EU calls for action on skills shortages

The European Commission has set up a new board to battle e-skills shortages and called on industry and academia to encourage IT education.

Following reports showing that Europe could face worsening shortages in the years to come, which could hurt the knowledge economy and enterprise in general.

Vice president Günter Verheugen, responsible for enterprise and industry policy, said: "The availability of e-skills is a key condition for successful innovation and for the competitiveness of European enterprises. We cannot afford to delay and we will only succeed if all partners join their forces. In this context, I warmly welcome the initiative of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry to create an e-Skills Industry Leadership Board."

Viviane Reding, commissioner for the Information Society and Media, said: "Shortfalls of qualified ICT practitioners slow down new ICT applications in the economy and draw away billions of euros of investment funds to dynamic emerging economies, where hundreds of thousands of new engineers are qualifying each year."

The EC said member states, industry, academia and trade unions are responsible for ensuring there's enough skilled workers for the ICT industry, advising them to raise awareness to encourage students, develop partnerships to promote training, break down the digital divide and use e-learning.

"Digital illiteracy, still standing at nearly 40 per cent, is also a persistent feature of Europe's digital divide," Reding added. "We can no longer afford to waste the talents of millions of Europeans by leaving them out of the information society. Member states and industry must commit to a substantial e-skills strategy."

The commission said it would hold a conference at the end of next year to report on the progress of the board and look for new ways forward.

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