16. Takes the view that occupational choices are still strongly gender-based and that this is a component adding to gender inequality; stresses that this has an impact both on female unemployment and poverty; stresses that such gender-based discrimination needs to be overcome; stresses that measures must be taken to present a comprehensive overview of possible educational and training paths and later career choices, for example with the help of equality advisers, and that an attempt must be made from an early age to interest and support girls, in particular, in MINT (Mathematics, Informatics, Natural sciences, and Technology) and area ...[+++]s of strategic importance in professional development terms, and boys in teaching, caring and social professions; emphasises that, in the light of the future shortage of skilled workers, specific measures must be taken to foster the potential of girls and women with in particular, specific support programmes which encourage the preparation of girls for scientific and technical professions;

4. The Office shall carry out its tasks in conditions which enable it to serve as a reference point by virtue of its independence, the scientific and technical quality of the assistance it provides and the information it disseminates, the transparency of its operating procedures and methods, its diligence in performing the tasks assigned to it, and the information technology support needed to fulfil its remit.

4. The Office shall carry out its tasks in conditions which enable it to serve as a reference point by virtue of its independence, the scientific and technical quality of the assistance it provides and the information it disseminates, the transparency of its operating procedures and methods, its diligence in performing the tasks assigned to it, and the information technology support needed to fulfil its remit.

The statistics are to be compiled for all activities within the coverage of division 62, groups 58.2 and 63.1, division 69, group 73.2, group 70.2, division 71, group 73.1 and division 78 of NACE Rev. 2. These sectors cover a part of publishing activities, the information technology service activities, a part of information service activities and profession, scientific and technical activities and the employment activities.

Reaffirming this goal, the March 2001 Stockholm European Council stressed the importance of education and training: 'Improving basic skills, particularly IT and digital skills, is a top priority .This priority includes education policies and lifelong learning as well as overcoming the present shortfall in the recruitment of scientific and technical staff ..'.

The network to be set up in the Andean region (Government institutes responsible for scientific/industrial programming and university institutes which specialize in the four areas covered - biotechnology, new materials, new sources of energy and information technology) will draw on the resources of the European network for staff training, the dissemination of scientific and technical knowledge and the setting-up of a computer netwo ...[+++]rk (and a group of specialists for the selection, evaluation and disclosure of data to university and industrial users).