The Hungarian strategic roadmap for the Digital Decade developed by the Government of Hungary sets out the strategic goals to be achieved by 2030, monitoring their achievement, and the target paths and key measures have been developed.
The report uses the data in the Digital Decade Report 2023 on the National Base Value of the Digital Decade Targets, the EU baseline value for Digital Decade Targets in 2023 and the EU target value for 2030.
On digital skills, Hungary scores below the EU average on relevant indicators. Only about half of the population aged 16-74 has at least basic digital skills, significantly below the Digital Decade target of 80% by 2030. The Hungary’s Recovery and Resilience Plan includes several measures that target digital skills, mostly in the form of establishing or improving the tools and facilities needed to develop digital competences. In line with the Digital Decade, Hungary’s new National Digitalisation Strategy 2022-2030 acknowledges that improvements in digital skills at all levels are essential to enable the digitalization of businesses and public sector. One of the strategy’s pillars focuses on digital competences, setting targets for 2030 that no more than 5% of the 16-74 age group lacks basic digital competences and that ICT 10% of all graduates should be ICT graduates.
The Roadmap for Hungary consists of 4 chapters:
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Digital skills
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Digital infrastructure
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Digital transformation of businesses
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Digitalisation of public services
Priorities for the development of digital skills
Digital education is an important priority for the Hungarian government. Hungary is implementing several measures related to digital skills, especially to provide the necessary digital tools, as well as network infrastructure and services to students and staff in the primary, secondary and higher education. They also support closing the digital skill gap in disadvantaged groups.
The new National Digitalisation Strategy 2022-2030 sets three priority areas for digital skills:
- developing digital competence (based on the DigComp framework, however the Strategy does not specify that it intends to introduce the latest version DigComp 2.2, adopted at EU level in summer 2022);
- increasing the number and qualifications of IT professionals and engineers;
- strengthening the digital competence development in public education, vocational training and higher education.
To increase the visibility and popularity of the IT professions, motivational events are planned for high school students. Several non-governmental initiatives are in place to increase female participation in ICT (such as Skool, Women in IT Security and Django Girls Budapest).
Measures contributing to the achievement of the target
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Digital Renewal Operational Program with priority develop digital skills related to a specific objective.
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Implement computer procurement.
- Develop smart classrooms supporting digital learning in state-run public education institutions.
- Provide the necessary infrastructure for vocational schools.
- Improve the accessibility of digital spaces and the digital competence of disadvantaged groups.
Key challenges to overcome
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High proportion of people without digital skills.
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Among the Roma, the proportion of people with at least primary education is still extremely high, and the proportion of those participating in secondary education is still low and decreasing. The participation of Roma youth in higher education is still extremely low.
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Its necessary to improve student performance with special attention to disadvantaged student groups.
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Disadvantaged families living in the breakaway regions not always have ICT devices suitable for learning and internet access.
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Awareness of adult education programs is low, as well as willingness to participate.
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It is necessary to encourage professional training in order to increase the proportion of IT professionals and highly digitally prepared workforce in the Hungarian labor market.
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In higher education in the fields of STEM, the proportion of female is still very low.
Source: European Digital Skills & Jobs Platform
