Join 13 000 EU4Digital Academy trainees: insights from satisfied learners
Want to learn digital skills that support your small business, but not sure what training is available, affordable and effective? More than 13 000 people have already chosen EU4Digital Academy’s courses, which provide free-of-charge, online learning content in local languages for entrepreneurs and others in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region. Satisfied learners have shared their insights.
“Unlike many online courses, our focus is on practical steps, regional relevance and simple, affordable solutions that deliver immediate results,” says EU4Digital Academy expert, Michael Erixon. This positivity is shared by people who have completed EU4Digital courses — in Cybersecurity, eCommerce, Digital Marketing or Digitalisation of Business — as their testimonies show.
Tailored content — eCommerce in EU Marketplaces
“I decided to develop my knowledge in the field of e-commerce. This course was the beginning in my development and determined the direction of my future career.”
Yuliia Zarudnya, Ukrainian (Türkiye)
‘eCommerce in EU Marketplaces’ is aimed at learners just starting their eCommerce ‘journey’ with no prior knowledge — like Ukrainian course participant Yuliia. But it is equally useful for those already selling products online in their own country, who want to expand their business to the European Union (EU). With content tailored to each of the Eastern partner countries and available in the relevant language, this course explains EU eCommerce marketplaces, how to select one, register and start selling, and how to navigate EU rules such as VAT and customs. Azerbaijanian economist Yusifov used these materials to boost his existing skills to expert level, to aid his work as and Head of Ganja city departmentwith the non-governmental organisation Children and Students Youth World.
“By completing this course, I gained high-level theoretical experience in accordance with my specialty and work activities.” Yusifov Hafiz, Azerbaijan
Recognised professional development — Digital Marketing Essentials
“Marketing is one of the most challenging and changing and innovating fields today. Continuous professional development is very important, even more so for business and especially for the leader. I value this knowledge and its application in my own business.”
Tsovinar Miskaryan, Armenia
Tsovinar is Founding Director of Armenian enterprise MISMA SPA, which specialises in business printing and the sale of heritage carpet patterns, ornaments and other interior products. She opted for the EU4Digital Academy ‘Digital Marketing Essentials’ course after recognising a need to maintain and develop such skills in line with today’s environment.
Developed by the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI), the world’s leading provider of digital marketing education, this course covers foundational skills for non-marketing teams. Igor, an Assistant Professor at the Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics in Ukraine, says the course helped him both with practical tools and with broader skills like marketing strategy.
“The course was extremely valuable, helping me understand how to build an effective online presence and develop a more strategic approach to online communication and audience engagement. The sections on SEO and social media marketing were particularly useful, providing practical tools I could immediately apply.”
Igor Kobzev, Ukraine
Like all EU4Digital Academy courses, completion means gaining a certificate and digital ‘badge’ to showcase the achievement. In the case of ‘Digital Marketing Essentials’, students enrolled through EU4Digital Academy can gain an additional certificate by taking the DMI Essentials exam for a smaller than usual fee. These are opportunities that Azerbaijanian PR and marketing specialist Aydan also appreciates.
“The certificate and digital badge formally confirm the knowledge I have acquired and give me the added advantage of showcasing my skills both in my CV and on professional platforms.”
Aydan Agazadaa, Azerbaijan
Invest today, profit tomorrow — Digitalisation of Business
Many small enterprises still face barriers to taking up the digital tools and skills that could help them to modernise and grow. One business that recognised such barriers and the need to break through them is Ukrainian sportswear company MAXSport, says its founder Dmytro.
“Not all small businesses dare to digitalise: it requires resources, time, money. I realised that we needed to move forward, because only digitalisation will allow us to become equal with big business.”
Dmytro Kovalchuk, Ukraine
As a contributor to the EU4Digital Academy’s Digitalisation of Business’ course content, Dmytro has shared valuable insights about how the systematic implementation of digital tools can strengthen operational discipline, accelerate product development, and reduce errors. Two companies that have benefitted from this knowledge are Moldovan accountancy firm Eqitabil and electrical infrastructure and construction works specialist EMCOM.
