lifelong learning and increased investment in human resources by enterprises, especially SMEs, and workers, through the development and implementation of systems and strategies, including apprenticeships, which ensure improved access to training by, in particular, low-skilled and older workers, the development of qualifications and competences, the dissemination of information and communication technologies, e-learning, eco-friendly technologies and management skills, and the promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation and business start-ups.

That the main aim of the updated eEurope 2005 Action Plan is to fine-tune the existing actions and strengthen the implementation mechanisms in order to speed up progress in five key areas (broadband, on-line public services, e-business, e-inclusion and benchmarking) as part of the Lisbon strategy. That following the commitment at the 2003 Spring European Council, the 15 Member States have all drawn up national broadband strategies. Broadband deployment and take-up are increasing rapidly and are mainly market-driven. That to address circumstances where there is clear evidence of market failure, the strategies stress to various degrees the ...[+++] need of increasing coverage of under-served areas through e.g. public support, demand aggregation and public private partnerships. That the strategies also stress to various degrees the need of stimulating demand through financial incentives and increased usage by the public sector; and of developing innovative applications and services supporting the introduction of broadband technologies in a technologically neutral way. In all these actions, the Guidelines on the use of Structural Funds in electronic communications should be followed so as not to distort competition nor thwart private commercial incentives. That on-line public services (eGovernment, eHealth and eLearning) make an important contribution to the Lisbon process by acting as a catalyst for growth, efficiency and innovation, and that there is a need to increase the impact of bringing public services on-line by enhancing interoperability, the exchange of good practice and pan-European co-operation. That interoperability, including open standards and open platforms, is of utmost importance for the effective deployment and use of ICT in all sectors, notably in the pan-European and national work for the development and implementation of eGovernment services. The importance of strengthening trust and security through the general development of a culture of network and info ...

- considers increased monitoring and independent evaluation to be crucial for the development of an effective management system covering all budget headings;

(c) electronic and mobile commerce, as well as technologies for secure transactions and infrastructures, new tools and new methods of work, technologies for learning (such as e-learning) and systems for corporate knowledge management, for integrated business management and for e-government taking account of user needs.

So e-learning techniques and applications, as a complement to traditional ways of learning, may be especially important to SMEs in managing the e-business skills requirements of their personnel.

It was $2.5 million out of UBC's operating budget.