Mathieu de Poorter: Digital skills transformation
- 1. EPR Annual conference 2021 Digital skills transformation workshops 30 Sept., 14.30-17.00 CEST Social services digitalisation in Wallonia Experience sharing from an employer outlook Mathieu de Poorter Economic Advisor
- 2. EPR Annual conference 2021 | 30/09/2021 2 Digitalisation of social services providers in Wallonia 1. Presentation of UNIPSO 2. Main findings of the DIGI-SERV Research 3. The DigitalEES project
- 3. EPR Annual conference 2021 | 30/09/2021 3 1. What is UNIPSO and the social profit sector? ▸ UNIPSO represents the employers of the social profit sector (non-profit) at the regional (Wallonia) and community levels (French- and German-speaking) ▸ UNIPSO is a cross-sectoral and pluralistic confederation getting together 31 (pluri-) sectoral federations ▸ Social profit enterprises provide support to individuals throughout their lives ▸ UNIPSO missions ▹ Provide the (cross-sectoral) social profit employers’ vision ▹ Defend a strong social model, garanteeing accessible and quality services provision to all ▸ 2 main areas of work ▹ Represent and defend the (cross-sectoral) interests of social profit employers through social dialogue and mandates ▹ Equip, sensitize and anticipate through trainings, studies and regional & European projects
- 4. EPR Annual conference 2021 | 30/09/2021 4 2. The DIGI-SERV Research ▸ DIGI-SERV (2017-2018) = research study on the impacts of digitalisation on care services ▸ Public funding from the Government of Wallonia ▸ 3 research centres, 1 steering committee (including social partners) ▸ Objectives ▹ Identify innovative and emerging digital technologies ▹ Identify main issues and controversies at stake (employment, organisational processes, quality of services + online platform focus) ▹ Identify feature of social economy enterprise dynamics re. technology evolutions ▹ (Co-)Formulate political recommendations
- 5. EPR Annual conference 2021 | 30/09/2021 5 Social economy enterprises’ interests & objectives Jobs quantity & quality 1. Offer a more pleasant work experience to workers with accessible technologies (41%) 2. Facilitate the integration of people furthest away from the labour market (36%) 3. Create new jobs (33%) 4. Support workers in avoiding the most difficult tasks (33%) Organisational processes 1. Simplify administrative processes and limit sources of error (69%) 2. Offer more reactivity and adaptability to beneficiaries’ needs (64%) 3. More efficiency in time management & provision planification (62%) 4. Facilitate the information flow amongst all stakeholders (48%) Nature & quality of services 1. Enable all beneficiaries to access services in a simpler and more enjoyable manner (52%) 2. Strengthen the bonds between beneficiaries, caregivers and professional workers for offering a quality social & care support (40%)
- 6. EPR Annual conference 2021 | 30/09/2021 6 Typology of social economy enterprises profiles ▸ Merchants: market (growth) oriented, strong digital maturity, urban ▸ Jobs creators: market growth for jobs creation & access, value workers’ competencies ▸ Protectors of quality services: most common, increase quality services & reactivity to beneficiaries’ needs, customized services ▸ Pragmatics: administrative simplification or better information flow ▸ Conservatives: close-minded, weak digital maturity, rural and small
- 7. EPR Annual conference 2021 | 30/09/2021 7 An analytical framework of reference Institutional disruption The transformation potential of a technology Translation degree Efforts in ensuring the appropriation of technological innovations by all stakeholders & in taking into consideration the organisation’s features
- 8. EPR Annual conference 2021 | 30/09/2021 8 Political recommendations ▸ Social dialogue ▹ Foster workers & employers appropriation of a technology by consulting and mobilising all stakeholders when conceiving and implementing digital technologies ▹ Enterprise level: stimulate caregivers & professional workers’ inclusion and exchanges ▹ Sectoral level: involve social partners in identifying common issues and accordingly, adapted solutions ▸ Training and coordination ▹ Formal education: integrate User-based design methods (engineers) & Use of technologies units (care providers) ▹ Lifelong learning: encourage a global overview on digital transition; accompany workers in implementing technology innovation; train managers in technology Conception & Integration within a team; consider workers’ formal education when certifying online platforms
- 9. EPR Annual conference 2021 | 30/09/2021 9 3. The DigitalEES project (2021-2023) ▸ DigitalEES = (guide) Digitalisation of social economy enterprises (SEEs) ▸ First partnership between the Digital Agency of Wallonia (administration), Social economy platform and UNIPSO (social profit); with the (external) support of research centers & a communication agency ▸ 6-step methodology 1. Inform & Sensitize (communication campaign, webinars, success stories, mentors) 2. Assess the digital maturity of SEEs (adapt an online assessment tool to SEEs features) 3. Call for interest (obj.: select 15 pilot SEEs; spin-off concern) 4. Accompany SEEs in elaborating a digital transformation action plan 5. Provide grant support through a call for digitalisation projects in SEEs 6. Promote digitalised SEEs
- 10. EPR Annual conference 2021 | 30/09/2021 10 From piloting to spreading: key issues ▸ Selection criteria based upon a participatory approach and motivation to engage in a digitalisation process ▸ Double support for elaborating a digital transformation action plans: technological & change management ▸ Digital transformations for reinforcing SEEs social aims ▸ A financial incentive and integrated leverage for stimulating SEEs digital transition ▸ Grasping and learning process throughout the project for promoting SEEs digital champions and best practices ▸ Promotion & spreading outputs: communication campaign, guide book, life- long training contents, online digital assessment tool, inventory of financial resources for digital transformation, etc.
- 11. EPR Annual conference 2021 | 30/09/2021 11 Main learnings re. digital skills transformation ▸ The success of a digital transition in social services enterprises relies on the organisations’ and stakeholders’ capacity to assimilate the technology throughout the digitalisation process ▸ Digitalisation in social services should remain as a tool for reinforcing the social aim towards all beneficiaries ▸ This entails that social partners should work together for better equipping workers and managers with specific skills and valuing the latter ▸ Technology conception and support should further integrate social services’ features (functioning & social aim) and ultimate beneficiaries needs
- 12. EPR Annual conference 2021 | 30/09/2021 12 Q&A and Discussion re. digital skills transformation What else is at stake? What is your experience with digital skills transformation? For further information on the DIGI-SERV study (FR) [email protected]