Nicastri: Italy is the first EU country to have accepted the announcement of the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen
Italy continues to make progress, but still occupies the last places in the ranking of the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), the index of the European Commission which has been monitoring the development of the digital sector in EU countries since 2014. However, despite the progress proceeding at a rapid pace, Europe is inviting us to fill the gap in our country in terms of digital skills. An appeal that AIDR (Italian Digital Revolution Association) has made its own, precisely by promoting a series of initiatives aimed at promoting digital culture, on the occasion of the European Year of Skills, promoted by Europe.
And in Rome, at the Spazio Europa -David Sassoli headquarters, AIDR presented to the press, in collaboration with the European Parliament and the European Commission in Italy, the 2023 digital skills program intended for students, PA employees and companies. The meetings, which will take place on a monthly basis and will take place throughout 2023, will address, thanks to the support of partner companies and institutions, the central aspects of digitization: cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, metaverse, Big Data, IoT. The press conference, moderated by Mediaset journalist Ida Molaro, was introduced by Carlo Corazza, head of the European Parliament Office in Italy, and Antonio Parenti, head of the European Commission Office in Italy.
“The digital skills promotion program represents a fundamental starting point, both for matching job supply and demand and for increasing the involvement and motivation of our human capital, with the aim of offering services, quickly, to citizens and businesses”, stressed the Minister for Public Administration, Paolo Zangrillo during the press conference. “The added value of this program is precisely that of addressing students, in order to develop high-level talents and skills, and public administration and corporate employees, our human capital, precisely to ensure that skills are in line with the needs of the national and international context. If we stop to reflect on the very meaning of the word competence - he added -, an important consideration emerges: we do not mean only the baggage of knowledge, knowledge, but other abilities are added to these: ability - knowing how to do, acquiring and organizing information, solving problems - and above all personal and social skills - collaborating, relating, taking initiatives, working in a team, knowing how to listen to others. We are talking about those soft skills which, together with the hard technical ones, must constitute the toolbox of our employees”.
In the DESI 2022 report - underlined at the opening of the press conference the president of AIDR, Mauro Nicastri, "Italy in terms of human capital and digital public services is still below the European average: in fact, there is a delay in digital skills basic and ICT graduates and in the provision of digital public services for citizens. That's why today we presented a program aimed at promoting and spreading the importance of digital skills. The program is part of the European year of skills announced by the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in her end-of-year speech on the state of the Union 2023. Today's initiative is concrete demonstration for the first time compared to the member countries of the European Union – Nicastri recalled again – that our nation has skills, capabilities and is determined to face the programs and challenges proposed by the European Union. The AIDR digital skills program will start on February 27th and will be aimed at students, PA and company employees. The topics that will be covered will have an introductory part, a focus on the new digital professions and one for organizational use. The structure of the initiative will consist of: a testimony from a PA and/or company manager, a practical and theoretical study of digital skills and a virtual reality exercise".
“As the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Layen, recalled, we are facing an epochal change: the green and digital transitions will require specific skills in these sectors and we cannot be caught unprepared. For this we must make our country modern, competitive and attractive for investments. Europe is doing a lot in this sector: just think that in the PNRR over 13 billion are dedicated to the digital transformation of businesses. The key word of this 2023 European Year of Skills must be 'training', both in the private sector and in the public administration in order not to miss the train of innovation and allow our citizens to be competitive in the labor market". Thus the MEP and deputy head of delegation of Forza Italia, Luisa Regimenti.
“I support the initiative of the Italian Digital Revolution Association – recalled MEP Beatrice Covassi for her part -. The digital Europe we want must be inclusive, a source of opportunities for all and a competitiveness tool for our economy. By 2030, the EU's goal is to have 80% of the population with basic digital skills. In Italy it means investing in basic training for about 20 million citizens. But that's not enough, it is estimated that in 2026 we could have a skills gap of around 2 million workers. This is why it is essential to immediately set up projects to give substance to the '2023 European year of skills' initiative".
“The European year of skills is also important in the direction of the green transition, as the President of the European Commission recalled – underlined the deputy Luca Sbardella -. The green transition and the digital transition are creating new opportunities for EU citizens and the economy. Skilled workers will be able to get better job opportunities and actively participate in society. Digital and Green, sustainability and innovation are not two parallel straight lines, but the track within which it is necessary to move to build a new model of economic and social development".
“In the European year of skills, public administration is also investing in people. The latest legislative initiatives, the new employment contracts, focus on the objectives set by the EU – remarked Antonio Naddeo, president of the Agency for the negotiation representation of public administrations (ARAN) -. To deal with the digital and ecological transition, new skills are needed and administrations are called to review their professional systems with the new tools provided by the contracts. Furthermore, particular attention must be paid to continuous training which must become a real investment in people. So the European year of skills is also a challenge for public administrations”.
“To support the PA in the digital transformation - declared Maurizio Stumbo, Director of New Initiatives and CEO Office SOGEI - Sogei can only invest in skills and in all initiatives towards future generations, such as the one offered today by AIDR. In fact, we are convinced that the conditions for creating progress and sustainable value are created through the acquisition of digital skills and by supporting future generations in designing the public administration of the future".
“Joining a project with a high educational value but above all one of a kind is a source of institutional pride – highlighted Paolo Tedeschi, Head of Communications, Corporate Marketing & Sustainability Canon Italia SpA -. Even more so for a company like Canon that bases its approach to an ethical and sustainable business on the kyosei philosophy – living and working together for the common good – because sharing skills – in this case digital – helps to grow together”.