ICT skills are key to full employment - Commissioner Diamantopoulou
Speaking at a conference organised by Forum Europe's Bibliothèque Solvay, Anna Diamantopoulou, European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs outlined how ICT (information and communications technologies) is one of the keys to full employment. 'New technologies play a key role in the Lisbon strategy. The strategy is in fact a blueprint for Europe's transition to a knowledge-based economy. Europe needs to become a learning economy if our workforce is to keep up with constantly changing skills requirements,' said Commissioner Diamantopoulou. The Commissioner emphasised the European ICT skills shortage, saying that research predicts a shortage of 1.7 million ICT workers in Europe by 2003. A survey has also shown that only 22 per cent of the European working population has had any kind of computer training for their job, even though almost half the workforce use a computer at work. 'New technologies should encourage [...] fluidity. They enable people to discover new opportunities in other countries, to find answers to practical questions. In short, they can open new horizons. Our task must be to facilitate the flow of information,' concluded Ms Diamantopoulou.