As the world becomes better connected, marked by the increased access to and use of the internet, the need for competencies to navigate it digitally have never been more urgent. These capabilities include skills and knowledge to adapt to the changing nature of the economy and demands of the workforce (such as illustrated by the popularity of coding bootcamps and hackathons), but also civic participation in societies (such as by media and data literacy) more broadly.

More recently, as the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the pace of digital transformation, it also revealed the disparities in the adoption of digital technologies: between developed and developing countries, rural and urban households, men and women, among other areas.

Digital upskilling has emerged as a key area of interest and policy intervention to harness the gains from digitalisation equitably, and mitigate the challenges of the growing digital divide, which risks leaving vulnerable populations behind in the digital and datafied information landscape.