Digital skills

What the publications show

1. Several studies link training in digital skills to better outcomes. Społeczna Akademia Nauk finds in European data lower job satisfaction among those who need training and do not get it; IPAG Business School links reskilling to better performance.

   Społeczna Akademia Nauk, 2026 (opens in a new window) · IPAG Business School, 2026 (opens in a new window) · Universidade do Porto, 2026 (opens in a new window)

2. Two studies find that digital skills on their own say little. The University of Macedonia sees the most resilience among employees who combine digital skills with adaptability and eagerness to learn; the University of Ottawa points to the way the technology is introduced.

   University of Macedonia, 2026 (opens in a new window) · University of Ottawa, 2026 (opens in a new window)

3. One European survey of 932 workers by the University of Macedonia links rapid technological change to digital skills becoming outdated and to worries about people’s own employability. In this study, that worry also goes together with greater willingness to retrain.

   University of Macedonia, 2026 (opens in a new window)

4. Since 2 February 2025, the AI Act has required organisations to take measures on AI literacy, without prescribing a level or certificate. TU Darmstadt and RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau describe how generic basic training does little to match what a given job demands.

   EU Artificial Intelligence Act (artificialintelligenceact.eu), 2025 (opens in a new window) · European Commission, 2025 (opens in a new window) · Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, 2025 (opens in a new window) · Technische Universität Darmstadt, 2026 (opens in a new window) · Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau, 2026 (opens in a new window)

5. In healthcare, training lags behind use. Nivel, the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, reports that more than half of nurses and care workers use AI, often without training, and in a Hellenic Open University study 7.2 per cent of Greek nurses say they have had sufficient AI training.

   Nivel, 2026 (opens in a new window) · Hellenic Open University, 2026 (opens in a new window) · California State University, Dominguez Hills, 2026 (opens in a new window)

Topics within digital skills

This list shows what the publications on this theme are about, with the number for each topic. Open a topic to see its publications; if a topic has a briefing, the link is underneath.

• AI literacy5 publications

  • Scaling AI literacy in organizations: A framework and roadmap for managers · Technische Universität Darmstadt, 2026
  • Developing AI Literacy in Manufacturing: A Role-Specific Training Framework for Lean Production Systems · Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau, 2026
  • Verder bouwen aan AI-geletterdheid (tweede handreiking) · Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, 2025
  • AI Literacy: Questions & Answers · European Commission, 2025
  • Artikel 4: AI-geletterdheid (AI-verordening) · EU Artificial Intelligence Act (artificialintelligenceact.eu), 2025
  Briefing: AI literacy and the obligation under the AI Act →
• Training and reskilling4 publications

  • Human adaptation to workplace technological change: Digital skill-development needs, training alignment, and job satisfaction in Europe · Społeczna Akademia Nauk, 2026
  • From digital reskilling to job performance: the mediating roles of perceived learning agility and skill utilization · IPAG Business School, 2026
  • Fostering emergent resilience: training and upskilling employees for global digital business communication · Austin Peay State University, 2026
  • Expanding the skilled manufacturing workforce with AI · Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, 2026
• Resilience and employability3 publications

  • Digital Skills Are Not Enough: Digital–Human Capability Profiles and Employee Resilience in the Changing Workplace · University of Macedonia, 2026
  • Digital Skills Decay and Obsolescence in the Age of Disruptive Technologies: Implications for Sustainable Human Resource Management · University of Macedonia, 2026
  • Fostering emergent resilience: training and upskilling employees for global digital business communication · Austin Peay State University, 2026
• Measuring skills3 publications

  • Measuring digital literacy of company employees: towards an assessment framework · Prague University of Economics and Business, 2026
  • Disparities in Digital Skills Across the European Labour Market · Bratislava University of Economics and Business, 2026
  • Digital workplace competencies and their outcomes: A systematic literature review · Universidade do Porto, 2026
• Healthcare3 publications

  • Digital Skills and Readiness of Greek Nurses for Artificial Intelligence Adoption in Clinical Nursing Practice · Hellenic Open University, 2026
  • Kunstmatige intelligentie (AI) in de zorg. De meningen van verpleegkundigen, verzorgenden, verpleegkundig specialisten, begeleiders en praktijkondersteuners · Nivel, 2026
  • Healthcare Providers’ Perspectives on Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) Adoption, Adaptation, Assimilation, and Use in the United States · California State University, Dominguez Hills, 2026
  Briefing: AI use, training and AI policy among healthcare professionals →
• Acceptance and innovation4 publications

  • Digital skills and experience as drivers of AI acceptance: evidence from the Eurobarometer 2024 · Poznań University of Technology, 2026
  • Driving University Performance in the Artificial Intelligence Era: Digital Skills, Creative Leadership, and Innovation under Vision 2030 · University of Stirling, 2026
  • DO DIGITAL SKILLS AND TECHNO-INVASION BOOST INNOVATION AMONG CREATIVE EMPLOYEES? · University of Trieste, 2026
  • Enhancing phygital employee experience in high-involvement professional service organizations · University of Ottawa, 2026

Briefings on this theme

Where several organisations publish roughly the same thing on a topic, we have used AI to compile a briefing. Click a card for the key point, the figures with their sources and what it means for the leadership team.

Briefings on other themes that touch on this one

These briefings belong to another theme but also cover digital skills.