Digital and green skills will help halt Slovakia's decline in competitiveness

Digital skills for Slovakia’s green future – Digital future is the main topic of the kick-off conference opened today by Richard Raši, Minister of Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation of the Slovak Republic, together with Mário Lelovský, Chairman of the Presidency of the National Coalition for Digital Skills and Occupations of the Slovak Republic.

Slovakia faces a serious threat to the success of the digital and green transitions. Many Slovak companies are still unable to implement modern digital technologies effectively, which puts them at risk of lagging behind their competitors in the global market.

There is a significant reduction in competitiveness, a problem which not only limits their growth, but also undermines the overall economic development of the country. Without the necessary investments in digitalisation and innovation, businesses find themselves forced to leave the supply and downstream chains, which worsens their position and potential growth. The development of digital and green skills of employees is therefore becoming a key factor to ensure the competitiveness and sustainability of the Slovak economy in the near future.

“Developing human capital and employee skills is crucial for the successful adaptation of businesses and public institutions to digital and environmental challenges. As the Ministry of Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation, we have therefore supported the National Digital Skills for the Green Future of Slovakia – Digital Future project, which aims to support the increase of digital and green skills among employees, thereby strengthening the competitiveness of enterprises, the performance of public administration and ensuring the sustainable growth of our economy. This project responds directly to the needs of Slovak employers to prepare their organisations and especially human capital for the future that is approaching," said Richard Raši, Minister of Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation of the Slovak Republic.

“Today, only one in two employees in Slovakia has basic digital skills, as reported in the 2023 DESI analysis, and the level of these skills has fallen to 51%, below the EU average of 55%. Moreover, the 2023 Industry4UM survey shows that more than 44% of businesses see the lack of digital skills of their employees as a significant barrier to the successful implementation of digital technologies, which fundamentally affects the competitiveness of our companies", said Mário Lelovský, President of the Digital Coalition.

The national project Digital Future responds to the demands of both employers and employees to raise awareness of the digital and green transitions. It takes into account the current demands of a dynamically changing labour market and provides a tool to measure employees’ digital and green skills. The project is dedicated not only to the business sector but also to institutions of self-government and state administration.

"It is necessary to identify the correspondence in the required skills between the employee’s supply, his qualifications and the employer’s demand, the description of the occupation. The current disagreement between the two parties hinders their understanding of what is expected and does not benefit the efficient functioning of the labour market. Our priority is to develop a systematic identification of levels of digital and green skills for each profession, so that everyone can understand. The solution is the Reference Frameworks for the Development of Digital and Green Skills, which determine the specific skill levels of employees for a given occupation and provide clear guidance for their development and learning. This system will also help educational institutions to tailor training and adapt workers to changing labour market conditions," added Lelovský.

“The reference frameworks we have prepared aim to give employees a clear overview of what skills are needed for specific occupations. This approach will significantly increase the value of individuals on the labour market, which in turn will translate into increased productivity and competitiveness not only for businesses but also for municipalities and public authorities. With the increase in the qualifications of employees, we also expect an increase in their salaries, which will contribute to the overall prosperity of our economy," explained Ivan Ivančin, State Secretary at MIRRI SR.

During the duration of the national project, expert events focused on the specific needs of individual regions will be held at the national level. These events will provide participants with valuable information and practical advice on how to successfully manage the digital and green transitions. At the same time, the Digital Future project takes into account the needs of the implementation of Slovakia's strategic objectives in the field of digitalisation, but also the needs, requirements and recommendations of the Alliance of Sector Councils, which provided the expertise of 32 sector council experts.

"As an important partner of the national project Digital Future, the Alliance of Sector Councils actively cooperates in the preparation and implementation of the project in order to bring systemic solutions in relation to the changing labour market, but also to the current needs of individual professions within the broad spectrum of the national economy," said Danica Lehocká, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Alliance of Sector Councils.

The national project is co-financed by the European Union under the Slovakia Programme, where the main authority is the Ministry of Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation of the Slovak Republic and the partner is the National Coalition for Digital Skills and Occupations of the Slovak Republic. Project activities development of specific digital skills to meet the objectives of the Research and Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialisation of the Slovak Republic (SK RIS3 2021+).

@Ministry of Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation of the Slovak Republic