• Present an understanding of the current level of Digital competences in local and national companies and industry
• Conduct a survey at national level to prepare an Evaluation of the current workforce skills and potential Digital 4.0 training and develop an integrated training plan
• Survey the effectiveness current digital training policies of each partner country and identify future training needs
• Prepare a survey Report in January 2018 highlighting the findings to help inform the training of the project

The RESTART 4.0 Survey was conducted by the 8 partners across the 6 partner countries. Each country conducted desk research and took information from local and national sources and leading manufacturing and engineering companies. The survey explores the current training skills, needs and patterns which benefit company horizontal and vertical value chains. The findings will assist the partnership identify a suitable training model and programme to help secure company competitiveness in a new digital world of production and working. Companies included: Engineering, Digital and Electrical Production and Manufacture, and all sectors within the reports suggested that shall see a far greater demand for digital skills in the future with 65% + looking to increase these skills within the workforce by 2020. All would hope to see an increase in production and revenue with a small decrease in production costs within the next 3 to 5 years.

• The level of VET Digital Skills varies greatly across partner countries
• There is a large difference in the type of training providers, from private Digital Skills providers to government Digital Skills providers such as Further and Higher Education establishments
• There is a VET Digital mismatch between training available and employers’ needs
• VET Digital skills vary considerably based on the manufacturing sector
• Shop floor employees have less formal Digital qualifications
• Many companies (30%) report difficulty in recruiting higher skilled employees
• Employees receiving in-house Digital training vary greatly
• Larger companies provide a greater level of employee Digital training
• ICT specialist Digital Software training is in demand by companies
• Digital training is not keeping up with demand
• Transferrable skills level varies greatly across the partnership and the EU
• Most companies identify EQF Level 5 as necessary for their shop-floor employees
• STEM skills are increasing, some EU partners identify local initiatives to support STEM skills
• Specific programmes may be necessary to target STEM skill training at un-skilled or semi-skilled workers
• Overall the STEM skills within workforces vary considerable across the partnership
• STEM skills need regular up-dating
• STEM skill levels vary across sectors, high in Engineering and in larger companies due to the pool of staff available
• Trainers need a wide level of skills; management of productivity, analytics, industrial automation, communication, production logistics, organisation modelling, IT skills, Big Data Processing, production flows, digital technology, CAD, cloud based systems, virtual reality, programming, Internet of Things, Lean Training, TQM, Crowd Sourcing, Robotic Training, Marketing, Software Development, Info-Structure Training, £D, Cyber Security and Digital Awareness
• Trainers should be trained at a minimum level of EQF L5
• Digital performance is high in importance to compete at both national and international levels
• Digitalisation would increase productivity in most Engineering and Manufacturing companies
• There is a huge demand on employees to gain Digital skills at all levels
• Digital training is more in demand in SMEs
• Companies require lower costs and higher production through process improvements
• Enhanced Digitalisation skills are necessary to increase production and outputs
• Although across the partnership some countries have no National Policy toward Digitalisation there is a move for Government support towards Digital Skill improvement, a number of partner countries list large national and local investments in the Digital Infrastructure and support towards specific Training and Digital and Manufacturing research
• There is an upward demand for new Digital skills across the partnership countries at all levels of employment
• Soft skills are also in demand from companies and employers
• There is a lack of skilled workforce in advanced ICT technologies in many sectors
• There is a mismatch between demand and supply of necessary Digital skills
• Companies still report a low level of Digital competences which need addressed
• There is a lack of software skills, i.e. web development skills, digital marketing skills, AutoCAD skills, general software application skills, web developers, cloud, cyber, big data skills, etc.

1. OECD Skills Strategy Diagnostic Report Italy 2017https://www.oecd.org/skills/nationalskillsstrategies/Diagnostic-report-Italy.pdf
2. Osservatorio sulle competenze digitali 2017 http://www.agid.gov.it/sites/default/files/osservatorio_competenze_digitali_2017.pdf
3. Europe’s Digital Progress Report (EDPR) 2017, Country Profile Italy
4. http://www.sviluppoeconomico.gov.it/images/stories/documenti/2017_01_16-Industria_40_English.pdf
5. Europe’s Digital Progress Report (EDPR) 2017, Country Profile Italy
6. http://www.agid.gov.it/agenda-digitale/agenda-digitale-italiana: Minister of Economic Development, in agreement with the Minister for Public Administration and Simplification, the Minister for Territorial Cohesion, the Minister of Education, University and Research and the Minister of Economy and Finance.
7. Digital Agenda of Veneto http://www.adveneto2020.it/gli-ecosistemi/capitale-umano-e-competenze-digitali/
8. https://www.oecd.org/skills/nationalskillsstrategies/OECD-Skills-Strategy-Diagnostic-Report-Executive-Summary-Italy-2017.pdf
9. Osservatorio delle Competenze Digitali (2017) http://www.agid.gov.it/sites/default/files/osservatorio_competenze_digitali_2017.pdf
10. OECD Skills Strategy Diagnostic Report Italy 2017 https://www.oecd.org/skills/nationalskillsstrategies/Diagnostic-report-Italy.pdf
11. Osservatorio delle Competenze Digitali (2017)
12. Europe's Digital Progress Report (EDPR) 2017 Country Profile Greece https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/europes-digital-progress-report-2017
13. Education and Training Monitor 2017 – Country analysis Greece https://ec.europa.eu/education/sites/education/files/monitor2017-el_en.pdf
14. http://www.ecdl.gr/el/Pages/home.aspx
15. https://www.mi.government.bg/files/useruploads/files/ip/kontseptsia_industria_4.0.pdf
16. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GCR2017
17. 018/05FullReport/TheGlobalCompetitivenessReport2017%E2%80%932018.pdf

The complete list of references is cited in the full study.