Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - E-skills for the 21st century: fostering competitiveness, growth and jobs
Date: 2007-09-07
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: competitiveness, digital technology, economic and social cohesion, economic development, information technology, job creation

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 7.9.2007 
COM(2007) 496 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

E-SKILLS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY:  
FOSTERING COMPETITIVENESS, GROWTH AND JOBS 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

E-SKILLS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY:  
FOSTERING COMPETITIVENESS, GROWTH AND JOBS 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

2.3. 

2.4. 

2.5. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

Introduction ................................................................................................................ 3 

Main challenges .......................................................................................................... 3 

E-skills still not seen as a long-term policy issue ........................................................ 3 

Lack of EU-wide approach: fragmented approach prevails......................................... 4 

Image problem and decline of supply of highly-skilled ICT practitioners .................. 4 

Rise of “parallel universes” between formal and industry-based education................ 5 

Persistence of digital illiteracy ..................................................................................... 5 

Long-term e-skills agenda ......................................................................................... 6 

Key components of the long-term agenda ................................................................... 6 

Action lines at the European level ............................................................................... 7 

3.2.1.  Promoting long-term cooperation and monitoring progress ........................................ 7 

3.2.2.  Developing supporting actions and tools ..................................................................... 8 

3.2.3.  Raising awareness ........................................................................................................ 9 

3.2.4.  Fostering employability and social inclusion............................................................... 9 

3.2.5.  Promoting better and greater use of e-learning .......................................................... 10 

4. 

Conclusion................................................................................................................. 10 

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1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Innovation  and  the  uptake  of  information  and  communication  technologies  (ICT)  are  two 
important components of the renewed Lisbon agenda for growth and jobs. The contribution of 
ICT  to  the  European  economy  is  fundamental  for  the  development  of  productivity  and 
knowledge-intensive products and services. There is an important need to address ICT-related 
skills  (e-skills)  issues  in  order  to  respond  to  the  growing  demand  for  highly-skilled  ICT 
practitioners and users, meet the fast-changing requirements of industry, and ensure that every 
citizen  is  digitally  literate  in  a  lifelong  learning  context  requiring  the  mobilisation  of  all 
stakeholders.  These  challenges  can  only  be  effectively  addressed  by  a  real  mobilisation  of 
Member States and industry. The European Union (EU) can provide a platform for exchange 
of best practices and well-focused solutions as identified through dialogue with stakeholders. 

At the European level, following the European e-Skills Summit organised in October 2002 in 
cooperation with the Danish Presidency and Council Conclusions adopted in December 2002, 
the Commission established the European e-Skills Forum in 2003 to bring together relevant 
stakeholders. The forum released a report “e-Skills for Europe: Towards 2010 and Beyond” in 
2004.  Follow-up  activities  resulted  in  steady  progress  being  made  with  a  view  to  prepare  a 
long-term e-skills agenda. An ICT Task Force was launched in 2006 under the Commission's 
industrial policy aiming to help create a more favourable environment for business in the EU. 
A number of recommendations were made regarding e-skills. These were incorporated in the 
Thessaloniki Declaration adopted at the European e-Skills Conference1 of October 2006. 

Three  key  messages  emerged  at  the  end  of  2006.  Firstly,  it  is  crucial  for  the  EU  to  rapidly 
adopt  a  long-term  e-skills  agenda  to  promote  competitiveness,  employability  and  workforce 
development,  reduce  e-skills  gaps  and  be  in  a  better  position  to  address  global  competitive 
challenges.  Secondly,  strong  efforts  need  to  be  made  to  improve  cooperation  between  the 
public  and  private  sectors  on  a  long-term  basis,  in  order  to  ensure  a  seamless  framework 
linking basic e-skills training, vocational and higher education and professional development. 
Thirdly,  industry  and  policy  makers  should  act  more  decisively  and  consistently  regarding 
their strategies to promote the professionalism, the image and attractiveness of ICT jobs and 
careers and to foster better work, employment conditions and perspectives. 

This Communication provides a timely policy response to these important messages.  

2. 

MAIN CHALLENGES 

2.1. 

