European Policies Addressing Digital Skills Development Among Older Workers: A Policy Review

This narrative review examines how European policy frameworks and national strategies have addressed the digital skills development of older workers between 2015 and 2025. Drawing on a synthesis of policy documents, scientific and grey literature, the review highlights the policy landscape shaped by cross-national differences, institutional capacity, and employers’ engagement. While overarching EU frameworks such as the Digital Education Action Plan and Pact for Skills provide strategic direction, national implementation diverges markedly. Nordic and Continental countries tend to embed digital upskilling within more inclusive adult education or active labour market systems, while Southern and Eastern European countries have adopted more fragmented, state-led approaches. Best practices, such as tailored workplace-based training, intergenerational learning models, and public–private partnerships, demonstrate that older workers can successfully acquire digital competencies when training is relevant and accessible. However, persistent challenges include low participation among disadvantaged subgroups, ageism in workplace training, and limited evaluation of policy effectiveness. The findings highlight the need for integrated, age-sensitive digital inclusion strategies that combine training provision with broader support mechanisms and employer incentives. Addressing these gaps is essential to ensuring older workers remain active participants to seize the opportunities and meet the challenges created by the simultaneous processes of population ageing and increasing digitalisation of manual and non-manual, skilled and routine occupations, and thus also achieve the EU's 2030 digital inclusion targets.