European e-Skills Week 2010: Europe Commits to e-Skilling for the Future

Brussels, February 24, 2010 (ots/PRNewswire) - The official launch of
the European e-Skills Week - at the world's largest digital tradeshow
- CeBIT - in Hannover, Germany, on 2 March 2010 - marks the
culmination of a compelling campaign of more than 200 stimulating and
informative events and activities such as conferences, webinars, CEO
tours to schools and workshops.

The European e-Skills Week (see http://eskills-week.ec.europa.eu)
- the result of a coordinated effort by government, industry and
education - aims to inform the European public about the critical
role ICT skills play in securing Europe's future economic
competitiveness.

A broad range of activities across 35 countries in Europe will
highlight the demand for skilled ICT users and professionals. Public
authorities, ICT companies, and Ministries' of Education institutions
have, together, engaged in literally hundreds of activities, training
events, competitions, aimed at inspiring people to discover e-skills
- from their youth to retirement.

Highlights of just a few national activities planned for across
Europe include:

Belgium will give guided tours for interested students to large
ICT companies in the area throughout the Flanders, Brussels, and
Walloon regions. The focus will be on providing insights into career
prospects.

Romania is hosting a 'Get Online Day' on 1 March, hosted in
collaboration with Microsoft Romania, targeting those with few IT
skills. As well as site visits for young local students in Bucharest
to IBM and Microsoft.

Portugal is hosting the 'Futuralia Conference' on 10 March to
mark the launch of European e-Skills Week.

Germany will host four 'IT Camps' in major cities across the
country between 19 February and 21 April.

Cyprus is to host a 'Career Fair' at major universities from 26 -
28 February, to highlight the European e-Skills Week and the
importance of IT skills to students.

Czech Republic will launch a high school students' competition
called "Create the best application in APEX?" between 5 - 31 March.

Denmark is using a 'Technology Caravan' to target the young
people of its large cities. The caravan will visit various ICT
Universities during the e-Skills Week and will host a variety of
interesting IT focused seminars.

France plans a high-profile Conference in the 'Cite des sciences
in Paris on 30 March, as well as a travelling exhibition on the
history of ICT between 21 Jan and 5 March.

All national and EU events are available online in a calendar at:

http://eskills-week.ec.europa.eu/web/guest/map

"There is a growing need for people to embrace a culture of
innovation and possibilities created through e-skilling," says
Bridget Cosgrave, Director-General DIGITALEUROPE. "Informing people
about the opportunities associated with e-skills, and taking
advantage of the opportunities presented through e-skilling will
benefit European society and business."

DIGITALEUROPE have joined with European Schoolnet (a network of
31 Ministries of Education), 20 National Contact Points, hundreds of
stakeholders, and digital industry partners to promote e-skills. The
focus is the current lack of e-skills in Europe, the impact on
European competitiveness, and what can be done to bridge the gap.

"This is a unique pan-European platform to promote experiences
and best practices, and foster cooperation," said Marc Durando,
Executive Director, European Schoolnet. "We are encouraging
educational institutions and industry to enter into dialogue that
assists in the development of appropriate e-skills among Europe's
younger generation, to ensure our future competitiveness."

More than 400 people are expected to attend the European e-Skills
Week 'Go DigITal!' Closing Event planned for 5 March in Brussels,
Belgium. Young people, teachers, stakeholders and public authorities
from European and national level, national contact points engaged in
the campaign, schools and students, parents associations, teachers,
young graduates, NGOs, and people looking for a job or a new career
direction, SMEs are invited to attend the exhibition, awards
ceremony, workshops and post event party.

More information is available on Facebook - e-Skills Week online
social community - which is receiving hundreds of click throughs a
day. European e-Skills Week updates are also available through
Twitter, and LinkedIn.

The European e-Skills Week is an initiative funded by the
European Commission, DG Enterprise and Industry - it demonstrates a
unique, pan-European commitment to building skills and interest in
innovation - and acknowledges the important role digital industry
plays in securing Europe's future economic prosperity.

"By 2015 digital industry has the capacity to create 400,000 new
jobs across Europe. The European e-Skills Week is a landmark
initiative to stimulate interest in e-skills and innovation," said
DIGITALEUROPE President, Erkki Ormala. "Together, digital industry
and education are playing an important role in bringing that goal to
fruition."

