Digital skills development: why and how to implement it effectively

The complexity of the challenges faced by companies, in addition to global emergencies, require solid skills and competences to face the present, but also dynamics to anticipate the new.

The current and future industrial scenario, in fact, calls for companies to understand the opportunities offered by the 4th Industrial Revolution and the risks that the lack of such awareness may cause in terms of market positioning.

Smart Machines, Smart Factories, Smart Services and Smart Organizations are increasingly characterizing the business scenario by innovating specific processes with digital solutions and the transition to remote-working has increased the demand for new business applications and remote control infrastructures.

Accordingly, design and organizational methods must be increasingly integrated with these solutions to generate competitive and sustainable results.

The introduction of new processes and technologies, however, generates the problem of "how to do things" to achieve the intended benefit. For this reason, technology must be applied to companies along with the understanding and assessment of workflows and organizational processes.
Being aware of the centrality of the "human resource" and its competencies is extremely important and urgent for companies. It is therefore necessary to activate transition programmes in which the structured management of reskilling and upskilling is effective, focused and promoted within the company. Professional training becomes therefore a fundamental issue for companies that want to propose themselves as a primary and innovative actor in terms of technological skills but also in terms of attention to the quality of life and motivation of their employees.

This issue is also strongly recognized in the macroeconomic context of the European Union, which has activated long-term plans with of pushing companies further into the digital world, aware that if the environment changes, organizations must adapt to the change.
The first step towards a new, more digital Europe begins with the NextGenerationEU plan, a temporary recovery tool of more than €800 billion - 50% of which is dedicated to supporting modernization - that will help create a post-COVID-19 Europe better suited to current and future challenges and opportunities.

In parallel with the NextGenerationEU plan, the European Commission has also drawn up the 2030 plan for Europe's digital transformation that puts people at the center, considering digital technologies as a tool to protect people's rights, support democracy and ensure that all actors digital devices act responsibly and According to data from the Observatory professionals and digital innovation of the Politecnico di Milano (data published in 2020) the process of digitization of companies is already underway in our country and continues with a growing trend. In fact:

• 34% of Italian companies already have a high level of digitization, both in terms of infrastructure and skills of their resources;
• This 34% also shows an excellent level of environmental sustainability of the ICT solutions implemented;
• However, 11% of companies, especially during this period, have started a digitization process;
• 55% of companies show that they are still "refractory" to the implementation of digital solutions, but even they, inevitably, are considering them, if not in the immediate present, at least for the future;
• Between 2018 and 2019, the number of professional firms that have invested more than 10 thousand euros in technologies and digital has grown from 5% to 25%.

In contrast to this positive trend, however, the data collected in the DESI (Digital Economy and Society Index) index, with reference to 2021, which sees Italy in 25th place in terms of Human Capital, which indicates that Italy is significantly behind other EU countries, registering very low levels of basic and advanced digital skills.

Applied aims to help its clients in developing their talent and that of their employees in the new scenario, as a strategic partner in the digital transformation process.
The essential element for a successful digital transition is the achievement of a perfect synchronicity of action between processes, technologies and human capital. Today more than ever, skills are at the center of the value creation process of every company and social system.

In the digital era, the smart elements introduced by the 4th Industrial Revolution are also part of the individual processes, and contribute to strengthen the levers of value creation. For this reason, Applied recognizes its task as digital enabler as an urgent responsibility towards the national socio-economic system. Thanks to the professional training solutions offered by Applied, it is now possible to apply some of the most advanced and innovative technologies on the market in a simple and intuitive way.

Learn about SkillGate and the training program.

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