E-skills still not seen as a long-term policy issue 

The growth of ICT has always been marked by fluctuations of activity and there has been an 
element of boom and bust. It is estimated that there are 4.2 million ICT practitioners within 
the  EU  and  that  approximately  180  million  people  are  using  ICT  at  work2.  A  study  on  the 
supply  and  demand  of  e-skills3  over  the  period  1998-2004  reported  an  increase  in  the 
estimated number of employed IT practitioners during this period of about 48%. After a peak 

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Thessaloniki, Cedefop, 5-6 October 2006, see: www.e-skills-conference.org  
CEPIS, “Thinking Ahead on e-Skills for the ICT Industry in Europe”, February 2007 
Rand Europe, “The Supply and Demand of e-Skills in Europe”, September 2005 

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in 2001 a low point was reached in 2003. There is some evidence of a cycle, and the European 
e-Skills  Forum  warned  that  significant  e-skills  gaps  will  again  appear  and  called  for  the 
preparation of a long-term e-skills agenda. A 2005 industry report predicted that there would 
be a shortage in 2008, across Europe, of up to half a million people with advanced networking 
technology  skills4.  A  sectoral  survey  on  e-business  in  2006  reported  that  enterprises  are 
anticipating  skills  shortfalls  for  ICT  practitioners,  particularly  in  ICT  strategy,  security  and 
new business solutions5. 

Shortages  of ICT  practitioner skills have been endemic due to technological innovation and 
the fast growth of ICT activity in comparison with the relatively low supply and availability 
of  new  employees  and  entrepreneurs  with  relevant  educational  qualifications.  This  was 
observed in particular with the uptake of the Internet. In response to industry pressure several 
Member States launched policy initiatives in the late nineties and at EU level a conference on 
the  e-Economy  was  organised  in  March  2001.  The  bursting  of  the  dotcom  bubble  and  the 
recession of 2001 adversely affected investment in ICT and reduced temporarily the demand 
for ICT practitioners. Several industry-led initiatives were terminated while political interest 
and  support  decreased  rapidly.  Now  e-skills  shortages  are  increasing.  The  e-skills  issue 
received  attention  from  policy  makers  in  peak  times  when  the  ICT  sector  was  booming  but 
suffered  a  loss  of  interest  in  difficult  periods.  This  must  alter  if  Europe  is  to  anticipate  and 
manage change effectively.  

2.2. 

Lack of EU-wide approach: fragmented approach prevails  

ICT is one of the most global and pervasive technologies. ICT products and services and the 
corresponding jobs are broadly the same everywhere, and the ICT industry is operating on a 
world-wide  basis.  The  ICT  Task  Force  complained  that  Europe  is  still  a  patchwork  of 
countries  functioning  under  different  regulatory  systems.  In  addition,  the  adoption  of  best 
practice is too slow and an EU-wide approach is still lacking.  

The European e-Skills Forum identified solutions bringing added-value at EU level, but these 
have so far not been implemented. For example, developing and retaining skills required for 
business success is a necessity to ensure that enterprises have employees with the right skills 
in  the  right  jobs  at  the  right  time.  For  this  purpose,  many  of  them  are  developing  ICT 
competence catalogues, processes, tools and strategies. Several countries have already set up 
ICT competence frameworks6. Many enterprises operating in these countries have developed 
their  competence  inventories  on  them.  Efforts  to  establish  and  update  these  proprietary 
inventories  and  systems  are  costly  and  could  be  shared  for  the  benefice  of  enterprises  and 
especially  small  and  medium-sized  enterprises  (SMEs).  Using  a  European  e-competence 
framework would represent a useful solution in line with the ambitions of the single market.  

2.3. 

Image problem and decline of supply of highly-skilled ICT practitioners  

The need to maintain and continuously upgrade e-skills stems from technological change and 
increasingly  from  Internet-enabled  global  sourcing.  New  sources  of  ICT  talent  in  emerging 
economies,  especially  India  and  China,  imply  the  need  for  the  adaptation  of  the  European 
workforce.  Software  programmers  face  commoditisation  of  their  skills,  and  some  low-  and 

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IDC White Paper, "Networking Skills in Europe" September 2005 
E-Business Watch Survey 2006 
e.g. CIGREF (Club Informatique des Grandes Entreprises Françaises) in France, SFIA (Skills Framework for 
the Information Age) in the UK and AITTS (Advanced IT Training System) in Germany 

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middle-income workers face increasing risks to their jobs. The OECD estimates that around 
20% of total employment could potentially be affected by offshoring7. At the lower end of the 
qualification  spectrum,  de-skilling of  workers  often  takes  place as  their  know-how  becomes 
codified  making  it  relatively  easy  to  outsource.  Higher-level  e-skills  cannot  be  so  easily 
encoded, which puts a premium on these skills in a European workforce context. This issue is 
debated in the media as the emergence of a significant restructuring of the labour market.  

