Digitalskillsforseniors:Keystepsforeffectivetrainingprogrammes

27October2025

Keymessages

?Manyseniorsremainexcludedfromthedigitaltransition.Persistentgapsindigitalskillslimitolderadults’abilitytoaccesshealthcare,financialservices,publicadministration,socialconnections.Thisexclusioncanreduceautonomy,increaseisolation,andcreatebarrierstocivicparticipation.Withouttargetedeffortstoclosethesegasps–particularlyforwomenandthosefromlowersocio-economicbackgrounds–seniorsriskbeingleftbehindasdigitaltoolsbecomethedefaultforeveryday.

?Traditionaltrainingmodelsfrequentlyfailtomeettheneedsofolderlearners.Digitalskillsprogrammesdesignedforthegeneralpopulationoftenoverlookthespecificneedsofseniors.Asaresult,olderlearnersdisengageearlyorstruggletoretainessentialskills.Withoutage-sensitivedesign,evenwell-resourcesinitiativesriskunderperformance,potentiallywideningratherthannarrowingthedigitaldivide.

?Tailoredapproachescansignificantlyimproveparticipationandresults.Adaptingprogrammestoseniors’realities–throughflexibleregistration,accessiblematerials,personalisedsupport,andpracticalcontent–makeslearningmorerelevantandeffective.Groupingparticipantsbyskilllevelandofferingpatient,step-by-stepinstructionfostersgreaterengagement.Incorporatingreal-lifetaskssuchasmakingvideocalls,bookingappointments,orrecognisingonlinescams,furtherincreasesmotivationandsupportslong-termretention.

?Successfulprogrammesdependonaccessibledesignandskilledtrainers.Effectivedeliveryrequiresskilledtrainers,clearvisualmaterials,andsupportiveenvironments.Trainersmustbeabletosimplifycomplexconcepts,adjusttodiverseneeds,andfostertrust.Materialsshouldfeaturelargefonts,high-contrastvisuals,andplain,straightforwardlanguage.Programmesthatinvestintrainerpreparationandage-appropriatecontentachievestrongerlearningoutcomesandincreasedconfidenceamongparticipants–especiallywhencombinedwithongoingfeedbackandflexibledeliveryformats.

?Makingprogressmeansmovingfromprinciplestopractice.Advancingdigitalinclusionforseniorsrequirestranslatingguidanceintoconcrete,context-specificactions–whetherthroughnationalstrategies,pilotprogrammes,orlocalpartnerships.Thismeansconsideringlong-termsupportstructures,integratingdigitalskillsintobroaderageingpolicy,andlearningfromwhatworksontheground.

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DIGITALSKILLSFORSENIORS:KEYSTEPSFOREFFECTIVETRAININGPROGRAMMES?OECD2025

What’stheissue?

Seniorsfacesignificantbarrierstodigitalparticipation,whichcanrestricttheiraccesstoessentialservices,socialnetworksandequitableopportunitiesforcivicengagement.Persistentgenerationalgapsindigitalskills,oftenvaryingacrosscountries,meanthatmanyolderadultsareeffectivelyexcludedfromeverydayactivitiessuchashealthcare,banking,andciviclife.In2022,forexample,acrossOECDcountries,98%ofindividualsaged16-24usedtheInternet,comparedwithonly81%ofthoseaged55-74.Thesefiguresrangefrom99%inNorwaytojust53%intheRepublicofTürkiye(OECD,2024[1]).Limiteddigitalproficiencyalsorestrictsopportunitiestomaintainsocialconnections,underminesautonomy,andmayexacerbatesocialisolationandhinderaccesstovitalinformation.

