ENCODE-IT is a 15-month transnational cooperation project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, specifically under Key Action 2 (KA210-ADU) – Small-scale Partnerships in Adult Education. The project focuses on empowering low-skilled women by providing accessible digital learning opportunities and basic coding skills, with the aim of promoting social inclusion, employability, and gender equality across Europe.
In today’s rapidly evolving digital economy, millions of European women still lack access to basic digital skills and face multiple barriers, such as low educational attainment, unemployment, family responsibilities, and migration background that perpetuate social exclusion. Global events like the COVID-19 pandemic have only widened this gap, underscoring the urgent need for targeted projects that bridge digital divides and open pathways to IT employment for underserved women.
The main aim of ENCODE-IT is to empower low-skilled women by equipping them with essential coding and digital literacy skills, thereby improving their access to IT sector opportunities and boosting their participation in the digital economy. Key objectives include training 60 women from Portugal, Türkiye, and Belgium in Python programming; developing six interactive coding modules; delivering a four-month virtual bootcamp; hosting an international hackathon; and establishing a sustainable learning community for ongoing peer support.
The primary target group comprises low-skilled women facing significant barriers to education and employment, unemployed women, housewives, refugees and migrants, survivors of violence, and those at risk of social or economic exclusion. A secondary audience includes educators, social service professionals, and civil society staff (vocational trainers, NGO workers, social workers) who support these women’s digital learning and social reintegration.
The ENCODE-IT consortium brings together four experienced adult-education organizations from across Europe: APPIS (Spain – coordinator), IGEA (Türkiye), and SDSN (Belgium). Each partner contributes unique strengths in digital content development, educational methodology, mentorship, outreach, and project management to ensure high-quality implementation and broad societal impact.
ENCODE-IT’s three core activities—Development of Digital Microlearning Modules, a Virtual Coding Bootcamp, and a Transnational Hackathon are complemented by robust project management, quality assurance, and dissemination efforts. The microlearning modules offer short, self-paced digital lessons; the bootcamp delivers an immersive four-month coding experience; and the hackathon unites participants to solve real-world challenges through collaborative innovation.
By delivering accessible coding education and supportive learning environments, ENCODE-IT aims to bridge the digital divide, promote gender equality in tech, and directly contribute to the EU’s digital skills and social inclusion objectives. The project will also establish a lasting community of practice encouraging knowledge sharing, peer mentoring, and continuous learning to ensure that benefits persist long after the 15-month implementation period.
Sixty low-skilled women from Portugal, Türkiye, and Belgium will gain hands-on coding experience, mentorship, and digital confidence, directly improving their employability and social inclusion. Educators, NGOs, and adult-education centers will also benefit by accessing free, open-source learning materials and best-practice guides, enabling them to replicate the project model in their own communities.
Upon completing ENCODE-IT, participants will be prepared for entry-level roles in IT support, web development, or data entry, significantly enhancing their job prospects and financial independence. Armed with new digital skills and a supportive alumni network, graduates can pursue advanced tech training, engage in online developer communities, and contribute to digital innovation in their local regions.
The project centers on the Python programming language, celebrated for its readability and versatility across web development, data analysis, and automation. Learners will engage with interactive Python modules and user-friendly coding environments (e.g., online IDEs and Jupyter notebooks), and will be introduced to basic version-control workflows to collaborate effectively.