A new educational pattern in response to new technologies and sustainable development. Enlightening ICT skills for youth employability in the European Union

Abstract

The so-called fourth revolution is underway and its impact is appreciated in societies and in the way of life of people, particularly due to its effects on the labor market. The disruption generated by the fast changes point out to the immediacy of the needed changes in higher education for responding the new and changing world. The millenarians or digital natives are already used to living with technology, but the technological changes are so fast that if they do not prepare to face them, they will become obsolete soon. Hence the importance of continuous training and the need for institutions and companies to promote training courses for their employees. The higher education institutions have a key role on the promotion of knowledge and on the innovation, but this new scenario is an unexpected challenge that is difficult to face. Incorporating teaching of information and communications technology in universities within the curriculum, as a cross-training topic, is a difficult but necessary challenge for preparing students for success in labor market. In this paper, the importance of training in ICTs to get a job is raised. An empirical study with EUROSTAT data is carried out and is limited to young people between 16 and 24 years old. Structural Equation Modelling is the applied method. The results indicate that informal ICTs training favors employment and training in computer management. The conclusions point to the need to providing channels of self-training or informal personal training to fit the needs and temporal and spatial availability of each.