Traditionaltrainingmodelsoftenfailtoaddressthesechallenges.Digitalskillsprogrammesaretypicallydesignedwithyoungeroralreadydigitallyactivepopulationsinmind,overlookingtheslowerlearningpace,sensorylimitations,oranxietiesthatmanyseniorsexperience.Curriculaareoftentootechnical,fast-paced,orabstract,leavingolderlearnersdiscouragedanddisengaged.Othersmaycompletetrainingbutstruggletoretainorapplyskillswithoutongoing,age-appropriatesupport.Thismismatchbetweenprogrammedesignandlearners’needsmeansthatevenwell-fundedinitiativesriskachievinglimitedimpact.Insteadofclosingthegap,theymayunintentionallyreinforceit,asseniorswhofailinearlyattemptsoftenwithdrawcompletelyfromdigitallearningopportunities.Genderandsocio-economicinequalitiesfurtherexacerbatetheproblem,asolderwomenandthosefromlower-incomebackgroundsareleastlikelytoaccesstrainingordigitalresources.

Whyisthisimportant?

Addressingthesebarriersiscriticalbecausewell-designeddigitaltrainingprogrammescanempowerseniorstousetechnologyinwaysthatimprovetheirdailylives.Trainingtailoredtotheirneedsbuildsconfidenceandsupportseverydaytasks–fromvideocallsandbookingappointmentstoonlinebanking–makingdigitaltoolsmorerelevantandaccessible.

Effectivetrainingforseniorsrequiresadaptingcontent,methods,andsupporttoaddresscommonage-relatedbarriers.Challengessuchascognitivedecline,sensoryimpairments,reducedmobility,andlimiteddigitalexperiencearewidespread.Trainingmaterials,instruction,andoutreachmusttaketheserealitiesintoaccounttocreateasupportiveandaccessiblelearningenvironment.

Thispolicybriefprovidesactionablerecommendationsfordevelopingandimplementingeffectivedigitalskillstrainingforolderadults.DrawingoninternationalexperienceandOECDanalysis(OECD,2025[2])itofferspracticalguidanceforgovernments,NGOs,andotheractorsseekingtodeveloporexpandprogrammesthataddressthedigitalneedsofseniors.

Thebriefexamineskeydimensionsofprogrammedesignanddelivery,highlightingpracticalstepsthatsupportmoreinclusiveaccess,enhancelearningexperiences,andsupportsustaineddigitalengagement.Theseinclude:howseniorsentertraining,howtheyarematchedtopeers,howcontentisstructured,whodeliversit,whathappensoncetheformalsessionsend,andhowprogressistrackedovertime.

Simplifyingaccess:Senior-friendlyregistrationbuildsconfidencefromdayone

Aclearandaccessibleregistrationprocessbuildsseniors’confidenceandensurestheyfeelsupportedfromtheoutset.Prioritisingsimplicity,accessibility,andreassuranceiskeytoloweringbarrierstoentryandencouragingparticipation.

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DIGITALSKILLSFORSENIORS:KEYSTEPSFOREFFECTIVETRAININGPROGRAMMES?OECD2025

Offeringmultipleregistrationchannelsaccommodatesvaryinglevelsofdigitalaccessandcomfort.Channelssuchasphonecalls,postalcommunication,SMS,andemailcanhelpreachabroadaudience.Printedinvitationsandfollow-upcallsareparticularlyimportantforthosewithlimiteddigitalskills,whileshortexplanatoryvideos–sharedviaWhatsApporemail–canguidemoredigitallyengagedseniorsthroughtheregistrationsteps.

Providingearlyandstructuredlogisticalinformationfurtherreducesanxietyandencouragesengagement.Clearlycommunicatingsessiongoals,schedule,locations,andanyitemsparticipantsshouldbring–suchasglassesordevicechargers–helpsparticipantsprepareandsetsapositivetoneforthetrainingexperience.Personalisedremindersinthedaysprecedingthetrainingcanfurtherenhancereadinessandboostconfidence.

Appropriategroupingsupportseffectivelearning

Thoughtfulassessmentandgroupplacementdeterminewhetherseniorsreceivedigitaltrainingattherightlevel,directlyinfluencingengagement,retention,andoutcomes.Whenparticipantsarematchedtogroupsthatreflecttheirabilitiesandlearningneeds,theyaremorelikelytosucceedandfeelconfidentintheirprogress.

