Press Release: Commission issues action call in Davos – with IT sector and telecoms companies – to close digital skills and jobs gap in Europe

Europe faces up to 700.000 unfilled ICT jobs and declining competitiveness. The number of digital jobs is growing – by 3% each year during the crisis – but the number of new ICT graduates and other skilled ICT workers is shrinking. Our youth need actions not words, and companies operating in Europe need the right people or they will move operations elsewhere.

On 25 January 2013, the Commission issued a call to action to companies, governments, educators, social partners, employment service providers and civil society to join in a massive effort to "turn the tide", arguing that young Europeans should have the tools to enter digital careers or to create jobs as entrepreneurs.

The Commission will collect pledges on new jobs, internships, training places, start-up funding, free online university courses and more. Companies such as Nokia, Telefónica, SAP, Cisco, HP, Alcatel-Lucent, Randstad, ENI, Telenor Group, ARM, as well as the CIO community, CEPIS (Council of European Professional Informatics Societies) and Digital Europe are in the first wave of those committing to act.

On 4-5 March the Commission will include pledges received from partners and build them into the launch of a Grand Coalition for Digital Skills and Jobs at a major pledging conference.