Conference on ICT professionalism highlights urgent need for evolution of sector

On 6 December a high-level conference was held in Brussels on IT professionalism. It underlined the need to further develop the IT profession in the face of rapid change in our societies and economies due to digital transformation.

The changes bought about by advanced technologies mean that the nature of IT jobs is changing too. New digital technologies give rise to a constant need to update the skills of workers. The event highlighted the importance of bridging the skills gap in Europe that is negatively impacting growth and competitiveness.

It also addressed the shortage of IT practitioners and was the occasion for a presentation of detailed proposals for the creation of a pan-European IT professionals framework. The framework consists of a set of standards, tools and guidelines to further strengthen the IT profession. It will build on the European e-Competence Framework, which is a European standard.

Stakeholders welcomed the launch of the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition on 1 December and are supporting the efforts of the Commission to grow the IT workforce in Europe and further progress the IT profession in Europe.

Best practices and results were presented in order to aid policy makers and other stakeholders to introduce effective policies. Presentations were made comparing the European situation to those in the USA, Canada and Japan. The digital skills gap is truly a global challenge.

The conference also presented the e-Skills Manifesto 2016. It is the final publication of the 'e-Skills for Jobs' campaign (2015-2016). The Manifesto is intended as an aid for policymakers and includes information on demand and supply of digital skills as well as examples of best practices for different EU countries.