Digital transformation is revolutionising the way Europeans live, study and work. Yet, not all Europeans are ready to fully participate in – contribute to – the digital society and economy. According to the European Commission, only 57% of Europeans have the digital skills needed for the digital world we live in. One in six Europeans aged 16-74 has no digital skills at all and one in four only has a low level of digital skills. Furthermore, while 90% of jobs require basic digital competences, 35% of the labour force lacks them.Moreover, 38% of EU companies report that the lack of digital skills negatively affects their performance and competitiveness. To tackle this challenge, the EU launched the “Digital Skills Camp; Jobs Coalition” with the ambition of empowering Europeans to acquire the digital skills they need to thrive in society, remain productive and employable. The Coalition main target is to train 1 million young people for digital jobs through short-term training programmes. Poland lags behind: according to the EU Commission “EU Index of Digital Entrepreneurship Systems” Poland ranks 20 out of the 28 Member States, with particularly low rating in human capital and attitude towardsdigital entrepreneurship.The DEEP project focus is also set on entrepreneurship as a key skill in VET as more entrepreneurs are needed in order to bring Europe back to growth and create new jobs - The Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan shows. Entrepreneurship education is perceived as highly important and, along with entrepreneurial teacher training, addressed by a large number of European strategic documents, including ET 2020. The DEEP main aim is to improve professional success chances of VET students with different backgrounds by developing not only their entrepreneurship skills (or knowledge), but also their digital skills. One of the elements of innovation of DEEP project is that those skills will not be treated separately as traditionally are foreseen by national curricula, but in an integrative, interdisciplinary manner. On the other hand, it provides VET teachers/trainers/mentors with the necessary tools and knowledge to help their students effectively acquire those skills. DEEP proposes an integrated approach, possible through the cooperation of partners active in multiple sectors.DEEP is a truly EU project and as such cannot be conducted in the isolation of individual Member States. The value of the project is in its transnational nature: it tackles EU challenges (fragmentation and distance between VET and digital entrepreneurship) and it provides EU-wide solutions that can be addressed only in a holistic vision. DEEP will identify EU best practices that require the participation of an international partnership. More, the DEEP OER is meant to be a pan-EU resource and its content will be flexible to be dynamically adjusted to the diversity of the various EU realities: such degree of dynamism can only be achieved through the international partnership that the DEEP project brings together, representing the worlds of VET and entrepreneurship in a truly European dimension. Finally, the needs of target groups were not identified only at national level, but they are present over the entire Europe - which need more entrepreneurs, and the solutions will therefore be common thanks to the use of English as lingua franca. As the project addresses transnational needs, it necessitates a transnational approach to increase its relevance and to bring together different tools.

ContextThe economic impact of cybercrime rose fivefold between 2013 and 2017; cybercrime is the fastest-growing form of criminal activity, with companies being the first target with a cost to businesses estimated at $5.2 trillion worldwide by 2025 (Accenture, “Cost of Cyber Crime Study”, 2019)According to EUROPOL (“Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment” 2018) attacks are directed towards small businesses, that provide the greatest potential profits and the lowest resistance.EUROPOL reports that “58% of victims are small businesses”. Despite this high vulnerability, only 14% of Micro/Small & Medium Enterprises are prepared to tackle cyber threats (“State of Cybersecurity in Small & Medium Size Businesses” Keeper, 2018).Another industry report (“SME Cyberthreat Study”, Keeper, 2019) confirms that MSMEs are neither aware of cyber-risks nor ready: 66% of senior decision-makers at small businesses believe they are unlikely to be a target of online criminals. Similarly, 60% MSMEs have no digital defence plan whatsoever.NeedsOfficial policy papers and reports of the EU Commission highlight the pressing need to equip micro and small businesses with competences and tools to tackle cyber threats and be more resilient in case of cyber-attack:a) “Cybersecurity Strategy: An Open, Safe and Secure Cyberspace”b) “Supporting specialised skills development: Big Data, Internet of Things and Cybersecurity for SMEs”c) “Identification of Future Skills Needs in Micro-Craft-Type Enterprises up to 2020”The EU’s “Cybersecurity Strategy: An Open, Safe and Secure Cyberspace” call for immediate action to achieving cyber resilience, especially for the micro and small businesses that represent 92% of EU companies and 53% of EU jobs.The 2019 report from EASME/EU Commission “Supporting specialised skills development: Big Data, Internet of Things & Cybersecurity for SMEs” identifies specific needs and skills gaps for MSMEs in cybersecurity:Section 3.3.2 of the report “Specialised skills gaps” states that “Skills shortages are hindering SMEs, and these shortages are expected to increase even further in the near future, in particular in cybersecurity”. Again from the report:” Europe will face a projected skills gap of 350,000 cybersecurity professionals by 2022.Objectives of CYBER-MSMEs are:A) bridge the skill gaps identified at EU and national levels for micro and small businesses on cybersecurityB) develop innovative training to provide new skills and competences to entrepreneurs and staff of MSMEsC) make it possible for young people to become “cybersecurity experts” and identify new jobs in MSMEs. The profile of cybersecurity expert is in high demand: in 2019, IBM reports that the number of cybersecurity job postings has grown 94%D) contribute to the competitiveness and growth of EU micro and small businesses by providing more relevant and high-quality training and products to tackle the challenges of cybersecurity and better manage cyber threatsParticipants are 6 partners from 4 countries, representing VET, ICT and enterprise expertise coupled with the depth and excellence of research, analysis and development with the participation of a global leader in the socio-economic analysis. Moreover, the project directly involves the target groups and stakeholders, both during the activities and at the dissemination level.Activities are grouped along with four distinct and stand-alone Intellectual outputs over a period of 24 months of implementation:- Develop and maintain the Cyber-MSME OER Platform- Map Cyber-Threats and Training Needs for MSME- Define the professional profile of Cyber-Security Expert within micro and small business- Develop the Cyber-MSME training and operational tools in 5 languages- Deliver and validate the Cyber-MSME training with 180 target groups- Define guidelines for mainstreaming and sustain project results beyond Erasmus co-financingResults of the project are:1. Innovative training resources, courses and materials for MSMEs to empower their staff with skills and competences on cybersecurity2. A toolbox with operational tools to implement cybersecurity at enterprise level3. Increased capacity of MSMEs to understand, anticipate, manage and contain cyber threats. 4. Enhanced operational ability to implement cybersecurity in MSMEs: 5. Validated and relevant training resources for the professional profile of “Cybersecurity Expert for MSME”Cyber-MSME generates immediate, tangible and long-lasting impact and benefits:- VET operators have access to innovative training in the field of cyber-security for micro/small firms- microenterprsies and SMEs can operationalise and implement cyber-security thanks to the CYBER-MSMEs tools and guidelines- New professional profiles of cyber-security expert will generate new employment opportunities- All of the above contributes to a more responsive VET system;