Labor and Science ministries launch 5,000 spaces to participate in free online courses in digital skills and technology
Courses range from introductory to specialized levels and are aimed at people with prior training who wish to enhance their knowledge and improve their employability. The demand for professionals in these areas has increased by 32% as a result of the pandemic.
From the Innovation Hub at Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana (UTEM), Labor and Social Security Minister, María José Zaldívar, Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation Minister, Andrés Couve, and the director of the National Service of Training and Employment (SENCE), Juan Manuel Santa Cruz, launched 5,000 new free spaces to participate in the international Coursera platform, one of the largest in the world, for basic and advanced online courses in digital skills.
The courses are taught by universities in Chile, the Americas and Europe, and include digital programming, data science, cloud technology, artificial intelligence and the creation of video games, among other things. Their objective is to complement the provision of training provided through Talento Digital (a public-private entity that furthers digital training), which collaborated with the Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation Ministry and SENCE in validating this selection.
“Training is essential for everyone who has been affected by the pandemic so that they can recover their jobs. Taking these courses can open up many new opportunities into the future. The courses are in addition to the subsidy plan launched by the government so that companies can retain or hire new workers,” said Minister Zaldívar.
According to DNA Human Capital, the demand for IT professionals increased by 32% during the health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The development of technology and digital transformation in companies has also accelerated and will continue to do so over the next few years. Chile, however, still has low levels of training in these areas.
“We live in a digital world that is global and hyperconnected, characterized by ongoing social and accelerated technological change. This, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, has brought about a shift in our work, its processes and tasks that we perform daily, where learning new digital skills has become increasingly more important. These 5,000 spaces for improvement courses in digital skills acknowledge this demand and address the gaps through the acquisition of new skills in areas such as artificial intelligence, programming and developing mobile applications. The Science Ministry is focusing on these areas by developing an Artificial Intelligence Policy and a program to develop talent,” said Minister Couve.
These specialized courses seek to enhance the employability of people with prior training in these areas, to bring their knowledge up to date, improve their employability and reduce the gap in human capital that the demand of the Chilean business sector is currently facing.
As of 2019, SENCE has entered into partnerships that have allowed it to offer training to more than 260,000 people. Over 530,000 registrations for online courses have been recorded, with an exponential increase during the health crisis. “We have taken it upon ourselves to accompany the people who are unemployed or who are teleworking, to acquire new knowledge or to strengthen what they already have, on any technological device with an Internet connection,” emphasized SENCE national director, Juan Manuel Santa Cruz.
The Coursera offering consists of 18 specialties. The courses are free, 100% online and taught and certified by the best institutions in Chile and around the world. These include Google, the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad de los Andes.
The deadline for course registration, as well as for activating the Coursera license, is Saturday, October 31. Likewise, the deadline for registration through SENCE on the Elige Mejor link, is Friday, October 30. To access the courses, enter www.sence.cl where a prominent banner outlining the courses links to Digital Skills on SENCE’s Elige Mejor site. Once registered, students can access the Coursera collection on two levels: introductory and specialized courses.