"The key focus is to move people who live and work in Europe
towards a culture of innovation," said DIGITALEUROPE Director-
General, Bridget Cosgrave. "Informing people about the opportunities
associated e-skills, and embracing advantages offered though digital
literacy will bring enormous benefits to European society and
business."

For up-to-date information on all the events please visit:
http://eskills-week.ec.europa.eu

Opening event

For information:
http://eskills-week.ec.europa.eu/web/guest/opening-event

To register: http://bit.ly/deezAy

Closing event

For information:
http://eskills-week.ec.europa.eu/web/guest/closing-event

ABOUT DIGITALEUROPE (formerly EICTA)

DIGITALEUROPE (http://www.digitaleurope.org) is the voice of the
European digital technology industry, which includes large and small
companies in the Information and Communications Technology and
Consumer Electronics Industry sectors. It is composed of 61 major
multinational companies and 41 national associations from 29 European
countries. In all, DIGITALEUROPE represents more than 10,000
companies all over Europe with more than 2 million employees and over
EUR 1,000 billion in revenues.

The membership of DIGITALEUROPE

Company Members:

Adobe, Agilent, Alcatel-Lucent, AMD, Apple, Bang & Olufsen, Bose,
Brother, Canon, Cisco, Corning, Dell, EADS, Elcoteq, Epson, Ericsson,
Fujitsu, Hitachi, HP, IBM, Infineon, Ingram Micro, Intel, JVC,
Kenwood, Kodak, Konica Minolta, Lexmark, LG, Loewe, Micronas,
Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks,
Nortel, NXP, Océ, Oki, Oracle, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, Qualcomm,
Research In Motion, Samsung, Sanyo, SAP, Sharp, Siemens, Sony, Sony
Ericsson, STMicroelectronics, Sun Microsystems, Texas Instruments,
Thales, Thomson, Toshiba, Xerox.

National Trade Associations:

Austria: FEEI; Belgium: AGORIA; Bulgaria: BAIT; Cyprus: CITEA;
Czech Republic: ASE, SPIS; Denmark: DI ITEK, IT-BRANCHEN; Estonia:
ITL; Finland: FFTI; France: ALLIANCE TICS, SIMAVELEC; Germany:
BITKOM, ZVEI; Greece: SEPE; Hungary: IVSZ; Ireland: ICT IRELAND;
Italy: ANITEC, ASSINFORM; Lithuania: INFOBALT; Netherlands: ICT
OFFICE, FIAR; Poland: KIGEIT, PIIT; Portugal: AGEFE, APDC; Romania:
APDETIC; Slovakia: ITAS; Slovenia: GZS; Spain: AETIC, ASIMELEC;
Sweden: IT&Telekomföretagen; United Kingdom: INTELLECT; Belarus:
INFOPARK; Norway: ABELIA, IKT NORGE; Switzerland: SWICO; Turkey:
ECID, TESID, TÜBISAD; Ukraine: IT UKRAINE

About European Schoolnet:

European Schoolnet (http://www.eun.org) is a network of 31
Ministries of Education in Europe and beyond. EUN was created more
than 10 years ago with the aim to bring about innovation in teaching
and learning to its key stakeholders: Ministries of Education,
schools, teachers and researche

Early registrations for the European e-Skills Week Opening Event
have been strong. Young professionals, general ICT practitioners and
industry representatives are invited to check details and register to
attend events online at the official European e-Skills website:
http://eskills-week.ec.europa.eu

To register:

For more information please contact:

Natalia KUROP - DIGITALEUROPE, Director, Marketing &
Communications

T. +32-2-609-53-26 >> F. +32-2-609-53-39 >> M. +32-487-34-05-71
>> E. natalia.kurop@digitaleurope.org

Alexa JOYCE - European Schoolnet, Senior Communications &
Business Development Manager T. + 32-2-790-7554 E.
alexa.joyce@eun.org

ots Originaltext: EUN Association Paternership AISBL
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
CONTACT: For more information please contact: Natalia KUROP
-DIGITALEUROPE, Director, Marketing & Communications, T.
+32-2-609-53-26 >>F. +32-2-609-53-39 >> M. +32-487-34-05-71 >>
E.natalia.kurop@digitaleurope.org; Alexa JOYCE - European Schoolnet,
SeniorCommunications & Business, Development Manager T. +
32-2-790-7554 E.alexa.joyce@eun.org