DIGITALJOBS Support to the Grand Coalition for ICT Jobs:
Exploitation of ICT has a crucial role to play in Europe’s future prosperity and well-being. The single largest obstacle to harnessing the power of ICT is a shortage of skills, particularly ICT practitioners, where the shortfall is estimated at 900,000. President Barroso remarked on this problem following the final session of the EC on 15 March – “Opportunities exist and we must train our young people to fill them”. DIGITALJOBS unites influential partners from across member states representing the key stakeholders from both the demand and supply-side in a thematic network committed to “bridging the gap”. These constituencies include Member States, EU institutions, industry, academia NGOs, Digital Champions, and voluntary groups. DIGITALJOBS will both facilitate interaction between Grand Coalition for ICT Jobs members and dissemination best practice and extend the reach of the network to bring the Coalition to life. Specifically DIGITALJOBS focuses five priority themes – ICT & Training, Mobility, Certification, Awareness and Education thereby addressing the acknowledged problem areas. The essence of DIGITALJOBS is a highly pragmatic approach to identifying what works and how to export it to where a meaningful impact can be made. Acting as both a repository and broker for proven solutions and best practice DIGITALJOBS’ value-add is in amplification and propagation and not re-invention. It will build on the results of existing EC investments such as e-Skills Weeks. “Bridging the gap” means having an effective mechanism in place that contributes both directly to the efforts to drive a reduction in the shortfall in ICT practitioners across Europe and the re-balancing of demand and supply. DIGITALJOBS combines the knowledge, expertise, influence, resources and outreach capability of the partners coupled with clear objectives and robust strategies underpinned by straightforward and results-oriented work packages.