Several sources report a deterioration of the image of the ICT sector and ICT work, which is 
reflected in the decline in the number of students starting ICT courses. Adding to the concerns 
related  to  the  demographic  decline,  young  people  seem  less  and  less  interested  in  studying 
mathematics, sciences and technology, and the gender issue still remains. There is a need to 
communicate  better  with  the  public,  especially  young  people,  parents,  teachers  and  women, 
and to adopt measures to facilitate the adaptation of the workforce. In its policy plan on legal 
migration8,  the  Commission  underlined  the  importance  of  highly-skilled  immigrants  to 
contribute to fill gaps in the EU labour market. Member States, however, do not yet have a 
consistent approach: only twelve Member States offer facilitated procedures and/or attractive 
conditions  for  the  admission  of  highly-skilled  workers,  including  ICT  practitioners.  A 
common approach could render the EU more attractive, bringing the needed competences. 

2.4. 

Rise of “parallel universes” between formal and industry-based education  

The continuous development of ICT and changes in the corresponding e-skills requirements 
provides a complex, moving target for policy-makers. National educational and professional 
training systems are facing a huge challenge to deliver the skills needed by our economy and 
society. Despite their efforts, they still find it difficult to cope with the situation, and lifelong 
learning is still far from being a reality. New  forms of partnerships and flexible approaches 
(such as those based on e-learning) need to be much more actively promoted.  

Industry complains about growing gaps and mismatches between the supply and the demand 
of specific e-skills. The European e-Skills Forum and the ICT Task Force warned against the 
rise  of  “parallel  universes”  between  industry-based  and  government-supported  education  in 
ICT.  The  experience  of  embedding  ICT  industry  e-skills  certifications  within  the  national 
qualification  framework,  such  as  pioneered  in  the  United  Kingdom  and  some  new  Member 
States, provides interesting case-studies that should be reviewed and shared between Member 
States. Qualifications should increasingly be defined in terms of expected learning outcomes 
to  encourage  education  and  training  providers  to  focus  on  the  competence  needs  of 
individuals  and  employers,  and  not  on  the  duration,  location  or  organisation  of  the 
institutions.  This  approach  is  in  line  with  the  Commission’s  proposal  for  a  European 
Qualifications  Framework9,  which  seeks  to  facilitate  lifelong  learning  and  mobility,  and  is 
fundamental to the development of national and sectoral qualifications frameworks.  

2.5. 

Persistence of digital illiteracy 

The  traditional  notion  of  literacy  needs  to  embrace  the  complete  set  of  e-skills  and  media 
competences required in a knowledge-based economy and society. Eurostat figures10 indicate 

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Offshoring  includes  both  international  outsourcing  where  activities  are  contracted  out  to  independent 
third parties abroad and international in sourcing (to foreign affiliates). 
COM(2005) 669 of 21.12.2005 
COM(2006) 479 of 5.9.2006  
Eurostat, Statistics in Focus, 17/2006 

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that 37% of the EU population has no computer skills whatsoever and that more than 60% of 
people not educated beyond lower secondary level have no basic e-skills. A lack of e-skills 
will  prevent  these  people  from  using  e-commerce  and  e-government  applications  and 
participating  fully  in  the  information  society.  Furthermore,  the  lack  of  e-skills  exacerbates 
social and educational disadvantages, inhibiting lifelong learning and up-skilling.  

The market on its own cannot close the digital divide. Innovative public measures and multi-
stakeholder  partnerships  are  at  the  heart  of  both  the  Recommendation11  of  the  European 
Parliament and of the Council on key competences for lifelong learning and also of the Riga 
Declaration12 which was adopted at the Ministerial Conference on e-Inclusion in June 2006. 

3. 

