One of the predecessors of the recently adopted ‘Leadership Skills for the High-Tech Economy Agenda for Europe’ is the European Commission e-Leadership Initiative. The European Commission is running these activities with the involvement of empirica, together with the PwC, the IDC, as well as Carl Frey and Thor Berger from the Oxford Martin School at Oxford University.

New technologies offer great potential for the development of smart services, as well as new and better jobs. In this context, there is a strong need to foster the acquisition of e-skills and to promote the right training in this field. Launched under the European Skills Agenda on 10 November 2020, the Pact for Skills aims to encourage all stakeholders – industry, social partners, educational institutions, public authorities and the work force itself, to take decisive action towards achieving Europe’s e-objectives.

E-Leadership in the Context of EU e-Skills

In 2004, the European e-skills Forum adopted the following definition for e-skills:

• ICT user skills (Information and Communication Technologies): the capabilities required for the effectiveapplication of ICT systems and devices by the individual. ICT users apply systems as tools in support of their own User skills, covering the use of common software tools and specialized tools that support business functions within industry.
• ICT practitioner skills: the capabilities required for researching, developing, designing, strategic planning, managing, producing, consulting, marketing, selling, integrating, installing, administering, maintaining, supporting and servicing ICT systems.
• E-Leadership skills: the capabilities needed to lead people and corporations in taking advantage of the opportunities provided byICT, notably the internet; to ensure more efficient and effective performance of different types of organizations; to explore possibilities for new ways of conducting business/administrative and organizational processes; and/or to establish new businesses.

Digital skills and jobs

• E-Leadership vs. Leadership

Leadership is the accomplishment of a goal through the direction of human resources.

On the other hand, e-Leadership is the accomplishment of a goal through ICT competencies, human resources and smart use of business resources.

EU e-Skills Strategy

The EU e-skills strategy, based on the European Commission’s Communication “e-Skills for the 21^st Century: Fostering Competitiveness, Growth and Jobs” (2007), has been a major component of the drive to boost competitiveness, productivity and innovation capability of European enterprises. It helps to improve conditions for innovation, growth and new digital jobs, and recommends that the knowledge, skills, competences, and inventiveness of the workforce are constantly updated through effective lifelong learning. In 2013, the European Commission launched a „Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs“ to intensify and accelerate the efforts to fill the digital skills gap.

The Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition

Nadovezujući se na pozitivne rezultate Velike koalicije za digitalna radna mjesta 2013.-2016. i EU strategije za e-vještina, EK će okupiti države članice i sve dionike, uključujući i socijalne partnere, kako bi se zajedno obvezali na djelovanje te identificirali i razmijenili najbolje prakse i na taj ih način lakše unaprijedili. Cilj je ove koalicije poboljšati protok informacija o raspoloživim EU fondovima (europski strukturni i investicijski fondovi, Inicijativa za zapošljavanje mladih, Erasmus+, itd.) i istražiti nove mogućnosti financiranja.

Leadership Skills for a High-Tech Economy

In June 2016 the European Commission adopted the new and comprehensive New Skills Agenda for Europe that included forming a long-term agenda on ‘Leadership skills for a high-tech economy’.

The new agenda focuses on:

• digital education and entrepreneurship policies,
• labor market disruptions resulting from ICT developments,
• analyses of leadership skills for liberal professions such as doctors and lawyers,
• synergy with emerging leadership skills requirements in businesses, exploiting Advanced Manufacturing and Key Enabling Technologies,
• international scope.