Welcome to Sedefop's Skill Set and Match podcast, I'm Panos Polyzoidis.

Digitalization has been talked about a lot in recent decades, and the European Union countries

and businesses have been

implementing it and preparing for the next steps. But it was the unforeseeable circumstances

created by the coronavirus pandemic that really gave traction to the process, forcing organizations

and individuals to adopt digital practices at a much more rapid pace than ever anticipated before.

This trend has been affecting the economy, therefore also the world of education and vocational training,

as digital skills need to be taught to learners and digital tools need to be employed in the educational process.

This June, as the European Year of Skills is underway, SEDAFOP has organized the joint symposium

alongside the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the OECD, which brought

together about 100 researchers, policy makers, social partners and practitioners

from around the world. Its aim to examine how the digital transition interacts with a vocational

education and training institution that is centuries old, namely apprenticeships.

To discuss this, I am now joined by Marie Kepa Fandawea,

senior policy analyst at the OECD, and our very own Mara Brugja, Sedefob's deputy director.

Welcome and thank you for joining us. Hi, great to be here. Hi, thank you for inviting us.

Let me begin with you, Mara, as you were the host of the symposium. Talk to us about it.

Why did about a hundred people gather to discuss what?

Well, the symposium on apprenticeships and the digital transition was the third event that Sedef and the OECD organized together to discuss how apprenticeships are challenged by and respond to external megatrends.

And once again, the theme of our event is very timely because it ties in with the European Year of Skills,

which was launched just a month ago,

and its specific focus on digital and green skill technology.

...