LONG-TERM E-SKILLS AGENDA 

Most actions contributing to the implementation of a long-term e-skills agenda are clearly the 
responsibility of the Member States. Some of them have already launched dedicated e-skills 
initiatives, as reported by the European e-Skills Forum. The Commission will encourage them 
to further develop their policies in line with a long-term e-skills agenda and encourage others 
to do the same, in particular by facilitating the exchange of good practices.  

To  complement  their  activities,  the  Commission  will  concentrate  its  own  efforts  on  actions 
bringing added value at EU level, in line with the subsidiarity principle. It is recognised that 
some  actions  strongly  advocated  by  stakeholders  have  a  clear  EU  dimension.  These  will  be 
promoted by the Commission in close cooperation with Member States and stakeholders. 

3.1. 

Key components of the long-term agenda  

The European e-Skills Forum, the ICT Task Force and the Thessaloniki Declaration called for 
a  long-term  e-skills  agenda.  They  also  made  detailed  proposals  for  this  agenda.  These  were 
delivered at a time when there was a general recognition that there is need to move up a gear. 
The long-term e-skills agenda for Member States and stakeholders includes the following key 
components: 

–  Longer  term  cooperation:  strengthening  cooperation  between  public  authorities  and  the 
private  sector,  academia,  unions  and  associations  through  the  promotion  of  multi-
stakeholder  partnerships  and  joint  initiatives  including  monitoring  supply  and  demand, 
anticipating change, adapting curricula, attracting foreign students and highly-skilled ICT 
workers and promoting ICT education on a long-term basis. 

–  Human resources investment: ensuring sufficient public and private investment in human 
resources and e-skills and appropriate financial support and fiscal incentives, in full respect 
of State aid rules, as well as developing an e-competence framework and tools facilitating 
mobility,  transparency  of  qualifications,  and  promoting  recognition  and  credit  transfer 
between formal, non-formal and industry ICT education and certifications. 

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2006/962/EC of 18.12.2006 
See: http://europa.eu.int/information_society/events/ict_riga_2006/doc/declaration_riga.pdf  

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–  Attractiveness:  promoting  science,  maths,  ICT,  e-skills,  job  profiles,  role  models,  and 
career  perspectives13  with  a  particular  focus  on  young  people,  especially  girls,  and 
providing  parents,  teachers  and  pupils,  with  an  accurate  understanding  of  opportunities 
arising from an ICT education and an ICT career to counter the alarming decline in young 
people’s interest for science and technology careers14 in Europe. 

–  Employability  and  e-inclusion:  developing  digital  literacy  and  e-competence  actions 
tailored  to  the  needs  of  the  workforce  both  in  the  public  and  the  private  sector,  with  a 
particular  emphasis  on  SMEs  and  also  to  the  needs  of  the  unemployed,  elderly  people, 
people with low education levels, people with disabilities and marginalised young people. 

–  Lifelong acquisition of e-skills: ensuring that workers can regularly update their e-skills 
and  encouraging  better  and  more  user-centric  ICT-enhanced  learning  and  training 
approaches  (e-learning).  Government  should  promote  good  practices  for  the  training  of 
employees  using  e-learning,  with  a  particular  emphasis  on  SMEs,  and  should  publicise 
successful solutions and business models. 

These  key  components  should  serve  as  an  inspiration  for  the  development  and  the 
implementation  by  each  Member  State  of  a  consistent  long-term  e-skills  strategy  within  the 
framework of their respective political, legal, budgeting, educational and training systems. It 
is their responsibility. The Commission will regularly monitor and report on progress. 

3.2. 

Action lines at the European level 

Taking into account stakeholder recommendations, the Commission proposes five action lines 
at the EU level. The activities covered by these action lines will be initiated in 2007 and aim 
at complete implementation by 2010. They will be implemented through EU instruments such 
as  the  Lifelong  Learning  Programme,  the  Competitiveness  and  Innovation  Framework 
Programme  and  the  Seventh  Framework  Programme  for  Research  and  Technological 
Development  as  well  as  Structural  Funds  available  for  the  promotion  of  Employment  and 
Regional  Cohesion  and  the  European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development  in  the 
framework  of  the  approved  rural  development  programmes  of  Members  States/Regions  for 
the promotion of ICT, employment and growth in rural areas. Cooperation with the European 
Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) will be strengthened in order to 
actively  link  e-skills  activities  to  vocational  education  and  training  and  to  lifelong  learning. 
They will be monitored on a regular basis to ensure their effectiveness. 

