Skills and jobs: How SMEs go digital

The 25 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the European Union drive growth, innovation and employment and play a key role in digitalisation. By leveraging digital technology, SMEs can improve operations, expand their market reach and contribute to innovative solutions to pressing challenges such as fighting climate change and increasing social cohesion.

In this virtual get-together, Eurofound and the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop(opens in new tab)This link opens in a new tab), EU agencies which both celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2025, teamed up to present new joint work on digitalisation policies and to explore how digital SMEs in Europe are today. Live from Dublin and Thessaloniki, the two EU agencies presented the key challenges and barriers SMEs face in becoming more digital and review digitalisation and digital skills support measures. The links between digitalisation and job quality in SMEs were assessed by looking at how digital tools and algorithmic management practices affect work organisations and working conditions.

This virtual get-together was open to policymakers, social partners and sectoral representatives, SME representation organisations, VET providers and institutions, representatives from national, regional and local authorities, and labour market, education and training, and skills experts.

Image © SFIO CRACHO / Adobe Stock