Entrytestsprovideapracticalwaytodetermineeachparticipant’sdigitalabilitiesbeforetrainingbegins.Theseassessmentsshouldfocusonreal-worldtasks–suchasdeviceuse,Internetbrowsing,onlinecommunication,anddigitalsafety–anduseaccessibleformatslikemultiplechoiceorvisualmatchingtoreduceanxiety.Testsalignedwithtrainingobjectivesensurethatsubsequentgroupallocationismeaningfulandeffective.See

Box1

fortheUnitedStates’MobileDeviceProficiencyQuestionnaire.

Carefulgroupingsupportsamoretailoredlearningexperienceandreducestheriskthatsomeseniorsfeeloverwhelmedorleftbehind.Distinguishingbetweenbeginner,intermediate,andadvancedlevelsallowstrainerstoadaptcontentandpacetoparticipants’needs.Incontextswhereagevariationissignificant,groupingbyageaswellasskilllevelcanhelpaccommodatedifferentphysicalstaminaandlearningpreferences.

Facilitatingapositivestartwithsupportive,in-persontestingsessionshelpsfamiliariseparticipantswiththetrainingenvironmentandtechnology.One-on-oneassistance,printedinstructions,andintuitivedigitalplatformscanfurthereasetheassessmentprocessandreducebarrierstoparticipation.

Relevantandpracticalcontentenablesreal-worldapplication

Designingtrainingcontentaroundtheeverydayneedsofseniorsmakeslearningimmediatelyrelevantandincreasesmotivationtoparticipate.Focusingonpracticaltasks–suchaspayingbillsonline,makingmedicalappointments,orusingvideocalls–ensuresthatdigitalskillstranslateintorealbenefitsindailylife.

Adaptingmaterialstoage-relatedneedsmakeslearningaccessibleandeffectiveforallseniors.Effectivedigitalskillstrainingacknowledgesthatphysicalandcognitivechangescanaffecthowolderadultsengagewithtechnology.AsAItoolsbecomeincreasinglyembeddedineverydayapplications,trainingshouldalsofamiliariseseniorswiththeiruseinasimpleandreassuringway.Trainingmaterialsshoulduselargefonts,high-contrastvisuals,andplainlanguagetoaddresscommonchallenges.Clearvisualsaidthosewithdecliningvision,whilesubtitlesandreducedbackgroundnoisehelpparticipantswithhearingloss.Simplifiedlanguageandclear,step-by-stepinstructionsreducecognitiveload,anddeviceswithlargerbuttonsorintuitiveinterfacesaccommodatemotordifficulties.

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includesDOROT’sapproachtoage-friendlyinstructionalmaterials.

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DIGITALSKILLSFORSENIORS:KEYSTEPSFOREFFECTIVETRAININGPROGRAMMES?OECD2025

Incorporatingdigitalsafetyandprivacythroughoutthecurriculumaddressescommonconcernsandempowersseniorstousetechnologywithgreaterconfidence.ThisincludesguidanceonsafelyusingAI-poweredtoolsandunderstandingtheirlimitations.Simple,actionableguidance–suchasrecognisingscams,protectingpersonaldataandverifyingthereliabilityofonlinecontent–shouldbeincludedalongsidecoreskills.Arelatedexample–Cyber-Seniors–ishighlightedin

Box1

.

Practicalexercisesanchoredinreal-lifesituationsallowseniorstoapplytheirlearningandbuildconfidencethroughhands-onexperience.Taskslikeloggingintoonlinebanking,bookingappointments,oridentifyingphishingemailshelpreinforcetheusefulnessandrelevanceofdigitalskills.ExercisescouldalsodemonstratehowAItools–suchasvoiceassistantsortranslationapps–cansimplifydailytasksandenhanceautonomy.

