Year of industry and technical education has begun

In 2014, the European Commission presented its communication “For a European Industrial Renaissance”, that recognizes the role of industry for sustainable economic growth and the overall competitiveness of the EU. The aim, as the communication mentions, is to increase the share of industry on European GDP from the current approximate of 15 % to 20 % by 2020.

Czech entrepreneurs ́ associations and especially the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, member of BUSINESSEUROPE, welcomed this communication. The Czech Republic belongs to countries with a long industrial tradition and the share of industry in the total GDP is one of the highest in the EU. As for the rest of the EU, the Czech industry was heavily hit by the crisis, but recent surveys on industrial performance for 2015 are rather optimistic. However, the problem of the Czech Republic is in the long term the lack of qualified workforce. Technical education does not interest young people and there is a shortage of workers on the market. For all these reasons, the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic designated 2015 as a “Year of Industry and Technical Education”. The main aim of the campaign is to show both to general public and professionals that industry is a modern and perspective sector that offers high-quality jobs, especially to the young generation.

The campaign has been supported by the Government of the Czech Republic as well as by hundreds of companies, schools and other stakeholders. The campaign will be accompanied by many events including conferences, seminars and workshops, fairs, open days in technical schools, universities and companies, as well as competitions for students. The Confederation of Industry hopes that the campaign will help to change the general perception of industry and attract many young talents.