AMETIC, the employers of the Spanish digital industry, has organized the II Forum Alliance for the Development of Digital Talent in Spain, with the aim of publicizing the new skills requested by ICT organizations and other sectors that are in the process of digitalization . Those responsible for opening the event were the acting Minister of Education and Vocational Training, Isabel Celaá; the president of AMETIC, Pedro Mier, and the representative of the European Commission in Spain, Jochen Müller.
In the forum, practical solutions have been offered to promote digital transformation, involving all stakeholders from an open innovation model and public-private collaboration platform.
Celaá has highlighted the Government's priority to promote the digitalization of the economy and necessarily education. In this sense, the acting minister has indicated that "digitalisation is the unavoidable lever of economic and educational progress", and has pointed out that from the Executive are "absolutely determined to address it with determination". In this way, Celaá has highlighted that "the digitization of the economy and education is one of the four pillars on which the country project must be based".
For the minister, we must evolve towards the knowledge economy, "which makes education the main economic factor". In his opinion, "the education system must contribute to increase social welfare". For this, he has highlighted the importance of "being disruptive". Celaá has put on the table the statistics that point out that 90% of future jobs will require digital skills. However, Spanish companies have difficulties finding ICT specialists, he said.
Public-private collaboration
In this way, it has highlighted the importance of public-private collaboration between companies, administrations and educational centers, since, in their opinion, it is the best way to jointly find specific solutions to the global challenges that digitization is proposing in the society. The minister pointed out that the company knows perfectly the professional profiles demanded and, therefore, must contribute to improve the training contents to achieve professional profiles adapted to the new challenges of digitalization.
The representative of the Executive has also highlighted the important role of innovative schools, so that "they become the center of the educational system and pollinate the rest, since they must prepare students for jobs that have not yet been created." Celaá added that it is the Government's responsibility to address today the necessary reforms to ensure that education and training are provided to internalize digital skills. "An education adapted to the challenges of the new times," he said. For this, he has highlighted the importance of having the best teachers. He also highlighted the importance of having female talent in the ICT sector.
"We must move forward together and provide all young people with life-long training that guarantees digital skills". In this sense, he commented that the first thing is to know the current situation of talent. Next, ask yourself what the challenges are and find joint solutions and, finally, reward those initiatives that drive digital talent.
Promote digital talent
For his part, the president of AMETIC, Pedro Mier, has stated that we are living a revolutionary process of change in society, where digitalization is giving us great opportunities. However, Mier has commented the important task of promoting digital skills among workers, so that they keep their work, but also to have new professional profiles that will emerge from the digitalization of production processes. For the president of AMETIC, "one of the great needs of today's society is digital talent, and the debate is how we generate quality talent and enough to respond to the challenges posed by digitalization."
To highlight the creation of quality employment resulting from digitalization, Mier has referred to a study presented by one of the partners of Digital Europe, where AMETIC is a member, about the real impact that digitalization will have on the productive sectors. Against the belief that technology will end employment, the report reveals that, for every post destroyed in the country of study, 3.7 new jobs will be created.
With this objective, the president of AMETIC has commented that the employer's association is in talks with the Government to elaborate a similar study in Spain, since "it is very important to send solid and positive messages to society". In this way, it has highlighted AMETIC's commitment to contribute to generating economic well-being from the momentum of the digital industry, with the technology sector contributing the most to the creation of employment and wealth.
Digitalization of companies
For his part, the representative of the European Commission in Spain, Jochen Müller, said that "the training of qualified and trained in digital skills is essential to ensure the proper functioning of the economy." In this sense, he said that digitalization is transforming jobs, and the vast majority of jobs today require basic digital skills.
However, it has shown the limited digitization of European companies, both large and small and medium. In this sense, he pointed out the difficulty of companies to find technological profiles, one of the great challenges facing Spain, the lack of ICT professionals.
Then, there has been a 'Coral vision on Digital Talent ', with in-depth interviews to the Head of Midmarket and Startup Iberia from Amazon Web Services, Suzana Curic; Samsung's Enterprise Business Director, David Alonso, and the director of the Digital Talent Program of Mobile World Capital Barcelona, Jordi Arrufí.
The director of the business technical assistance of the Foundation for training in employment (FUNDAE), Manuel San Juan, has moderated the round tablePresent and future of the professional profiles', in which the Commercial Technical Director Auxiliary Services of Grupo Eulen, Guillermo Pérez; the director of GMV's Managed Services Secure e-Solutions division, Cresencio Lucas, the general director of Bejob, Mariola García; the director of Randstad Technologies, Rubén Berrocal, and the person responsible for digitalization of UGT, José Varela. Experts have coincided in the lack of ICT professionals in Spain, and the need for training to be focused on digital skills.
The event was also attended by María Jesús Álava Reyes, chosen as one of the 'TOP 100 Women Leaders of Spain 2012 and 2017' and award for the best work of 'Dissemination of Psychology 2017', who has given a session inspiring
'Digital Skills Awards Spain 2019'
AMETIC has awarded the 'Digital Skills Awards Spain 2019' awards during the celebration of the II Alliance Forum for the Development of Digital Talent. These awards, created in the framework of the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition of the European Commission, aim to recognize and reward projects that boost skills and digital transformation, as highlighted by the representative of the European Commission in Spain, Jochen Müller, during the presentation of the awards. In total, more than 80 applications from different sectors have been submitted.
The seven winning initiatives are: Creation of an Inter-level Inter-Level Video Game (IES Campanillas / CEIP Miguel Hernández) to 'Digital Competences in Vocational Training'; Youth IEP program in the digital economy (CORE NETWORKS) to 'More and better ICT trained professionals'; netDigital (Grupo EULEN) to 'Digital Competences for All'; Samsung Smart School (Samsung / INTEF) to 'Digital Competences in Education'; Campus BBVA Digital Capabilities (BBVA) to 'Digital skills for the labor market'; Creating new technological opportunities (La Rueca Social and Cultural Association) to 'Digital competencies for inclusion'; and Inspiring Girls (Foundation Inspiring Girls) to 'Digital skills for women and girls'.