Brussels, 5 March 2010: On occasion of today’s closing event of the first ever European e-Skills Week, the European eSkills Association (EeSA) expresses its support for this successful EU initiative.
Jan Muehlfeit, EeSA co-Chair and Chairman of Microsoft Europe, said: “The European e-Skills Week has managed to highlight the importance of e-skills for our citizens’ chances on the labour market and the competitiveness of Europe’s economy. These two are closely connected. It is therefore essential that European policymakers put more emphasis on upskilling our people.”
Co-Chair Dr. Michael Gorriz, President of EuroCio and CIO of Daimler AG, added: “The e-Skills Week brought together stakeholders and beneficiaries in all EU member countries. It was an important first step to enhance cooperation amongst all relevant players as well as to encourage direct contact between those providing training and education and those in demand of e-skills. This initiative now has to become lasting mainstream if we want to make a real difference.”
EeSA was happy to hear that a new European Commission Research & Innovation plan, to be published this summer, would put strong emphasis on e-skills. But EeSA co-chair Jan Muehlfeit stressed that the focus must be broadened to education and training: “First, more Europeans have to acquire the necessary e-skills before we are able to transfer these from the place where we learn to the place where we earn. Only then will such initiative become a success.”
In its Policy Statement, the EeSA makes five concrete recommendations:
1. Foster synergies amongst educational institutes, ICT industry, IT professionals in the private and public sector to promote e-skills and training
2. Increase attractiveness of ICT as a career path
3. Foster ICT professionalism
4. Align the supply of e-Skills training and qualifications with demand
5. Drive uptake of e-skills in business, especially in SMEs
The transversal integration of all five in EU policymaking will support Europe’s goal to sustain as an inclusive innovative society.
