This strong, coordinated and mobilised digital skills ecosystem allows the combination of the knowledge and specialisation of each of the digital skills actors and initiatives (public sector, companies and third sector) that converge in the city of Madrid. This offers multiple benefits, such as expanding the beneficiaries of the programmes, bringing the initiatives closer to the people of Madrid and giving them a sense of the city or closing the most pronounced gaps to not leave anyone behind, among others.

The Digital Volunteering project is the result of an innovative process, governed by co-design and co-creation. In this sense, a series of collaborative workshops were held with the participation of all the agents involved to identify the relevant digital gaps and relevant competencies, to train volunteers in the priority contents for the elderly and to check the necessary improvements in the municipal digital services to make them more accessible to everyone.

The Digital Volunteering project was launched in 2022 by incorporating digital topics into the help already provided to the elderly population by volunteers in Madrid. After the development of 35 analysis sessions on the usability of municipal digital services and apps carried out in 2022 in 16 of the 21 districts of Madrid, some of the improvements detected were included in the Mobile Madrid app and a new version of the Madrid Is With You app was launched in May 2023.

The programme's first implementation was conducted in 5 senior citizen centres, where its participants developed and acquired skills that are a priority for their digital inclusion. The solution is expected to extend to all centres in the city.

In addition, the Digital Training for All Alliance has been presented for public-private collaboration. All agents in Madrid have been encouraged to contribute to citizens' digital training, with an expansion planned for the coming years.

Public-private collaboration defines the Alliance. It aims to open the initiative so that all agents contribute to focus on people as the centre of the digital transformation.

Digital Volunteering was born from the co-design and co-creation promoted by entities such as UserCentriCities or the European Network of Living Labs. At the same time, collaboration agreements have been signed with third-sector entities and associations (emancipaTIC, Somos Digital, or the Spanish Banking Association).

The beneficiaries of Digital Training for All are Madrid citizens. The lines of action established focus on citizens' digital inclusion and autonomy, as well as on digital training for work and the training of municipal employees.

Moreover, the elderly population, as a group at risk of digital exclusion, is the primary user of digital volunteering. This project also adds value to Volunteers, who develop essential values for today's society, such as empathy, respect, and solidarity.

In the first quarter of 2023, Volunteers for Madrid launched the first digital accompaniment programmes in five of the city's senior centres. Moreover, digitalising agents participated in the design and development of the Madrid is With You app, whose functionalities are available to all its users. The Digital Volunteering project is expected to reach more than 665,000 elderly population living in Madrid.

Digital Training for All aims to contribute to the European and national goal of having at least 80% of adults with basic digital skills, as well as to strengthen dimensions such as adaptability to the demands of working life, the approach to digital administration or the reduction of the gender gap in digital skills.

The first obstacle detected was the users' lack of proactivity and confidence in the initial stage. To counteract this, the programme was taken to the senior centres, starting the training and digital accompaniment service in person and thus increasing participation.

At the same time, progress was made in developing the application for its immediate availability and to facilitate the continuity of the service without needing to be face-to-face.

The initiative has arisen thanks to numerous voluntary associations that support the collaborative links. However, their lack of standardised coordination has encouraged Madrid to promote the strategic Alliance that enhances the capacities of both the private and third sectors.

One key aspect of the success is the "Madrid, Digital Capital" Strategy. Digital inclusion and empowerment are possible because they are grouped under a solid framework of digitalisation that covers all sectors. In the Strategy, a clear commitment materialised through the implementation of each project, with a time horizon until 2027.

On the other hand, due to the positive effects generated by the digital accompaniment of the elderly population, the project is a priority line in the digitalisation of the city, as it seeks to combat unwanted loneliness, the digital cohesion of people and the reduction, in the long term, of administrative burdens and duplicities derived from face-to-face procedures.

The experience and lessons learned from the Digital Volunteering project allow the scaling up of co-creation and co-design experiences to programmes for everyone in the city.

Scaling to other educational areas such as schools, universities or even other cities would be beneficial and viable insofar as these programmes contribute to tackling the needs of groups such as the elderly population or people lacking resources in their relations with technology. To this end, the approach adopted considers the need to improve the continuous adaptability of accompaniment to new demands of working and productive life and to promote inclusion in the labour market of groups most affected by digitalisation and robotisation.

One of the main lessons learned is that investment in digital skills returns in a more digitally advanced society and boosts the economy and technological humanisation. Socio-economic constraints have a reduced impact facing the extension of collaborative networks resulting from initiatives such as these.

Thanks to the development of collaborative processes and active listening, New needs are immediately detected to adapt the support. Moreover, active participation in networks such as UserCentriCities has meant a qualitative leap in the collaborative methodology used due to the contact with other European municipalities and regions on the principles of co-creation and co-design.

Digital Training for All stands at the core of Madrid's digital transformation strategy. Designed for the people and companies of Madrid, propels digital leadership. The focus on continuous progress in digital skills ensures an inclusive transformation, leaving no one behind. The innovative alliance, a dynamic fusion of public and private strengths, orchestrates the city's digital skills ecosystem. Digital Volunteering, a humane facet, bridges the digital gap for the elderly population, fostering inclusion and reducing loneliness. Co-designed with participatory workshops, it enhances digital services and citizen well-being. The results, marked by the launch of digital accompaniment programs, signify a paradigm shift in addressing digital challenges.