K. Hatzidakis: For the first time, the Greek state has more than 1 billion euros for training

The Delphi Economic Forum’s Center for the Future of Work, in collaboration with the General Secretariat for Digital Governance and Process Simplification and with the support of Microsoft, organized a roundtable discussion on the most in-demand digital skills and the risks of its digital growth gap. economy.

The discussion took place on the occasion of the research on the most in-demand digital skills in Greece – conducted by the National Technical University of Athens on behalf of the Delphi Economic Forum with the support of Microsoft – and is the first edition of “Delphi Insights”, dedicated to skills required in the current work environment in Greece.

In the context of the discussion, Mr. Kostis Hatzidakis, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, noted that for the first time the Greek State is so oriented towards training issues, allocating over 1 billion euros for training. At the same time, he noted that in 15 days a digital Program for green skills will start, which will concern 80,000 unemployed and there will be a corresponding program for about 150,000 employees by the end of 2022.

For his part, Mr. Makis VoridisThe Minister of Interior stressed that the public sector must be harmonized in relation to the new data of digital transformation and that the demands of the economy and society in relation to the level of digital services and functions are increasing.

Mr. Giannis TsakirisUndersecretary in charge of Public Investment and the Partnership for the Development Framework, in turn, added that through the Operational Program “Human Resources Development” part of the funds of 4.2 billion euros will be allocated for training. Mr. Tsakiris stressed that the market and the academic community are required to decide together on the needs of the labor market through research, and the State will be by their side to support them through funding from NSRF programs.

THE Leonidas Christopoulos, Secretary-General for Digital Governance and Process Simplification, said that a significant effort is being made to raise the digital skills index and that a national alliance is being formed to integrate institutions and academia to fund training activities. He noted that a national strategic plan for the training of citizens is underway, such as education through KEP for the use of gov.gr, in terms of smart cities, the training of civil servants to be able to use new technologies as well as the education of women active in the agricultural sector in cooperation with the Ministry of Rural Development.

Ms. Marili MexiPh.D., University of Oxford, Scientific Director, Center for the Future of Labor – Delphi Economic Forum, Special Adviser on Digital Work and Employment, UN International Labor Organization and Geneva Graduate Institute, stressed that companies / countries that have not data will not be able to survive in the new competitive environment, while countries that absorb digital direct investment will be winners.

Continuing Mrs. Mexi added that artificial intelligence is becoming a general purpose technology and brings about changes in the technological content of the professions. Referring to the research, she stressed that the degree of maturity of many companies in Greece is low, as well as that most companies are limited to the use of basic technological skills. At the same time, the research shows that many Greek companies are not sufficiently digitized as well as the limited technological content of many professions.

In closing, Mrs. Mexi noted that we need to support businesses to become eligible to host new digital talent, which means we need to ensure that companies can absorb new technologies and integrate them into their operations. Therefore, actions for the empowerment of companies need to be combined with actions for the enhancement of digital skills of employees.

Ms. Marianna SkylakakiFounder a8inea.com, in the context of another research carried out by a8inea.com on behalf of the Center for the Future of Work of the Delphi Economic Forum, stressed that there is a gap in the advanced skills in the country, while adding that the Greek environment shows less demand in advanced digital skills in relation to foreign countries.

Her views Academic Community submitted by Meletios Athanasios Dimopoulos, Rector, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Nikos Papaioannou, Rector, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, George Lekakos, Vice Rector for Research and Lifelong Learning, University of Economics Prytis , Professor at the Athens University of Economics and Business, Member of the Supreme Council of the National Higher Education Authority.

They all agreed that universities in cooperation with the private sector have taken significant steps to adapt to the new digital age, with the creation of new departments for digital skills and the introduction of new programs and degrees. However, the number of graduates in digital skills is still small compared to other countries. That is why they ask for the support of the state so that there can be progress in this field.

For their part, private sector executives stressed the need to reduce wage costs and give higher wages, because at the moment the international competition is great and many Greek workers with high digital specialization live in Greece but choose to work for telework. foreign companies or leave the country.

At the same time, the private sector demands that the landscape be harmonized in relation to the certification of digital skills, that a corporate culture be consolidated in the labor market where it will positively develop the training of employees in digital skills, in order to form “super-technologists” employees. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the training, in digital issues and other technologies, for managers and SMEs, who need training, education and networking in order to integrate the most advanced digital technologies that are necessary for their survival in the international arena. competitive environment.

The event was attended by senior executives from companies – important employers in the Greek Economy – including: Mr. Iakovos Kargarotos, Vice Chairman, Philip Morris International, Mr. Theodosis Michalopoulos, CEO, Microsoft, Mr. Leonidas Kovaios, CIO, Greek Petroleum, Mr. Charalambos Bakolias, CEO, Ansys, Mr. Vyron Nikolaidis, Founder and CEO, PEOPLECERT GROUP, Mr. Theofilos Vassiliadis, CEO, kariera.gr, Ms. Elena Stylianou, Managing Partner, RSM Greece, Mr. Kyriakos Sampatakis, Country Managing Director, Accenture, Mr. Michalis Tsarbopoulos, Chief Digital Officer, Alpha Bank, Mr. Harris Mygdalis, Group Chief Digital Officer, Eurobank, Mr. Vassilis Koutentakis, Executive General Manager of Piraeus Bank and Mr. Konstantinos Takos, Head of People & Change Consulting, PWC.

The main conclusions of today’s debate on the lack of digital skills in the workplace are that there is a gap in advanced digital skills in Greece. More specifically:

– Many employers cite the lack of digital skills and skilled technological talent as a major obstacle to their digital transformation.

– Small and medium-sized enterprises find it difficult to absorb new technologies and thus show a low degree of digital maturity with the result that the demand for advanced skills is low.

– The skills gap is becoming more pronounced in digitally mature sectors such as the Greek technological ecosystem, which suggests that it is likely to become a more pressing problem in the coming years, as the digitization of the Greek economy accelerates.

– The need for better equipment of the higher education system to enable digital transformation, aligning curricula with the needs of the labor market

– The use of big data can allow better mapping of changing requirements in the labor market, through effective monitoring systems.

– Vocational training programs, ICT apprenticeships, on-the-job training, but also freely accessible online learning platforms can also play an important role.

The aim of the event is to strengthen the cooperation between private and public bodies and to activate the mechanism for the development of digital skills of human resources.