Among the conclusions of two new Joint Research Centre (JRC) studies on ICT and employability, there is that more attention should be paid to the role of ICT in this field. According to the JRC, reviewed literature shows that ICT are crucial for employability, as they enable the development of a large set of individual skills, and also allow job seekers to have access to more creative jobs and enhance their career prospects.

The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission published two studies on ICT and employability that shows, among other findings, that employers and labour market intermediaries, including public and private services, might not yet be exploiting the full potential of ICT. The findings highlight the importance of digital inclusion and skilling policies, particularly for the most disadvantaged. Recently, the Commission announced the creation of a Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs to address up to 900,000 job vacancies expected to exist in ICT.

The studies now published by the JRC stressed that ICT increase the cost-efficiency and effectiveness of the services offered by labour market intermediaries, including employment services, which are increasingly using these technologies to assess skills and to enhance access to career information and guidance.

The JRC underlines that ICT diminish recruitment costs, improve communication thanks to a variety of web 2.0 tools, allow communicating real-time information, enable rich media advertisement, and allow access to both passive and proactive candidates. There is sufficient evidence to state as well that ICT can support recruitment and selection, workforce learning and more flexible working patterns - all of which are important factors that contribute to employability, says the JRC.