Continuouslyimprovingtrainingmaterialsbasedonfeedbackfromparticipantsandtrainerskeepscontentalignedwithseniors’evolvingneedsandpreferences.Offeringmaterialsinbothdigitalandprintedformats,andorganisingthemintosmall,manageableunits,furthersupportsaccessibilityandindependentlearning.

Skilledtrainersenhancetrainingoutcomes

Selectingtrainerswithbothdigitalcompetenceandstronginterpersonalskillsiscriticalforeffectiveseniortraining.Beyondtechnicalability,trainersmustbeabletoexplaintechnologyclearly,adapttodiverselearningneeds,andbuildtrustwithparticipants.Preparationshouldcoverstrategiesformanagingmixed-skillgroups,adaptingteachingpace,andusingpracticalexamplesandvisualaids.

Providingtargetedpreparationequipstrainerstoaddressthespecificchallengesfacedbyolderadults.Recognisingbarrierssuchasslowerprocessingspeeds,memorydecline,orsensoryimpairmentsallowstrainerstocreatesupportiveenvironmentswhereseniorsfeelcomfortable,progressattheirownrhythm,andbuildconfidence.See

Box1

forinsightsfromtheErasmus+SlowlearningProject.

Ongoingsupportandpracticalresourceshelptrainersdeliverconsistent,high-qualitylearningexperiences.Clearteachingguidelines,troubleshootingtips,andadaptablematerialsenabletrainerstorespondflexiblytoparticipants’needsandevolvingtechnologies.

Ongoingsupporttransformslearningintolastingdigitalconfidence

Providingaccessiblesupportduringandaftertraininghelpsseniorsovercomebothtechnicalandpsychologicalbarriers,allowingthemtomaintainconfidenceastheyapplydigitalskillsindependently.Consistentandreliableassistanceisessential,especiallyasmanyseniorsfaceunexpectedtechnicalchallengeswhenusingdigitaltoolsontheirown.Ongoingsupport–whetherbyphone,online,orinperson–offersreassurance,boostsmotivation,andprovidesasafetynet,makingiteasiertoresolveissuesbeforetheybecomesourcesoffrustration.

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featurese-Namokun,amodelofremotetechnicalsupportforseniors.

Phone-basedsupportisparticularlyvaluableforseniorswhomaynothaveimmediateaccesstoin-personhelp.Awell-publicisedsupportline,staffedbypeoplefamiliarwithboththetechnologyandage-friendlycommunication,enablesparticipantstoresolveissuesastheyarise.

Establishingin-personsupporthubsintrustedcommunityspacesprovidesongoing,practicalhelpforseniorsbeyondformaltraining.Communitycentres,libraries,andseniorclubsofferfamiliarandaccessiblesettingswhereolderadultscanseekassistancewithouthesitation.Regulardrop-insessionsgiveseniorspredictableopportunitiesforone-on-oneorsmall-grouphelp,allowingthemtoaddressquestionsandtechnicalissuesastheyarise.Thesehubscanbestaffedbytrainedvolunteers,communityworkers,orstudentmentors,supportedbypartnershipsorincentives.Tipsheets,take-homeresources,

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DIGITALSKILLSFORSENIORS:KEYSTEPSFOREFFECTIVETRAININGPROGRAMMES?OECD2025

andcleardataprivacyprotocolsfurtherenhancesupport.Promotingthesehubsthroughseniorassociationsandlocalnetworkshelpsensureongoingassistancereachesthosewhoneeditmost.

Providingprintedguidestailoredtoseniors’needsmakesiteasierforparticipantstocontinueusingdigitaltoolsindailylife.Clear,easy-to-followprintedinstructionsandtipsheetsserveaspracticalreferencesthatseniorscanconsultwheneverchallengesarise,reinforcingskillslearnedduringtraining.

