Digital Skills in Focus – Market Study on Non-Formal Training in Austria
image by Foto von Marvin Meyer auf Unsplash
Digital competences are a key prerequisite for professional success and social participation. While formal education pathways are well documented, there is still a lack of comprehensive information on open, non-formal courses – those accessible to all interested participants. This study closes that gap for digital training and creates a solid information base for policymakers, training providers, and other stakeholders. Commissioned in preparation for the introduction of the National Reference Framework for Digital Competences (NRDK), it also explores how existing offers can be represented within this framework.
Guidance in a Diverse Training Landscape
Between April and October 2024, the Austrian market for open digital training offers is analysed. The aim is to determine their scope, structure, and thematic focus, identify gaps, and gather first-hand experience in mapping courses to the DigComp 2.3 AT. Data from various training databases are evaluated, identifying more than 200 providers, which are subsequently classified according to a newly developed typology.
It is assumed that non-formal courses can generally be assigned to the NRDK on the basis of learning outcome descriptions. However, there is considerable flexibility in assigning them to competence areas and levels. To achieve more consistent and comparable results, clear guidelines and additional classification tools are needed in the future.
Learn more about the results.
The study can be downloaded here (in German).
Project: Markterhebung und Leuchtturmzuordnungen von non formalen Weiterbildungsangeboten zum DigComp 2.3 AT
Contact: Günter Hefler
Client: OeAD-GmbH, Agentur für Bildung und Internationalisierung
Duration: 04-09/2025
