Today sees the launch of the European Commission’s new Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition, which aims to develop an inclusive digital talent pool for the jobs of the future. With the world of work set to be transformed by the digital revolution and cloud-based technologies, equipping young people with the digital skills needed in the 21st century labor market is as pressing as ever. That’s why, as part of our … Read more »
Europe’s future lies in the cloud, which has the potential to transform almost every aspect of our lives. But ensuring everyone has the right digital skills to succeed in this new, cloud-based world is no mean feat, and it is certainly an objective far beyond the reach of any one actor. Bringing digital literacy to every European is going to take efforts from all of us, public and private stakeholders … Read more »
This year, youth employment, skills and entrepreneurship have all been a focus for Europe’s policymakers. The inclusion of digital skills within the European Commission’s flagship Digital Single Market Strategy set the ball rolling in May: the third pillar of the long-awaited initiative pledged to “support an inclusive digital society where citizens have the right skills to seize the opportunities of the Internet and boost their chances of getting a job”. … Read more »
Europe’s economy has been slowly recovering following the 2008 recession. But we should not let this distract us from the huge challenge which faces the youngest of our citizens. As it stands, over 7 million European 15-24 year olds are not currently in any form of training, education or employment. This represents a lost opportunity for every single one of them – but also for the economy as a whole. … Read more »
The first ever EU Code Week was born from a desire to show young people how they could change the world with technology. The event has grown apace: last year, more than 150,000 people took part in 4,000 events across 37 countries. And this year, 42 countries have planned coding events and activities. It’s cheering to see an event which celebrates computer science gaining momentum. What it shows is that … Read more »
A quiet revolution is taking place in Europe’s classrooms. All across the continent, pioneering teachers, curious children and forward-thinking decision-makers are slowly but surely reshaping how we view the role of technology in education. This shift isn’t just about getting more high-tech devices into schools – although the integration of technology into learning environments can drive collaboration, creativity and greater student success, as shown through the use of personalized devices … Read more »
We are excited to announce that we are renewing our existing partnerships with two pan-European youth organizations: JA Europe, Europe’s largest provider of entrepreneurship education programs, and Telecentre Europe, which represents public centers providing ICT training, certification and employment opportunities. In addition, we are embarking on a new partnership with CoderDojo, the global network of free, volunteer-led, community-based programming clubs for young people. This engagement is part of Microsoft YouthSpark, … Read more »
Panos Economou may be only 14 but he already has grand plans for the future. One-half of the Greek team which soared to victory in the recent Kodu Kup Europe competition, Panos believes coding has the power to change the world for the better: “Our vision is to create something new which can help future generations.” Increasingly, it is those young people who fully understand the digital world around them … Read more »
As I mentioned in my previous blog post, last week was fully dedicated to coding and computer science education through a series of activities organized globally around the Hour of Code 2014. Run in partnership with Code.org, the Hour of Code involved events designed to motivate kids to take up coding. Microsoft was proud to be a platinum supporter of the global initiative and has been busy bringing this movement … Read more »
With 23 official languages, the European Union is a melting-pot of diverse and rich voices. And while it may be hard for all of them to be heard among the chorus, the call for one universal language that can drive Europe forward is becoming louder. That language is code. Coding is the key to unlocking Europe’s potential, across every industry, sector and profession. In an increasingly digital world, computer science … Read more »
