Digital push for creative transformation (DPCT) project aims to create a sustainable and efficient education program dedicated to young people with low digital skills working in the cultural and creative sectors (CCS). DPCT is concerned over the future sustainability of the CCS given the uncertainty generated of COVID-19 and its potential impact on CCS workers and professionals, which for the majority are young people with low digital skills. Indeed, across the EU-27, 1.3 million young people (aged 15 to 29 years) were working in the field of culture in 2019 (Eurostat, May 2020). They represented 17.1 % of cultural employment, a proportion slightly lower than the average share of all young people working in the whole economy (17.5 %) and mostly of these young people are usually self-employed (one third (32%) of the cultural workforce is self-employed, Eurostat 2020). Following, DPCT will provide innovative online course on Digital Skills and Social Inclusion for young people working in CCS, being aware that the demand for digital skills will increase. DPCT will provide young people with high level digital skills which are required to enable them to develop their capacity to operate across a range of platforms and take advantage of new and emerging markets that without digital skills cannot be approached. From the other side, without these skills and with low level of qualification they will be at higher risk of unemployment, poverty and social exclusion. So, DPCT will help them acquire a wider set of digital skills, knowledge and competences, relevant for the labour market and active participation in society.The following methodology will be applied: Plan, Do, Check, Act. This aims to constantly monitor the project advancement and to ensure permanent quality improvement. The project has been designed over 24 months to happen in 3 major consecutive phases.DPCT will make available to young people working in CCS innovative Open Educational Resources (OERs), the MOOC, meaning that young people will count on a much wider range of learning materials at their disposal. So, DPCT will be a project that will answer to the need of young people to constantly innovate and adapt their curriculum and competences to the challenges of our time.DPCT will see the realization of four outputs, five multiplier events, four transnational meetings, one blended mobility and many dissemination activities.Impacts on young people:-Develop new skills and knowledge in key concepts of digital skills applied to CCS, which is an important issue for youth working in CCS with low digital skills, mostly freelance and independent workers, which often for their precarious position lack the resources for upgrading their education and knowledge. Young people will be able to improve their career opportunities and adding new forms of digital expression to their work.-Be introduced to online digital education for CCS, the MOOC.-Become accustomed to the ongoing need to update their digital skills. Young people will get aware that the continuous technological change suggests that the need for continuous personal development may be greater in the CCS than in parts of the economy which are less directly exposed to technology.-Improve contacts with youth organizations and public bodies offering services to young people that can help them to acquire skills in CCS within their own environment.-Be able to develop a digital strategy and management plan for their professional activity.-Share their knowledge and skills with their peers through positive action.

The cultural and creative sectors (CCS), crucial for the European economy and the well-being of its citizens, has been profoundly wounded by the measures taken to fight the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic particularly threatens the future of artists, creators and cultural operators, who are severely impacted by the enforcement of social distancing measures and the consequent postponements, cancellations or closures of events, live performances, exhibitions, museums and cultural institutions. Additionally, cultural employment is precarious by nature, across the EU, almost one third (32 %) of the cultural workforce was self-employed in 2019, compared with an average of 14 % for the whole economy (Eurostat, 2020). So, the sector includes a high range of independent and freelance artists and creators, which often do not necessarily benefit from social protection and unemployment schemes.On the other hand, it is a fact that in this year of pandemic the demand for digital cultural content and e-sales of cultural goods and services have grown among EU and world populations. To address cultural needs, cultural institutions such as concert halls, opera houses, theatres and museums have made their productions and exhibitions available online. They are joined by individual artists, actors, singers, visual artists, or event musical ensembles, who stream their current or past work. Questions however remain if cultural sector workers have the capacity to go digital and continue their activity (particularly in CCS where employment is precarious) and if the digital divide as concerns equipment, the quality of connection and skills, will deepen social and professional inequalities. A digital shift is strongly affecting the cultural sector, but digital skills are usually the domain of young workers (15 to 40 years old). Indeed, it is important to consider that 57.2% (Eurostat, 2020) of cultural workforce is over 40 years’ old, so there is a high proportion of adult workers. However, mass digitization together with emerging technologies such as virtual and augmented realities can create new forms of cultural experience, diffusion, and new business models with market potential that adults involved in CCS can take advantage of. Therefore, there is a need to enhance the digital skills of adult workers involved in CCS.Digital Creative Minds (DCM) project aims to create a sustainable and efficient education program dedicated to adults learners with low digital skills involved in CCS. DCM will enhance awareness of the need for training in digital skills for the CCS and will focus on openness and inclusive in education. DCM will involve the use and development of an open online course on Digital Skills and Social Inclusion for CCS, built as a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), an innovative adult educational program available in English and all partners languages as Open Education Resource (OER) and accessible to adults with limited digital skills.DCM partners, which will be adult organizations and municipalities will realize the following outputs:- Digital Competences for CCS guidelines- Online platform-MOOC courses-Position Paper on training investments and OERs for raising digital skills in CCSThe project will be an item on the curriculum of each organization and it will be incorporated in the learning and pedagogical activities of all project partners. The main idea of this project is to bring innovations and better quality adult work and new high level adult work services to adult learners involved in CCS. Following, the project will have direct, positive effects not just on project target group but also on partners’ organizations and their staff of adult educators as they will acquire more specialized knowledge on adult learners and on the importance to acquire digital skills to effectively work in CCS.Adult learners will be introduced to the MOOC courses (IO3), a self-regulated learning available as OER in English and all partners languages. By scaffolding their further development, the MOOC courses (IO3) will not just increase their digital skills but also increase the success rate for adult learners involved in CCS from vulnerable socio-economic classes (who can have better access to know-how).