Prime minister calls for action on digital "jobs of the future"

Brown: New jobs in environmental technologies and digital industries

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has again focused on the importance of new jobs in digital industries to help Britain out of recession, and called for action now to equip workers with the skills needed for the jobs of the future.

Brown spoke of the need to invest in new opportunities resulting from the globalisation of the economy and the arrival of consumer markets in China, India and Asia, in a speech at a conference on employment in London on 11 January.

"This will mean new jobs in environmental technologies, digital industries, the creative sector, in advanced manufacturing, in pharmaceuticals and healthcare industries and in education itself," said Brown.

"And I want Britain to be ready to seize these new opportunities and secure a large share of the new global wealth. So the best form of real help now is to equip people with the skills and help people into the jobs for the future.

"We cannot always prevent people losing the last job, but we can help people get the next job."