A little while back I looked at some of the corporate uses for MOOCs, with one of the core applications being to locate talented people in a particular field. It’s interesting to note therefore that the European Commission is building a tool for a similar kind of purpose.
The new site aims to create a map or network featuring the demand for web related skills throughout Europe. It will then connect people up with MOOCs to help develop the tech capacity in regions where it’s currently lacking.
The rationale behind the site can be found in the significant growth in the online industry throughout Europe. The EC suggest that the industry is generating more economic growth than any other part of the European economy, albeit with a workforce that sees many jobs filled by unskilled people.
European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes, responsible for the Digital Agenda, said:
“By 2020, 90% of jobs will need digital skills. That is just around the corner, and we aren’t ready! Already businesses in Europe are facing a shortage of skilled ICT workers. We have to fill that gap, and this network we are launching will help us identify where the gaps are. This goes hand in hand with the work being done through the Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs”.
To get involved in this initiative you can stop by the EC’s Open Education Europa portal, where they have a discussion group connected to the network.
That's a nice idea. Must be bloody hard to keep a talent map for so many countries though. I mean it's hard enough doing it within a single company, let alone across dozens of countries!