On the 1^st of December in Brussels, the European Commission announced the launch of the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition, part of the New Skills Agenda for Europe, proclaimed in June this year.

It was attended by a number of companies, NGOs and academic institutions, such as Google, SAP, ECDL, European Digital SME Alliance. The Digital National Coalition /Bulgaria/ was represented by its Chairman - Mrs. Gergana Pasi.

The initiative aims to improve the situation with the lack of skilled working hand in the IT sector as well as improving the overall digital competences of the EU citizens.

It is estimated that the series of initiatives under the umbrella of the New Skills Agenda for Europe will train 1 million unemployed young people for vacancies in the IT sector and will help modernize the technical education in schools by 2020.

Among the guests at the ceremony of the launch of the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition were: the Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for the digital single market Andrus Ansip, the European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Gunther Oettinger, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Agenda of Belgium Alexander De Croo and the Commissioner for Education and Youth Policies Tibor Navrachich.

Information provided by the Digital National Coalition.