CompetencePlus (Basic competence in worklife)

Competence Norway (Kompetanse Norge) is a directorate under Norway's Ministry of Education and Research, working to ensure everyone can learn throughout life and secure needed skills. Its CompetencePlus programme was established in 2006: public and private sector organisations can apply for funding to upskill their workforce in basic digital skills. The initiative was motivated by international surveys on basic skills and by Norway's ranking on them, given that more than 24% of Norwegians reported having little or no experience using digital tools.

The programme focuses on three areas: use of ICT systems; searching and exchanging digital information; and production and presentation of digital information. To secure funding, training must be relevant to the individual organisation's working environment/routine, guided by national Competence Goals that set standards for reading, writing, mathematics, oral communication and digital competence.

Public and private organisations apply for CompetencePlus grants to fund workplace basic-digital-skills training tailored to their own tasks and routines, using the Competence Goals as a reference standard.

The programme has been awarded grants of more than 500 million NOK for learning basic skills at work. Analyses conducted by external agencies reportedly show a particular benefit from digital-skills training: participants felt better about their job performance after completing courses, and noticed improved awareness of required basic skills and how to reach the needed levels. A particularly successful element was training content tied to specific workplace tasks, delivered through good teaching methods.

Reported learning points include: using immediate intervention to help the workforce become better equipped and competitive; using studies and surveys to make training curricula more pertinent; and recognising that digital skills need to be balanced with other basic skills to be genuinely useful.