EURIM Working Group on Information
Society Workforce Skills
Introduction and Terms of Reference
Group Outputs (Papers and Briefings)
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Introduction and Terms of Reference
This
group builds on many years of work on IT Skills needs and on
Lifelong Learning networks, from “Re-skilling Europe for the
Information Society” (1997), through “E-Skills Summits” in
2001 and 2002 and responses to a whole slew of consultations –
often repeating the same questions every other year or even in
parallel from different agencies. But apart from the Millennium
Bug-busters Programme, updating the skills of the existing workforce
has been outside departmental priorities since the 1980s.
Meanwhile
the skills of those currently working in the UK ICT industry
atrophy, except for those who are lucky enough to work for employers
who have not outsourced but have invested in their own staff. There
are also problems with the quality and quantity of new entrants as
the throughput of Computer Science courses has halved in recent
years and departments struggle to survive in the face of funding
cuts.
Objective
To create and maintain a globally competitive workforce at all
levels, from basic technical and linguistic competence through
system specification, development, integration and operation to
product and service research, design, development and
implementation, using the need to ensure world
class (including security and resilience) communications
infrastructures for the 2012 Olympics to expedite progress.
Strategy
Parliamentary
and Political:
to build on the work of the CPHC and E-Skills and actions arising
from meeting of the all-party groups with Bill Rammell in July. The
aim will be to work in co-operation with others to ensure that ICT
is treated as a strategic industry for which skills are in critical
shortage, including to secure public support for conversion and
update training funding for those without employers or otherwise
unable to secure employer support.
Industrial
and Professional:
to use the Cybersecurity KTN skills mapping exercise to identify
those (employers and suppliers as well as professional bodies and
trade associations) willing to work together with the sector skills
councils and others to define the skills needed, ensure the
necessary provision and remove the obstacles that have prevented
this in the past. The lessons from this exercise will be used to
inform the Parliamentary Stream and help bring about long-term
change with regard to information society skills as a whole. The
outputs from the KTN mapping exercises are expected to be available
in draft to enable detailed planning in the autumn for
implementation in 2009-10.
Group Outputs (Papers and Briefings)
Other Relevant Documents and Links
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