News

The complementary study launched by DG RTD aims to provide the Commission with the analysis and recommendations on skills in the NMBP areas (Nanotechnologies, New Materials, Industrial Biotechnology and Advanced Manufacturing Technologies).

Published under the title “NEW CURRICULA FOR E-LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN EUROPE” (final report), the first results of the initiative on e-leadership are to be presented to the public in time for the EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON DIGITAL AND KEY ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES SKILLS.

On 13 March over 250 participants joined in the official launch of eSkills for Jobs campaign at the high-level conference in Riga. The eSkills for Jobs campaign is a response to the growing demand for ICT-skilled professionals which is currently not met in Europe.

Nanofutures is a funding initiative within the WING programme of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research. It funds research groups of young high potentials that focus on nanotechnology and nano-materials.

I have seen significant changes in the overlapping trends associated with the digital economy and skills. As the main author of the first edition of the “e-Skills Manifesto” (2010), I flagged what lay ahead if Europe did not take radical action.

Estimates reveal that Europe will need up to 350,000 additional e-leaders by 2020, including replacement demand. This translates into a demand of 40,000 – 73,000 e-leadership skilled individuals per year and presents a strong challenge to the current educational ecosystem.

Digital technologies are having a massive impact on the economy, spreading through all sectors and changing the way economic value is created, the jobs people do, how they do them and the skills they need for those jobs.

Despite high levels of unemployment, Europe is faced with a significant shortage of the people capable of leading innovation to capitalise on advances in information and communication technologies (ICT).