Continuousassessmentandfollow-upreinforcelearning

Integratingpost-trainingassessmentintodigitalskillsprogrammesallowsproviderstomeasurewhatseniorshavelearnedandidentifyareasforfurthersupport.Well-designedexittestsfocusedonpracticaltaskshelptrackprogressandinformcontinuousimprovement.

Follow-upsessionsaftertrainingendsgiveseniorstheopportunitytorevisitkeyskills,asknewquestions,andadaptlearningtotheirowndevicesandroutines.Thisongoingcontactsupportsknowledgeretentionandbuildsconfidenceforindependenttechnologyuse.IntegratingAIapplicationsintopost-trainingsupportenablesolderadultstobenefitfromcontinuous,on-demandassistanceinadditiontoin-personorremotehumansupport.

Regularmonitoringandlight-touchcheck-ins–suchasphonecalls,shortsurveys,orin-personfollow-ups–helpprovidersunderstandhowseniorsareapplyingdigitalskillsindailylifeandwhereadditionalsupportmaybeneeded.AI-drivenchatorvoicesystemscanfacilitatethesefollow-upsandmaintainconstantcommunicationwithlearnersbetweensessions.Sharinginformationaboutfurtherlearningopportunitiesencouragessustaineddigitalengagementandcontinuousimprovement.

Box1.Internationalexamples:Goodpracticesindigitalskillstrainingforseniors

?UnitedStates–MobileDeviceProficiencyQuestionnaire(MDPD).DevelopedbyCREATEintheUnitedStates,theMDPDassessesseniors’abilitytousesmartphonesandtabletsacrosseightpracticalareas,includingInternetuse,privacy,andtroubleshooting.Itusesa5-pointself-ratingscaleandincludesashort16-questionversion.Thistoolsupportstrainingthatfocusesonreal-worldmobiledeviceusage–criticalformanyseniorswhorelyonphonesortabletsmorethancomputers.

?UnitedStates–DOROT:AndroidTabletTechGuides.DOROTprovidesaccessibletechguidesdesignedspecificallyforolderadultslearningtouseAndroidtablets.Thesematerialsfeaturelargefonts,high-contrastvisuals,andstep-by-stepinstructionsthatsupportcomprehensionandindependentuse.Theguidesreflectbestpracticesinage-friendlyinstructionaldesignandareespeciallyusefulasprintedreferencesthatseniorscanconsultduringoraftertraining.

?Canada/UnitedStates–Cyber-Seniors.ThisNGOthatprovidesdigitaltrainingforolderadultsthroughanintergenerationalmodel,pairingseniorswithtrainedhighschooloruniversitystudentmentors.Thisapproachstrengthensdigitalskillswhilepromotingsocialconnection.Theironlinetutorials,suchasawebinaronmanagingmobiledata,usecleardemonstrationsledbyyouthmentorstoteachpracticalskillslikeWi-Fiaccess,datamonitoring,andusingmobiledataefficiently.

?EuropeanUnion–Erasmus+SlowlearningProject.Thisprojectprovidesguidanceandresourcestohelptrainersadaptdigitalskillsinstructiontotheneedsofolderadults.Itemphasisesslowerteachingpace,repetition,andrestatingofinstructions–practicesthathaveproveneffectiveforseniors.Theprojectalsooutlinestrainerbehavioursthatfosterinclusivelearningenvironments,suchaspatience,encouragement,andtheuseofclear,practicalexamples.

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DIGITALSKILLSFORSENIORS:KEYSTEPSFOREFFECTIVETRAININGPROGRAMMES?OECD2025

?Japan-e-NamokunProgramme.Thisprogrammeoffersremotetechnicalsupportforseniorsusinge-RemoSuppsoftware,whichenablesreal-timevisualassistance.Thisapproachhasprovenhighlyeffectiveinhelpingseniorsresolvetechnicalissues,particularlywhencombinedwithvoiceguidance.Theprogrammedemonstrateshowremotesupporttools-whensecureandeasytouse-canextendtheimpactofdigitaltrainingandencourageongoingengagement.

