This document discusses developing basic digital skills for adults in Finland. It describes the TAITO program which aims to increase competencies for adults with weak education and job prospects by focusing on literacy, numeracy, and digital skills. It then outlines three case studies of projects that use peer learning and applying skills to everyday life and work to help unemployed people, immigrants, and businesses strengthen digital abilities. The presenter believes peer and tutor activities are effective because people share similar backgrounds, and that digital skills are important for participation in education, work and everyday life in modern society.

1. PROBLEM SOLVING IN EVERYDAY LIFE
REQUIRES BASIC DIGITAL SKILLS
- Peer activities and learning by doing as key solutions
Mika Sihvonen
Coordinating project Taikoja II
Teacher, Researcher, Tampere University
mika.sihvonen@tuni.fi
Basic digital skills –
How to turn challenges into opportunities?
NVL virtual seminar, Tuesday May 19th

2. TAITO Programme
• TAITO (skill) aims to increase the
competences of adults whose position in the
education and job market is weak.
• Focus on adults’ (16 – 65) basic skills
(literacy, numeracy, digital skills).
• PIAAC Report (2012)
• Ministry of Education and Culture, Finland
Literacy Numeracy Digital
Basic digital skills –
How to turn challenges into opportunities?
NVL virtual seminar, Tuesday May 19th

3. Project Network
• 25 development projects, currently 16 active
• Nationwide, Working age adults
• Young school dropouts
• Recent immigrants (less than 5 years)
• Over 60 years old
• Several fields
• Adult education
• Special needs education
• Vocational school
• Non-governmental organization
Basic digital skills –
How to turn challenges into opportunities?
NVL virtual seminar, Tuesday May 19th

4. CASE I: InPromptu
Basic digital skills –
How to turn challenges into opportunities?
NVL virtual seminar, Tuesday May 19th
• Third-sector organizations have an important role in
promoting digital skills for their target groups.
• The InPromptu project focuses on advancing the
digital skills of personnel in associations for the
unemployed, and on advancing basic digital skills
of the unemployed
• Learning new digital skills helps to cope with
everyday life, and broadens the opportunities for
participation in further education and working life.
• One step is to create a nationwide network and
forum for associations of the unemployed.

5. CASE II: Digital Route to Employment
Basic digital skills –
How to turn challenges into opportunities?
NVL virtual seminar, Tuesday May 19th
• Developing the digital skills of immigrants to a
level where they can succeed in vocational
training and employment
• Educational model for people with an
immigrant background and other people with
low digital skills
• Digital skills training takes place with the help
of peer tutors trained in the project.

6. CASE III: Working life ICT skills in business
Basic digital skills –
How to turn challenges into opportunities?
NVL virtual seminar, Tuesday May 19th
Saikkonen et al. (2017)

7. In your opinion, what is the most important of following
premises when developing the basic skills for adults?
(choose only one)
Basic digital skills –
How to turn challenges into opportunities?
NVL virtual seminar, Tuesday May 19th
A. Build teaching around tutors and peers to ensure that
learners and teacher have similar background
B. Offer adults learning resources that is related to their
everyday life
C. Motivate adults to the attend training by showing that
better skills lead to better life
D. Understanding that ICT related skill is the key to other
basic skills in modern society
E. Something else

8. - Food for Thought -
• Peer and Tutor activities are seen effective
• People share similar background –> easier to
communicate, build trust etc.
• Digital skills in everyday life and work
• What happens when the training is over?
• Reaching and encouraging target groups
• Productization, What are the benefits of training
• Towards adaptive problem solving
• Future skills underline the process related to
versatile use of ICT
• Are there Literacy & Numeracy that is not related
to digital skills in education and work life
Basic digital skills –
How to turn challenges into opportunities?
NVL virtual seminar, Tuesday May 19th
Mika Sihvonen
Coordinating project Taikoja II
Teacher, Researcher, Tampere University
mika.sihvonen@tuni.fi