Secretary General: "The broadest possible acquisition of basic digital skills is essential. With the learning offers of Google Austria's ‘Zukunftswerkstatt’, we can support interested parties in all sectors and at all professional levels to expand their digital skills. However, there are not only economic reasons for implementing DigComp 2.2 AT, the digital competence model for Austria, as comprehensively as possible. Broad participation of our society in digitalised everyday life situations is essential in order to keep up with the developments of digitalisation.
Here you can find the learning opportunities.
* The 2020 figures still include Great Britain.