As part of a larger effort to pinpoint emerging training needs, case studies of the telecommunications and administration/offices sectors were conducted in Spain, Italy, and France to identify new information technology (IT) competencies required of employees in those fields and determine whether IT has similar consequences in individual European Union member states. Data were collected from relevant publications and documentation and interviews with key exponents and experts in the sectors. In all three countries, the introduction of IT has tended to make mechanical, lesser-skilled tasks superfluous and has required competencies related to the ability to obtain, select, process, and disseminate information. The introduction of IT in firms and organizations has tended to parallel organizational changes involving a transition from highly hierarchical structures to project groups, thus creating a new emphasis on abilities such as self-esteem, creativity, adaptability, responsibility, self-control, and ability to work in teams. Differences were discovered in the degree of IT implementation in Spain, Italy, and France. Significant differences in occupational classifications were found, both between and within individual countries. In all three countries, initial training provision for both sectors was undergoing significant renewal in terms of technological content. (Contains 68 references) (MN)