AI and Digital Competence through Higher Education
28 July 2025
Coimbra Group’s Employability Working Group position paper
The Coimbra Group, through its Employability Working Group, has published a new position paper titled “AI and Digital Competence through Higher Education.” This publication comes as the European Union intensifies efforts to address skills shortages and equip its workforce for the digital and green transitions. The paper outlines the key competencies needed in this context and presents actionable recommendations for strengthening digital education in higher education.
The document stresses that generative AI and other digital technologies are reshaping our societies, economies, and labour markets. To respond effectively, digital competence must be seen as a foundational skill, relevant across all academic disciplines. The Employability Working Group highlights the importance of research-based education, AI ethics, critical thinking, and lifelong learning in preparing graduates for a rapidly changing world driven by innovation, automation, and global shifts.
Key recommendations for AI and digital competence:
- Strengthened support from European Funding Sources
- Investing in high quality teaching
- Implementing a real lifelong learning approach
- Recognising the core role of higher education
- Facilitating policy dialogue on trade-offs between benefits and challenges linked to the deployment of AI in education