Eqitabil founder Maxim recalls the long time spent manually coordinating company operations before he learned the digital skills and processes needed to streamline business operations.
“I had to spend hours just to understand what was happening in the company. It became clear that we couldn’t continue without digitalisation. What seems difficult today can bring profit and freedom tomorrow.”
Maxim Gribencea, Moldova
And Gheorghe, Technical Director of EMCOM, agrees that it is worth spending the time on training in order to make progress in the business.
“Digitalisation allows us to grow not by reducing staff, but by expanding the range of services we offer. By saving time, management can focus on developing the business instead of overseeing daily operations.”
Gheorghe Oprea, Moldova
Effective and accessible — Cybersecurity Essentials
Of course, any business that uses digital tools for its operations and data must also protect itself against security risks such as cyberattacks. EU4Digital Academy’s ‘Cybersecurity’ course — developed by leading Finnish online learning provider MinnaLearn — builds cyber confidence for beginners or those looking to enhance existing digital security knowledge.
As a Computer Science Professor at the Center of Excellence in Informatics and Information Technologies (CEITI) in Moldova, Victoria was already knowledgeable, but reports course benefits nevertheless.
“The skills developed through this course are essential in the educational and professional environment, where digital services and data protection are now a daily responsibility. This well-structured course is up-to-date, oriented towards practical applicability, and well balanced between theory and concrete examples as well as accessibility for different levels of experience. Selecting the language facilitated clear understanding and a more effective and accessible learning experience.”
Prof. Victoria Musteață, Moldova
Prof. Musteață adds that cybersecurity training, such as that on offer from EU4Digital Academy — which includes three additional cybersecurity courses from the EU-funded CYRUS e-learning platform — is of increasing importance: “Such initiatives contribute significantly to strengthening digital skills and should be further expanded and promoted.”
Why enrol in EU4Digital Academy? Tools and strategy
“It would be highly effective to integrate such learning models into universities and professional education systems,” says Dr. Babak Nabiyev, Head of the Network Operations Centre for AzScienceNet, Azerbaijan’s national research and education network organisation. He sees a need for an array of training topics to be more broadly available, if small businesses and other organisations in Eastern partner countries are to truly adapt to their rapidly digitalising environment.
“The most needed training areas are practical and application-oriented: basic IT skills, cybersecurity fundamentals, HR digital tools, accounting and financial digital systems, and the effective use of government e-services. Advanced tools such as Customer Relationship Management, analytics, and integrated management platforms are still not commonly adopted. And gaps remain in structured digital transformation planning, process automation and cybersecurity awareness, which require long-term capacity building.”
Dr. Babak Nabiyev, Azerbaijan
The EU4Digital Academy portfolio covers a lot of these topics. But as Michael, Professor of Business and Management at the American University of Armenia and Managing Director of Lexcell Capital, points out, the training also provides other, more encompassing benefits.
“Training is not only about digital tools—it’s about teaching entrepreneurs to approach business strategically, make data-driven decisions, and embrace innovation. Small business owners, especially older ones, have room to improve their skills, but educational programmes and online courses are helping them catch up.”
Michael Kouchakdjian, Armenia
Further information
To explore the EU4Digital Academy portfolio and enrol in local-language courses, please visit the EU4Digital Academy website.
For any questions or partnership opportunities, please contact us at eu4digitalacademy@lt.ey.com.
Find out how EU4Digital Academy has partnered with the EU-funded EU4Youth programme to promote a social entrepreneurship training package for young people.
EU4Digital’s digital learning programme was formerly communicated as the EU4Digital EdTech Hub initiative. The EU4Digital Academy is part of activities in EU4Digital’s Digital Skills thematic area. To find out more:
- Visit our ‘Explainers’,
- View our short ‘This is Digital Skills’ video,
- Explore our Digital Skills-related publications,
- Follow all EU4Digital Digital Skills news.
