The Essential Digital Skills Framework breaks down into five key skill areas.
These are Transacting, Communicating, Problem Solving, Handling Information and Content, and Being Safe and Legal Online. Across these five areas, there are 20 essential digital tasks for work.
A focus on safety
A flagship workstream co-led by Deloitte and Barclays is leading the way on work to super-charge capability in Being Safe and Legal Online. This skill area accounts for almost half of the 20 essential work tasks, with major implications for security, data protection and business reputation.
Pathway sponsor
Next steps
Mobilised in mid-2025, the workstream team is scoping a pilot project that would bring together existing resources into a ready-to-use toolkit. This will support organisations and communities to confidently upskill their people in essential digital safety tasks.
This will include identifying a pilot community to test the toolkit – potentially a region or locality – as well as sharing with the other pathway teams.
Get involved
If you’re interested in driving action on workforce digital skills for your sector, we’d love to hear from you.
Skill area heatmap
The skill areas that make up the Essential Digital Skills Framework. X% = workers not able to comple all the tasks in that skills area.
Transacting
(2 tasks)
%
TBC + TBC
Handling Information and Content
(2 tasks)
%
TBC + TBC
Communicating
(3 tasks)
%
TBC + TBC
Problem Solving
(4 tasks)
%
TBC + TBC
| Two sponsors secured | |
| Sponsorship available – one sponsor secured | |
| Sponsorship available – no sponsors secured |