Whatcanpolicymakersdo?

Associetiesageanddigitalservicesbecomethenorm,thequestionisnolongerwhetherolderadultsneeddigitalskills-buthowtrainingeffortscantrulyreflecttheirneedsandrealities.Populationageingisreshapingthewayservicesaredeliveredandaccessed,whilerapiddigitalisationriskswideninggapsforthosewithouttheskillsorconfidencetoengageonline.Thesegapsareoftenmorepronouncedamongwomenandthosefromlowersocio-economicbackgrounds,whooftenfacegreaterbarrierstoaccess,affordability,andconfidenceinusingtechnology.Digital-skillsinitiativesthereforematternotmerelyasknowledgetransferbutasroutestoempowerment,independence,andsocialconnection.Targetedinvestmentinsuchprogrammesmayofferatimelyandeffectiveresponsetooverlappingdemographicandtechnologicalshifts.

Adaptingtrainingmodelsdesignedforyoungerusersrarelymeetstheexpectationsofolderlearners.Seniorsarediverseyetcommonlyfaceslowercognitiveprocessing,sensoryimpairments,limitedexperiencewithdigitaltools,andanxietiesrootedinpastfrustrations.Programmesgroundedinthelivedexperienceofolderadults-designedwith,notjustforthem-aremorelikelytosucceed.Patient,step-by-stepinstruction,user-friendlymaterials,andsupportiveenvironmentscantransformpotentialfrustrationintogenuineempowerment;withoutsuchtailoring,evenwell-intentionedinitiativesriskperpetuatingthedigitaldividetheyaimtoclose.

WhileOECDworkisunderwaytodeepenunderstandingofhowemergingtechnologies-particularlyartificialintelligence-canenhancetheaccessibility,personalisation,andeffectivenessofdigitalskillstrainingforseniors,furtherresearchandcollaborationareneeded.

Importantevidencegapsremain,particularlyregardinglong-termoutcomessuchastheimpactofdigitalliteracyonautonomy,well-being,andcivicparticipation.Adedicatedcross-countryprojectiscurrentlyassessingdigitalskillslevels,identifyingkeygaps,anddocumentinggoodpractices-includinghowAI-driventoolsandintergenerationalapproachescansupportdigitalinclusioninageingsocieties.

Manyoftherecommendationspresentedinthisbriefmayappearstraightforwardorgroundedincommonsense,yettheyareoftenoverlookedinpractice-especiallyundertighttimelinesorlimitedresources.Thisdocumentoffersapracticalandlogicallyorganisedchecklisttosupporteffectiveplanninganddeliveryofdigitalskillstrainingforolderadults.Thebriefoffersastructuredsetofconsiderations,thatcanbeadaptedtodifferentsettings,whetherfordesigningnationalstrategies,refininglocalinitiatives,orinformingpilotprogrammes.Byapplyingtheserecommendationsthoughtfully,governmentsandinstitutionscanimprovethequality,reach,andsustainabilityoftheirtrainingefforts-enablingolderadultstoengagemoreconfidentlywithdigitaltechnologiesandparticipatefullyinanincreasinglydigitalsociety.

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DIGITALSKILLSFORSENIORS:KEYSTEPSFOREFFECTIVETRAININGPROGRAMMES?OECD2025

Furtherinformation

VisitthiswebpagetofindoutmoreabouttheprojectEnhancingtheDigitalSkillsofSeniorsintheSlovakRepublic.

/en/about/programmes/sg-reform/enhancing-the-digital-skills-of-seniors-in-the-slovak-

republic.html

References

OECD(2025),EnhancingtheDigitalSkillsofSeniorsintheSlovakRepublic,

/en/about/programmes/sg-reform/enhancing-the-digital-skills-of

-seniors-in-the-slovak-republic.html(accessedon8October2025).

[2]

OECD(2024),SocietyataGlance2024:OECDSocialIndicators,OECDPublishing,Paris,

/10.1787/918