The fast evolving ICT sector is one of the most promising and economically important business sectors in the EU, contributing to a large extent to the major objective of the Lisbon agenda.The most recent OECD report on IT reveals that "ICT skills are an important contribution to growth […] Over 4% of total employment is in ICT specialist occupations, over 20% in intensive ICT-using occupations.[...]"

By now employment opportunities are plentiful, but vacancies are difficult to fill as qualifications often do not match with the requirements in the companies. In recent years, most projects aiming at the promotion of VET standards in the ICT sector were initiated and run by large companies. However, 80% of all non-public employment is generated by companies with less than 20 employees and that skills requirements of SMEs can differ significantly from skills required in large companies.

The PIN network will tackle this problem by creating a network of key players in the area of Internet-related skills in SMEs involving: 1. industry intermediary organisations; 2. VET institutions; 3. public authorities and, 4. a leading certification institute in order to set-up a holistic approach of assessing, standardising and certifying job qualifications and profiles for internet-related jobs in SMEs.