Conference helps to co-ordinate e-learning for growth and jobs

Citation

(2005), "Conference helps to co-ordinate e-learning for growth and jobs", Education + Training, Vol. 47 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2005.00447gab.011

Conference helps to co-ordinate e-learning for growth and jobs

The European Commission has launched a concerted drive to upgrade Europe’s information and communication-technology skills, and so improve its economic competitiveness, at a conference in Brussels. The multi-annual, multi-stakeholder drive to build digital competence at home, school and the workplace was launched by Viviane Reding, the Commissioner for Information Society and Media, and Ján Figel, the Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism, at the conference entitled “Towards a Learning Society”.

Stakeholders from various disciplines and sectors are working together to improve research, innovation and lifelong learning in a “knowledge triangle”, through the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). Welcoming the initiative, Mrs Reding said: “Basic digital literacy is already a prerequisite for participating in most of Europe’s economy, and much of its society, too. Lifelong digital learning is also increasingly necessary to sustain Europe’s cultural creativity and economic competitiveness. Therefore it is at the top of the agenda of the new European Information Society 2010 initiative, with the clear long-term perspective of creating more and better jobs for a well-educated, skilled and adaptable workforce.”

Mr Figel said: “We need lifelong learning for lifelong earning. But equally we need lifelong learning for personal development, self-esteem and to support a multilingual and multicultural society. ICT is an important tool in our efforts to improve quality, provide better access to learning and open up our systems to the world. This concerted effort will ensure that ICT is used effectively to help to integrate learning into all aspects of our life and realize a learning society for all.”

The conference brought together 500 stakeholders from industry, education, employers, trade unions and government to take stock of Europe’s e-learning strengths and weaknesses. The conference conclusions will guide the detailed work of the Commission as it seeks to:

• •

  reinforce multi-stakeholder dialogue to provide policy guidance and identify key actions for consideration on e-learning-related themes;

• •

  consolidate and share best practice across e-learning policy areas and evaluate e-learning results in all these areas in 2006;

• •

  launch EU-funded projects to provide digital competence and other key skills under the Integrated Lifelong Learning Programme, the Seventh Research and Development Framework Programme and the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme in 2007; and

• •

  launch a major European initiative to promote social inclusion by digital means (e-inclusion) in 2008.