Training vs. digital jobs: how to generate talent at the pace required by new technologies and the marketplace

Ana Muñoz, Editor-in-Chief of Technology at Business Insider Spain and Computer Hoy

In recent years, Spain has emerged as a key technology hub in Europe, attracting startups and large corporations looking to tap into the country’s digital talent. With a better educated population than the European average, Spaniards are essential for the more technical positions required by the market.

Specifically, according to the Employability and Digital Talent study by the VASS Foundation and the Foundation of the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain has reached 940,000 technical positions in the ICT sector, with a 76% growth in the last ten years, despite the slowdown in technical job creation due to factors such as geopolitical uncertainty and high interest rates.

However, it is not all good news, especially for companies. The same report details that demand for technology specialists is still higher than supply and, as a result, they face losses of €1.35 billion annually due to the more than 6,000 vacancies that go unfilled. It also appears that companies could grow by an additional 15% if the right profiles could be found to fill these vacancies.

Likewise, job creation in this industry has decreased in the last two years, from a growth of 6.8% in 2022 to 4.2% in 2024. Meanwhile, the number of people employed has gone from 425,000 in 2014 to almost 700,000 in 2024.

In comparison with other neighbouring countries, Spain is proving to be a key player in Europe in terms of the implementation of digital employment, having added 193,000 ICT specialists to its ranks in the last three years, compared to the figures provided by Germany (173,000), Italy (153,000) and France (130,000).

Seize the opportunity and take into account the time factor

If there is one thing that both business and society need, it is skilled people, but technology is advancing so fast that it is often difficult to predict what will be required in a few years.

As the DigitalES Jobs and Emerging Sectors report shows, there are four sectors that will see the demand for skilled staff increase exponentially: artificial intelligence and machine learning, cybersecurity, data science and cloud computing experts.

Training specialists in these in-demand subjects is a difficult task for two reasons: first, there is a lack of STEM vocations; second, we do not have a clear training offer in Spain that takes advantage of the creation of emerging jobs.

It should also be noted that in the technology sector the time factor is key, the window of opportunity is narrow and training must be carried out within a specific period and at a specific time.

Therefore, if we analyse the Professional Training for employment (subsidised) endowed with 1,000 million euros for training or the subsidised (offered by the Public Administration), it is hard to understand how it is possible that to find an ICT training cycle you have to reach the eleventh place on the list and it is an Excel course in the first case, and that there are only two training courses in the ranking by number of participants related to this sector in the second case of the 1,897 subjects that are currently being taught. On top of that, many companies struggle to find candidates who not only have technical knowledge, but also soft skills such as communication and teamwork, to give a couple of examples. And that is not as easy as it sounds.

To this, we should add that the Digital Agenda 2025 commits to train 20,000 new specialists in AI, cybersecurity and data analytics. But the question is, what is the current estimate of trained specialists in these areas? The number of bootcamps, institutions and universities makes it particularly difficult to know the actual number that has been reached so far and how much is left to reach that number. In addition to this monitoring, the training of teachers and the constant updating of their knowledge and skills is necessary, as they are essential for the transmission of knowledge.

Hence, the key, without doubt, lies in continuing to improve the education system, prioritising the resolution of problems that exist in its quality and facilitating the connection between the worlds of business, education and the public.

Spain faces a major challenge in the next decade if it wants to continue to compete in Europe. Collaboration between public and private spaces with incentives will be essential, as the current gap between supply and demand for digital skills remains an issue of concern, despite having great talent in our ranks.

Digital talent is constantly evolving and presents great potential. With the right approach and collaboration across sectors, Spain can establish itself as a technology leader. All it takes is a little cooperation.