3.2.1.  Promoting long-term cooperation and monitoring progress 

The Commission will promote dialogue and cooperation on e-skills between Member States 
and stakeholders and ensure a regular monitoring of progress. In this context, the setting up in 
June  2007  by  leading  ICT  companies  of  the  “e-Skills  Industry  Leadership  Board”  is 
welcomed. The Commission sees also a need for dialogue between social partners and public 
authorities on finding ways of combining employment flexibility with security for employees 
in the ICT sector.  

The following activities will be initiated in 2007: 

13 

14 

These career perspectives should not only cover vertical mobility but also horizontal career paths and 
suggestions how to combine professional and private life. 
“Science Education Now: A Renewed Pedagogy for the Future of Europe”. Rocard Report, 12.06.2007 

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–  Promoting  a  regular  dialogue  on  e-skills  with  Member  States  and  stakeholders  (industry, 
associations  and  trade  unions,  civil  society,  academia  and  training  institutions)  and 
maintaining an online virtual community in partnership with Cedefop; 

–  Monitoring the supply and demand of e-skills in partnership with Eurostat and stakeholders 
and assessing the impact of global sourcing. An annual report will be released presenting a 
synthesis of the situation based on existing indicators, focusing mainly on ICT practitioner 
skills, and on e-business skills surveys. 

3.2.2.  Developing supporting actions and tools 

As recommended by stakeholders, specific actions can be pursued at the EU level to improve 
the availability of e-skills. They will be launched by the Commission starting in 2007: 

–  Supporting  the  development  of  a  European  e-Competence  Framework  based  on  the 
requirements  of  stakeholders  and  the  results  of  preparatory  work  within  the  European 
Committee  for  Standardisation15  in  line  with  the  proposal  for  a  European  Qualifications 
Framework. Results should be available before the end of 2008;  

–  Further  promoting  the  Europass16  initiative  in  cooperation  with  Cedefop,  including  the 
development of an online e-skills self-assessment tool and undertaking a feasibility study 
on  a  European  e-skills  and  career  portal.  This  portal  to  be  launched  and  maintained  by 
stakeholders should be available by the end of 2008; 

–  Producing a European handbook on e-skills multi-stakeholder partnerships, including best 
practices,  and  recommendations  on  appropriate  legal  and  financial  frameworks.  This 
should be available in 2008 and promoted at workshops in Member States; 

–  Setting up fast-track and attractive admission schemes for third-country ICT practitioners 
to the EU. The Commission will put forward in September 2007 a proposal for a Directive 
on the admission of highly skilled third-country workers to help to respond to skills gaps; 

–  Encouraging women to choose ICT careers by further promoting the “IT girls shadowing 
exercise”17  in  cooperation  with  ICT  companies  and  launching  a  best  practice  study 
focusing on the retaining factors for women working in ICT. 

–  Promoting  e-training  in  the  field  of  agriculture  and  in  rural  areas18  in  the  context  of 

approved rural development programmes for the period 2007-2013.  

In addition, the following actions will be launched in 2008: 

–  Supporting  the  development  of  e-competence  curriculum  guidelines  to  strengthen  the 
quality  and  the  relevance  of  ICT  education  and  promote  efficient  cooperation  between 
industry and academia. The proposal by the ICT Task Force for a new discipline covering 
services sciences, management and engineering will be explored. The guidelines should be 
available in 2009; 

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See: http://www.cenorm.be/cenorm/businessdomains/businessdomains/isss/activity/wsict-skills.asp  
See: http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/  
See: http://ec.europa.eu/itgirls  
The  results  of  a  study  on  best  practices  in  support  of  take-up  and  maximising  the  benefits  of  ICT  in 
rural areas will be available before the end of 2007.  

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–  Encouraging  the  development  of  European  quality  criteria  for  existing  e-skills  industry-
based certifications, taking into account the upcoming European Qualifications Framework 
and industry self-regulation initiatives. These criteria should be available in 2009; 

–  Investigating appropriate financial and fiscal incentives, in full respect of State aid rules, 
related  to  e-skills  training,  especially  for  SMEs,  and  studying  the  potential  of  a  human 
capital investment tax credit for individuals. A report will be released in 2009. 

