Vodafone Foundation, Save the Children team up to hone children’s digital skills

Vodafone Foundation, Save the Children team up to hone children’s digital skills
01 / 03 / 2025
By Marwa Nassar - -

Vodafone Foundation and Save the Children have announced a groundbreaking partnership to launch a new Europe-wide digital skills and resilience training program for children aged 9 to 16.

This new collaboration will focus on upskilling children beyond digital skills, with bespoke content addressing online safety, digital rights, and ethical online behavior. Both partners will seek to integrate these important elements into educational systems worldwide, helping to shape a healthier, safer digital landscape for young people today, while positively impacting their lives tomorrow.

Bespoke educational content will be developed that combines Vodafone Foundation’s successful approach to driving inclusion through digital learning with Save the Children’s expertise in child protection, wellbeing and children’s rights.

The training is expected to go live from September 2025 in Albania, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Türkiye. It will be integrated into Vodafone Foundation’s ‘Skills Upload Junior’, a Europe wide digital skills education program that has reached over 7.5 million children in the last five years.

Joakim Reiter, Vodafone Group Chief External & Corporate Affairs Officer, and Vodafone Foundation Board Trustee, explained: “Every half second, a child makes their first click online and enters a world full of opportunities but also risks. We want to guide and equip children with the knowledge and skills to navigate this digital landscape safely and in a healthy way, especially for those with limited access to technology.”

Moazzam Malik, CEO of Save the Children UK, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Vodafone Foundation on this hugely important project. Combining Vodafone’s technological capabilities with Save the Children’s expertise in children’s protection and wellbeing in the digital space, we will strive to ensure children have the tools to create safer, more equitable environments both online and offline.”

This new partnership comes at a time when the need for digital skills, literacy and resilience among young people is rising. European Commission research suggests that around 29% of young people lack basic digital skills necessary for safe and effective internet use1 and only 39% of educators in the EU feel well-prepared to use digital technologies in their daily work.

In Europe, according to the EU Kids online 2020 survey, around 1 in 10 children become victims of online bullying every month, and an equal number say they never feel safe online3. 26% of young people report feelings of loneliness and exclusion related to passive scrolling of social media.

This new collaboration forms part of Vodafone Foundation’s ambition in Europe to ensure that everyone has the digital skills they need to feel like they belong, breaking down inequalities and enabling everyone to feel safe, happy, confident and connected. A key part of Vodafone Foundation’s commitment to driving inclusion through digital learning and connecting for good.

اترك تعليقا

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles