There are 120,000 unfilled technological profile positions in Spanish companies according to the “Anatomy of the technological talent gap” report carried out by the DigitalES association, and forecasts confirm that this figure will increase: 1.4 million professionals will be needed in Spain for the next ten years.
In Spain the employment rate in the IT sector reaches 81.5% and 43% of companies plan to hire more technology professionals. Currently the ICT sector is the global leader in hiring with 31%, but there is still a lack of trained and qualified professionals.
Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and data analytics are transforming all sectors: from the purchasing experience to logistics to travel where population movements are already analyzed to predict trips, possible incidents and even car accidents.
According to minsait data, one in two organizations already uses AI today to improve and optimize their internal processes and, specifically, to improve the diagnosis and prevention of diseases, as well as the improvement of patient care, management and analysis. For their part, large hyperscalers such as Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft are promoting the development of all types of AI-powered tools designed not only for large companies but also for SMEs.
In the case of cybersecurity, the figures speak for themselves about the need to incorporate expert professionals in this area. According to CrowdStrike’s latest annual threat report, cloud intrusions have increased by 75% in the last year and victims of data theft on the darkweb have grown by 76%. Companies urgently hire professionals specialized in cybersecurity: 31% of companies admit that their cybersecurity departments lack sufficient staff according to the latest Kaspersky study.
FP and digital profiles
The labor market demands hyper-specialized ICT professional profiles, and Vocational Training, FP, provides a quality training response by providing the incorporation of the digital profiles that companies are looking for. The key is to offer quality official training that responds to the demands of companies both in certifications, with partners, and in skills and practical experience in collaboration with companies. The training offer in Spain faces, however, a great challenge, remedying the abandonment of studies, especially in STEM subjects, which include both the health and technological branches.
The key is to offer quality training that responds to the demands of companies both in certifications, with partners, and in skills in profiles, otherwise we will lose a great opportunity
According to our experience, one of the main reasons for this abandonment is the lack of follow-up of students during the first months of university or vocational training. In this sense, the OECD has repeatedly stressed the importance of having at least one counselor for every 250 students.
In our country we are far from reaching this figure since, on average, there is one counselor for every 750 students, which is why in vocational training centers like mope we believe that we should focus our efforts on accompanying and guiding the student at all times and that is why we have improved the OECD figure from 250 to 90 because we want to serve each student in a personalized way. We currently have one tutor for every 90 students along with a multidisciplinary and coordinated team that includes, in addition to tutors, specialist teachers and pedagogical advisors.
Combining theoretical training with practical learning is another of the challenges that companies demand to which training centers must respond. Practical experience is a fundamental pillar in technological professional training.
In our case, after more than a decade of experience training more than 2,500 national and foreign students with official degrees, our own and certification courses, both in the health branch of pharmacy, parapharmacy and prosthetic audiology as well as in technology, we are committed to an interactive learning model through online classes, but with face-to-face seminars and internships in companies that not only offer valuable experience, but also complement their academic training with practical skills relevant to the sector.
Vocational Training specialized in technology is the response that the digital transformation that companies face today is demanding. Training professionals in an agile way in the technological competencies and skills demanded by the market is imperative if we do not want to be left behind in the digital transformation of our country. Data analysis, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and application development are fundamental for the future of organizations, and it is vital to train professionals prepared for these challenges.
