Can digital create jobs for Europe’s youth?

It is a crucial time for Europe, with the new European Commission under President Jean-Claude Juncker having started its term in office at the start of this month. The previous administration faced the most challenging financial crisis of our times, which dominated the policy agenda over the previous six years. As the baton is passed, the economic sentiment is on an upswing with 1.5% GDP growth projected for the EU in 2015.

It must be the priority of the Juncker Commission to cement this trend, while ensuring that employment creation runs in tandem with revived growth. Like no other area of policy-making, the Digital Agenda has seen so much achieved, yet retained the potential to do exponentially more.

The 2014 digital scorecard, in what is a clear A+ for the team of former Vice President Neelie Kroes, shows a stunning 95 of 101 digital actions to be on track for completion by 2015. According to estimates, completing the EC’s digital agenda could add a further 4 million jobs to Europe’s digital economy.

These jobs are crucial in making up for the 5 million lost during the years of the crisis, particularly among young people, where one out of five young people are struggling to find a job. A progressive policy agenda from Andrus Ansip, the new vice-president for the digital single market, and Günther Oettinger, the new commissioner for the digital economy and society, will be vital towards realizing this potential.

As the agenda is drafted, there is an important voice that often goes unheard in policy circles, and even in boardrooms: the voice of Europe’s 90 million youth. To remedy this, Tata Consultancy Services, in partnership with the youth think tank ThinkYoung, surveyed young Europeans in all 28 member states for their views on skills, education, mobility and the role of technology.

The resulting Workplace of the Future 2014 report found that across Europe, the younger generation want more technology, more mobility and improved training. Of those surveyed, 73% believe technology could enable more transparency in a future economy and 86% would like to work in a country outside their own. While 63% feel the education system is not furnishing them with adequate digital skills, 70% express confidence that they will succeed in their careers, given the right post-education training and job opportunities with employers willing to invest in developing their skills.

Europe’s youth have expressed their optimism towards a more digital future. It is incumbent upon all of us to ensure their hopes translate into reality.

Author: Abhinav Kumar is chief communications and marketing officer for Tata Consultancy Services in Europe.

Image: A job seeker walks past a corridor of a commercial building in Tokyo August 28, 2014. REUTERS/Yuya Shino