Digital technology makes a significant contribution to Europe’s economic growth, transforming its economic base and rapidly changing the way we live and work. Europe’s Got Talent, is an action-orientated report, which identifies the key gear changes we need across three pillars of the digital economy: Learning, Creating and Growing. Innovators and changemakers from across education, business and policy in Europe were interviewed for this report.
Whilst that presents many opportunities, it also creates significant challenges for individuals, communities and business. In particular there is a skills gap – new skills are needed but they are in short supply. The European Commission estimates that 900,000 ICT jobs could go unfulfilled by 2020, due to a lack of skilled personnel to fill those roles.
Yet at the same time there are currently 5.6 million young people unemployed across Europe. We must work together across the professional and generational divide, to create an integrated strategy that empowers young people and enhances their employment and development opportunities in our digital world. To do that, we need: a fresh mindset; new skills; new partnerships and forms of integration, supported by a strong policy and technological infrastructure. Only then can Europe compete with its rivals and secure its position as an innovator at the forefront of the global economic development trajectory.
The report provides a snapshot of our digital environment, identifies innovations and puts forward recommendations to help guide us forward.