Author: Tetyana Buturlakina, career counselor, Head of the Career Center of UzhNU, Ass. Prof., Ph.D. in Economics, ambassador of the National Center for Europass and Euroguidance in Ukraine in the area of "Career counseling for integration into the modern labor market: skills development in priority sectors of the economy".
The opportunities and tools of the Europass platform allow users to effectively present their skills, qualifications and experience in order to improve career opportunities and mobility in Ukraine and Europe. This is a professional and convenient tool for validating achievements and presenting them in a standardized format recognized by employers, educational institutions and other organizations.
In addition to the importance of educational, professional, language and other competencies and experience, special attention in career counseling and career guidance work with youth and young specialists should be paid to digital skills and the need for their validation in modern conditions. After all, the level of proficiency and their confirmation determines an important competitive advantage of young specialists. It is the European service for testing the level of proficiency in digital skills, formed in accordance with the European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp) and integrated into the Europass profile, which is another important, convenient and effective tool for updating your own profile.
What is the European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp)?
The European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp) describes what is needed for digital competence in modern society and supports the development of digital competence among people of all ages. It covers a wide range of skill levels, from basic to very advanced, and offers a stable reference point in a rapidly changing digital technology landscape.
The fifth version of the DigComp framework, 3.0, is now in place, and was launched in November 2025. The first version was published in 2013, with updates in 2016, 2017 and 2022. The framework was developed by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC) in collaboration with the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL).
DigComp 3.0 is technology-neutral and designed to adapt to different purposes in education, training and employment. The update of the framework reflects the rapid development of digital technologies that has taken place since 2022 and has far-reaching implications for digital competence. DigComp 3.0 includes new learning outcomes that provide a more detailed view of digital competence than before, as well as the systematic and cross-cutting integration of artificial intelligence throughout the framework. It supports EU policies and initiatives on digital skills, such as the Union of Skills and the Digital Decade Policy Programme, and the societal and economic consequences of the digital transformation, such as the AI Continent Action Plan and the European Strategy for a Better Internet for Kids. It is intended for citizens and organizations, local, regional, national, European or international level, who share the common goal of understanding and identifying digital skills needs and supporting their development.
This update responds to significant developments, trends and practices in the digital space that have taken place since 2022. It is shaped by five key prioritiesidentified in consultations with experts and stakeholders, as well as in policy and academic literature:
- AI competence;
- cybersecurity competence;
- rights, choice and responsibility;
- well-being in the digital environment;
- competence in combating disinformation and disinformation.
In addition, DigComp3.0 embodies the human-centred values of the European Declaration on Digital Rights and the Principles of the Digital Decade.
Like previous editions, DigComp 3.0 has has five competency areas: (1) information retrieval, evaluation and management; (2) communication and collaboration; (3) content creation; (4) safety, well-being and responsible use, including the impact of digital technologies on the environment; and (5) problem identification and resolution. These are further divided into 21 competencies.
Four proficiency levels ((basic, intermediate, advanced and highly advanced) describe levels of progress. This iteration of the framework includes new and revised competency statements and over 500 new learning outcomes. Learning outcomes are statements for each competency that describe what a person should know, understand or be able to do after a learning process. They are classified according to knowledge, skills and attitudes.
Competency statements do not distinguish between knowledge, skills and attitudes, but contain all the key content of the learning outcomes. As the framework is already used by many stakeholders in various initiatives, the update reflects a balance between structural and conceptual coherence on the one hand, and changes required in response to digital technological developments on the other.
Why is digital competence important?
The digital environment is now closely linked to everyday life, work, learning, practically all areas of professional activity and employment, and participation in society. Digital competence is needed for many activities - to search, find and critically interpret information; to create, edit and share digital content; to manage privacy, security and well-being in the digital environment; to use digital platforms and services; to take advantage of employment and learning opportunities; and to socialize and participate in civic life through digital technologies, to name a few.
However, according to the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), in 2023 only 56% of adults in the EU had above basic digital skills, and 43% of secondary school students in the EU did not reach a basic level of digital skills. In 2024-2025, 92% of EU workers reported needing digital skills to do their job, and 30% used artificial intelligence systems for their work.
Who is DigComp for and how is it used?
DigComp is designed for organizations and individuals who share the common goal of understanding and identifying digital competence needs and supporting their development. The framework is intended for policy makers; employers and employment services; researchers and academics; leaders and educators in compulsory and higher education, vocational education and training, and lifelong learning; and anyone with an interest in digital competence.
DigComp is already widely used in Europe and internationally. It provides a shared, common understanding of digital competence. As it is technology-neutral, it is designed to be used and adapted for a variety of purposes – for example, to inform policy development on digital education and digital skills; develop assessments; increase transparency or comparability of education and training courses; recognize or validate learning (e.g. through digital skills certification); and define digital competence profiles for specific jobs or positions.
In addition, the Ukrainian experience of implementing digital transformation on the platform of educational services Diia.Education allows validating digital competencies through testing and certification of Digigram ("Tsifrogram"), the tasks for which are created according to the European standards DigComp 2.1. evaluated and adapted by Ukrainian experts. The service is also systematically updated - versions ICDL Ukrainian Digital Citizen, 1.0 and 2.0 for citizens, Digigram (Tsifrogram) 2.0 for medical workers, for civil servants, for teachers, for librarians, for entrepreneurs.
It is important that users of the Europass platform have the opportunity to use this DigComp specified service, which is integrated into the profile in the "Digital skills" section, take the test and record the corresponding results in their profile.
USEFUL RESOURCES:
Digital Competence Framework (DigComp): https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/projects-and-activities/education-and-training/digital-transformation-education/digital-competence-framework-digcomp_en
DigComp 3.0: European Digital Competence Framework: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC144121
Diia.Education Digital skills: https://osvita.diia.gov.ua/catalog/topic/digital-skills
Digigram ("Tsifrogram"): https://osvita.diia.gov.ua/digigram
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