Network Dedicated to Fostering Web Talent through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) is Launched with the Support of the European Commission

Brussels, 28 March 2014 – The network “Startup Europe” has been launched with the support of the European Commission. Its aim is to identify the demand for web-related skills among European entrepreneurs and to promote the use of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for capacity building in those fields.

The web industry is one of the engines of future economic growth all over the world. In Europe, however, hundreds of thousands of positions in the web field remain vacant due to the lack of qualified staff already today.

Online education via MOOCs can be a means to foster web and apps skills. The European Commission Directorate General for Communication Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT) calls upon web entrepreneurs, universities, MOOC providers and online learners to join the “Startup Europe” network. It aims at creating an ecosystem of stakeholders interested in seizing the possibilities that MOOCs hold for building up web and apps skills.

Stakeholders are requested to join the network by registering at: http://www.openeducationeuropa.eu/en/user/register

Neelie Kroes, EU Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, stresses the importance of this initiative: "By 2020, 90% of jobs will need digital skills. That is just around the corner, and we aren’t ready! Already today 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."

Participants in the network benefit from the exchange of experiences and best practices, opportunities for networking, news updates, and the chance to participate in a conference to take place later this year. In addition, the network offers a discussion group that can be found on the European Commission’s portal Open Education Europe. The initiative is coordinated by P.A.U. Education and in partnership with iversity.

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About Startup Europe
Startup Europe is the European Commission's action plan aimed at strengthening the business environment for web entrepreneurs in Europe, contributing to innovation, growth and jobs.

About P.A.U. Education
Barcelona-based P.A.U. Education is a private company with expertise in education and innovation. It creates and implements educational strategies, gets involved in high-quality research, and develops platforms and offers digital services for innovative projects in collaboration with public and private organisations on a European and international level.

About iversity
iversity.org is an online platform for higher education courses. It enables professors from recognised institutions to offer interactive online courses to students from around the world. iversity ensures a high level of quality across its offerings in its effort to broaden the access to higher education online.

iversity GmbH
Breitscheidstraße 51
16321 Bernau bei Berlin
Germany

This release was published on openPR.