Despite the tough economic times, politicians, social agencies and public and private employers must keep focusing on ways to improve job prospects.
Our social and financial stability depend in part on the success of practical, innovative solutions of the type that will be discussed next week at Employment Week. Here are two sessions:
I — Mobilising the work force — A concerted effort to match new skills to new jobs
Moderator: Dionyssios Kefalakos, Editor, New Europe
The importance of employment services and the management/securing of labour market transitions is critical. This session will allow DG Employment to explain the moves to a better matching of skills to jobs through improved use of their competency network. In addition, migration and the impact of the Race Equality Directive will be discussed, along with results from a major research project to encourage transnational mobility
Speakers:
Giampaolo D’Angelo, Transnational Secretariat Coordinator, BrainNet-working Project: This transnational project in the Aeneas Programme is promoted and funded by the European Commission and involves 11 partners from Italy, Moldova, Russia, Spain and Ukraine. Its objectives are to increase legal temporary migration of medium and high-skilled people from Moldova, Ukraine and Russia towards the EU; to help migrant workers to improve their skills through on-the-job training in the EU, and support their labour reintegration in their countries of origin, in this way promoting «brain circulation» as opposed to «brain drain».
Wallis Goelen-Van den Broeck, Head of Unit for Employment Services & Mobility, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
John Wrench, Senior Scientific Adviser, European Agency for Fundamental Rights: The FRA is an advisory body of the European Union. It was established in 2007 and is based in Vienna. It helps to ensure that fundamental rights of people living in the EU are protected, by collecting evidence about the situation of fundamental rights across the EU and providing advice, based on evidence, about how to improve the situation. The FRA also informs people about their fundamental rights. In doing so, it helps to make fundamental rights a reality for everyone in the European Union
II — Are Europeans future ready? Preparing for new jobs in a digitally driven economy — Session chairman: Jan Muelfeit, Chairman, Microsoft Europe
Global dimensions of the labour market are changing. To name a few triggers re-shaping our economy: adoption of new technologies, the shift to a low carbon economy, globalization, more accessible education and an ageing population have all sparked a change in the types of skills, knowledge base and competencies that the labour market demands. New and innovative solutions such as the transition to Cloud computing and the growth of ‘Green’ jobs are put in perspective. Forward looking research backed up by best practices highlights flagship collaborative training programmes that are preparing not only business leaders but employees across sectors to upskill for these innovative leaps in the market..
Speakers:
Birgit Eiber, Head of ICT-based training, German Federal Employment Agency: The Federal Employment Agency is the German labour market’s biggest service provider, offering a broad range of services on the labour and training market for citizens, companies and institutions. The Agency also conducts labour market research and records labour market statistics. The labour administrations of the EU member states play an important role in the implementation of the European Employment Strategy launched by the European Commission. The Agency has opened its own European representation office in Brussels, providing direct contact to all relevant European institutions and working as a link between the European Commission and the political interests of the Agency.
Dr Jonathan Liebenau, Reader in Technology Management, London School of Economics: LSE is a specialist university with an international intake and a global reach. Its research and teaching span the full breadth of the social sciences, from economics, politics and law to sociology, anthropology, accounting and finance. Founded in 1895, it has 16 Nobel prize winners. Set up to improve society and to «understand the causes of things», LSE has always put engagement with the wider world at the heart of its mission. From its location in the heart of London, the School links communities across the world, from formal academic partnerships to advisory work with governments and international organisations.
Jan Muehlfeit, Chairman, Microsoft Europe: Chairman, Microsoft Europe: Microsoft shares Europe’s vision of a future that is competitive, innovative and inclusive, believing Europe has extraordinary potential thanks to its interconnectedness, educated work force, and diversity. Europe has had a defining influence on Microsoft’s evolution through the last decade. Today it operates in all EU Member States and elsewhere in Europe, having grown from 1,800 employees in 1998 to more than 16,300 today. The European Commission’s 2009 R&D Investment Scoreboard recognizes Microsoft as the No.2 R&D investor worldwide. In 2009 it invested more than €447m in R&D in European countries
Employment Week opens next Wednesday 24 November!
Please come along to hear latest policy from the EU Commission and discover EU initiatives which may also be effective in your region!
For the full conference programme click here.
