After the unforeseen technological development and diffusion in the use of the Internet, the world of education has changed. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated these changes in incorporating digital skills as part of everyday life in education and professional development. The paper investigates the role of digital competencies with regard to lifelong learning and distance education. It expresses the need for students and teachers to acquire and develop digital skills with a view to being equipped in their complexity within modern educational environments. Their research deals with theoretical underpinning and practical applications of digital skills, assessment frameworks in Greece and the broader European context, and what these skills imply for personal and professional development. The study synthesizes some of the existing theoretical and empirical insights to underline the imperative of embedding digital literacy into educational practice so that learners are proficiently prepared to function in modern times.

Keywords: Digital Skills, Distance Education, Educational Technology, Lifelong Learning, Skill Assessment.