The aim of the project was to support micro and small enterprises in building their digital visibility in a strategic and resource-efficient way by systematically using and professionalising the existing skills of young employees. At the same time, Generation Z was to be empowered to confidently apply their digital competences within company processes and thereby take on new roles, responsibilities and development perspectives. Another objective was to provide education and training providers with a concrete and practical entry point into microlearning and micro-credentials and to demonstrate the benefits of these formats for flexible, labour-market-oriented continuing education. At a broader level, the project sought to show how innovative learning formats can contribute to the digital transformation of companies – particularly in rural and structurally weaker regions. All objectives were geared towards creating sustainable structures: through open educational resources, transferable didactic concepts and the integration of results into existing educational and business contexts.
We applied for the project because, through our work with companies, education providers and young employees, we identified a structural gap: digital skills – particularly in online marketing and social media – are insufficiently developed in many micro and small enterprises, even though they are increasingly crucial for visibility, competitiveness and employee retention. At the same time, many young employees already possess relevant digital skills from their everyday lives, but these are rarely recognised, systematically developed or used in a professional context. Existing training offers are often too time-consuming, too theoretical or financially difficult to access for smaller businesses. From the perspective of education providers, there was also a clear need for more flexible, modular learning formats that can respond more quickly to labour-market demands. The project addressed precisely these intersections: it combined the upskilling needs of SMEs, the underused potential of Generation Z and the demand for low-threshold, workplace-oriented learning formats into a practical, digital and Europe-wide transferable approach.