The tools help enterprises to form their own model and capacity to develop the digital skills of their workforce
- Only 20% of enterprises have strategies and long-term digitalization programs.
- About 35% of enterprises consider that they have other urgent priorities and do not plan to increase investments in digitalization.
- More attention is paid to technology than to people!
These are just some of the conclusions of the studies carried out within the framework of the project "Ready for digital transformation", implemented by the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA), in partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP) and the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB).
Analyzes show that the demand for digital skills in the labor market significantly exceeds the supply. Digitization processes have affected almost 90% of jobs. About 70% of the surveyed persons indicate that in the last few years there have been significant changes in the functions and tasks they perform. Every second respondent claims that the changes are complex and affect both the management of business processes and the nature (organization) of work in their company.
The implemented digital technologies and new business solutions cover numerous activities and processes related to data and information management, communications, resource management, production optimization and control, cyber security, customer relationship management, marketing and sales, personnel management, etc. All this leads to a “push” on skills requirements and a significant increase in the level of digital competence expected by employers.
The Digital Competency Standards for key sector jobs show that over 55% of digital skills require an 'advanced' and 'highly specialized' level of proficiency. Against this background, only a third of the surveyed individuals occupying key positions and occupations for enterprises meet the job requirements for a level of specific digital competence. Every second person surveyed has to one degree or another problems (deficits) with digital skills, which inevitably reflects on the quality of work and employability in the conditions of transition to digitalized workplaces. About 15% of the surveyed individuals have deepening problems with digital skills, which increases the risk of job loss and limiting access to the labor market.
Formal education lags behind the dynamics in the development of digital technologies. For this reason, employer policies in the field of non-formal training of employees in the development of enterprise-specific digital skills and the creation of an environment that promotes and supports continuous learning and self-improvement in the workplace are becoming increasingly important. Unfortunately, small and some medium-sized enterprises experience a lack of financial resources and limit their training programs in digital skills to employees to cover some of the current deficits, rather than their future needs.
In this regard, with the aim of supporting enterprises to overcome the imbalances in digital skills, BSK created new, specific for each of the 16 sectors included in the project, tools in the form of methodological guidelines for maintaining and upgrading the digital skills of workers and recommended non-formal learning programs to develop specific digital skills. The starting point for their creation is the research and analysis of good international and national practices and approaches in providing ongoing training and development of the digital skills of employees. In the study are described and analyzed:
- EU requirements and recommendations for continuing (corporate) training for the development of digital skills in the workforce;
- international standards for digital competence;
- approaches and tools for assessing the level of digital competence;
- types of approaches in the development and training in digital competences;
- corporate models of leading companies for assessment and training in digital skills of employees.
