Information Society: 'huge job potential must be grasped'

Citation

(1999), "Information Society: 'huge job potential must be grasped'", Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 23 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeit.1999.00323cab.014

Information Society: 'huge job potential must be grasped'

Information Society: "huge job potential must be grasped"

Keywords Employment, Information services, Information technology, Skills shortages

Europe must do more to make the most of the job potential of the Information Society (IS), according to a report issued recently. This sector creates one in four new net jobs in the EU ­ more than 300,000 between 1995 and 1997 ­ and the European audio-visual market is expected to grow by 70 per cent between now and 2005. IS companies account for more than 5 per cent of EU GDP, employing more than four million people, but 500,000 posts are vacant because of skill shortages. Action is needed in three main areas, the Commission says: developing an enterprise culture; organizational change and adaptability; and skills and technical literacy. The EU should give top priority to IS-related initiatives, and Member States are recommended to submit national IS strategies by June 1999.