Among the participants, the Lithuanian Cybercrime Centre of Excellence for Training, Research & Education (L3CE) made a contribution. Evaldas Bružė from L3CE took the stage to present Project EAGLE, shining a spotlight on a pressing issue: the digital skills gap faced by European Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).

Project EAGLE acknowledges that SMEs are increasingly recognizing the significance of digitalization for competitiveness and growth. However, a significant hurdle they face is the scarcity of individuals with relevant digital skills. This issue is underscored by surveys revealing a shortage of ICT expertise in the job market.

The project partner L3CE which is responsible for developing courses to address the lack of cybersecurity skills faced in companies in Lithuania, gathered a focus group of experts that included representatives from various companies, including SMEs, the Lithuanian police and Lithuanian Armed Forces, the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists, and universities.

During the meeting, the experts discussed the key challenges surrounding the creation of effective courses. They addressed the market needs for cybersecurity and cybercrime prevention courses, the problems faced by businesses, the unemployed and the general public and outlined the competencies that these groups are lacking.