You know how – eight free skills for greater digital literacy

At the free online event “You know how”, on Thursday, 14 April at 8 p.m., eight professionals from the Serbian digital ecosystem will share a part of their practical experience with young people by presenting one digital skill each. At this event, the presenters will not cover “difficult” and complicated topics, but will present very specific and simple examples explained in an attractive and understandable way for all those having at least one smart device and access to the internet. That is why, together with UNICEF in Serbia, we would like to invite you to register for the event at dsi.rs/znaskako

According to the analysis of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, more than 80 percent of households in Serbia have access to the internet, and 78 percent of the population aged 16 to 74 can be considered regular internet users. On the other hand, the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications found in its study that more than 51 percent of the population over the age of 15 does not have any of the basic skills in the field of information and communication technologies: sending and receiving e-mails, internet search, word processing, etc. 

After cross-referencing these statistics, together with UNICEF in Serbia, we came up with “You know how”, an online event that will present eight topics on specific digital skills that can help the general population to acquire more digital skills and be better prepared for the labour market. The topics will be presented by experts from some of the more famous companies in Serbia and our members (Direct Media, Karanović & Partners, Nordeus, OTP banka, PwC, Symphony, TeleGroup), and through these topics, they will answer very specific questions, such as how to make podcasts, websites, how to edit text, make good presentations or how to buy online, as well as those a little more abstract, such as how to stand out in your job search and protect your safety online.

This event will primarily target secondary school students, university students and young people who have just entered the labour market. Although we often think of this group as “digitally literate”, the experience shows that young people use technology intuitively and most often for fun and socializing. 

“What we want to do is to raise awareness of the fact that knowledge of basic digital skills is useful for career development and very much needed to adapt to the changes brought about by digital transformation. I am not talking only about those who have already focused on technical areas when choosing a school/faculty, but also those areas that we often describe as traditional. For example, a lawyer who edits documents in one of the tools that allow collaboration with colleagues will be more efficient than the one who does it on his/her computer and sends that document to each colleague separately. A university student who knows how to make his/her own podcast can be more visible as an expert compared to his/her colleagues who do not have this skill. There are numerous examples”, explained our director Nebojša Bjelotomić.

Children and young people are strong drivers of progress and agents of change across the world. But only if we support them with appropriate resources and tools, as well as by finding new ways to provide them with the most important tool of all – education. 

“By combining public and private funding, ideas and commitment, we can bridge the digital divide, providing access to learning, skills and economic opportunities for every child and young person. This means that we can bridge the digital divide so that all children and young people can access education and skills no matter where they live. This is particularly important for digital skills, which are crucial for the 21^st-century economy. We have to make sure that children and young people, especially the most vulnerable ones, can feel the benefits of the ongoing digital revolution. This new format is just one of the ways in which UNICEF and its partners are doing it”, said Deyana Kostadinova, UNICEF Representative in Serbia.

Those interested in attending the “You Know How” event should fill out the form on the website dsi.rs/znaskako, and just before the event starts, you will receive a link for attending the event on Thursday, 14 April at 8 p.m.