3.2.3.  Raising awareness 

There are two ways in which raising awareness can be facilitated at the EU level, starting in 
2007 in particular under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological 
Development  and  the  Lifelong  Learning  Programme  in  coherence  with  the  Education  and 
Training 2010 open method of coordination: 

–  Exchanging information and good practices on Member States initiatives for the promotion 
of science, maths and ICT, role models, job and career profiles and perspectives as well as 
teacher training in the area of ICT skills and addressing gender issues in the technical and 
scientific areas;  

–  Promoting  awareness  and  information  campaigns  at  EU  and  national  level  to  provide 
parents,  teachers  and  pupils  with  an  accurate understanding of opportunities arising from 
an ICT education and the pursuit of a career as an ICT professional in the EU. 

3.2.4.  Fostering employability and social inclusion 

The  Commission  will  launch  an  initiative  on  e-Inclusion  in  2008.  Its  characteristics  will  be 
defined  in  a  forthcoming  Communication.  As  part  of  the  Riga  Declaration  commitments, 
during  2007-2008  the  Commission  will  review  Member  State  policies  on  the  basis  of  a 
thorough  measurement  of  digital  literacy  with  a  view  to  identifying  the  most  successful 
policies, and proposing new initiatives if necessary. The ambition is to halve the digital divide 
between the groups at risk of exclusion and the average population by 2010. Progress will be 
measured  in  the  context  of  i2010.  The  Eurostat  ICT  household  survey  will  provide  specific 
data in 2007 on digital literacy.  

Significant partners within the ICT industry already launched in 2006 the “European Alliance 
on Skills for Employability” aiming to make possible the training of 20 million people from 
disadvantaged  groups  by  2010.  Professional  organisations  of  SMEs  would  like  to  develop 
similar education programmes for user skills, with a specific focus on SME needs. Promising 
activities and initiatives will be further supported by the Commission, including:  

–  Promoting corporate social responsibility initiatives and partnerships between providers of 
e-skills  training,  civil  society,  providers  of  business  skills  training,  and  job  placement 
support services in order to help connect trainees to new jobs and to foster digital literacy; 

–  Investigating, in liaison with ongoing industry initiatives, how public and private funding 
instruments can efficiently support successful multi-stakeholder initiatives19 in improving 
the employability of job seekers and low-skilled workers. 

19 

In line with the Guidelines for the Employment Policies of Member States (2005/600/EC, 12 July 2005) 

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3.2.5.  Promoting better and greater use of e-learning 

Based on the achievements of the e-Learning Programme (2004-2006) and the conclusions of 
a  benchmarking  initiative  of  policies  in  support  of  e-learning  for  enterprises  and  of  the  
e-Learning conference20 organised in October 2007 in Lisbon, the Commission will release a 
report in 2008 with recommendations for targeted e-learning initiatives and the promotion of 
successful strategies. In addition, the Commission will support two activities: 

–  Promoting  the  development  of  e-learning  courses  and  exchange  mechanisms  of  e-skills 

training resources for the workforce. These mechanisms should be available in 2009; 

–  Supporting  the  networking  of  training  centres  and  research21  that  contributes  to  a  better 

understanding of future e-skills needs. This network should be operational in 2009. 

4. 

CONCLUSION 

For  the  European  Union  and  its  Member  States  to  remain  successful  in  a  global  economy 
characterised by rapid technological change, more efforts will be needed to raise and widen 
the level of e-skills  of our  workforce  and our citizens,  which  is one of  the foundations of a 
knowledge-based  society.  This  will  require  major,  sustained  efforts  by  both  Member  States 
and stakeholders applied to a range of policy issues.  

The long-term e-skills  agenda proposed in this Communication includes key components to 
serve  as  an  inspiration  for  the  development  and  implementation  by  Member  States  and 
stakeholders of consistent and long-term e-skills policies and measures. The Commission will 
support the implementation of five action lines by concentrating on activities bringing added-
value at EU level.  

The Commission will organise a major conference in 2008 to report on progress, present the 
results of the actions and discuss the way forward. It will also release a report in 2010 based 
on the results of an independent evaluation and the assessment of the stakeholders. 

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See: http://www.elearninglisboa.com 
e.g. the “Network of Living Labs”, see: http://www.ami-communities.eu/wiki/CORELABS  

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