Our aim was to leverage our extensive experience in managing adult education courses, focusing on providing opportunities for disadvantaged individuals and offering job counseling. Both partners wanted to address the digital divide by improving digital education competencies among teachers and centers. The lack of digital skills among students, especially those disadvantaged, posed a barrier to their employability, necessitating digital training. We developed a common online learning platform and MOOC, drawing on our experience. Cooperation with other institutions and support from local partners facilitated project dissemination and implementation. Together we aimed to develop MOOC content in a straightforward manner, starting from basic digital information and progressing to more complex notions of digital impact, ensuring that participants grasp key concepts.
With our contribution, we aimed to combat high unemployment rates in Sweden and Spain, exacerbated by COVID-19's impact on the economy, particularly in the education sector. Many teachers and adult learners faced difficulties accessing classes due to closures and restrictions. The pandemic accentuated social inequalities, affecting vulnerable groups the most. In Sweden, learning programs adapted to the new circumstances, but participation rates among disadvantaged learners fell, requiring increased outreach efforts and the use of new technologies. Similarly, in Spain, COVID-19 significantly affected adult education, leading to program changes and closures. Madrid, where our partner organization operated, saw centers close, necessitating a shift to online formats to reach adult learners, especially the disadvantaged. With the "Digital Booster" project, we aimed to address these challenges by exchanging knowledge, creating digital platforms, and sharing tools to empower adult learners and enhance adult education in ICT, positioning both organizations as leaders in the field.