- Jobs, Skills & Impact
R4E unveils new AI-enriched chapter in the Reskilling revolution: the New Career Network
24 October 2024, Brussels, Lisbon, Madrid: Four years into the Reskilling for Employment (R4E*) initiative, today marks the launch of the latest development in ERT’s efforts to build a better reskilling culture in Europe.
Portugal and Spain are the initial launch countries for the groundbreaking New Career Network (NCN) – a technology and AI-powered digital platform specifically designed to empower the reskilling process for jobseekers and companies. Sonae has taken the lead in piloting NCN in Portugal, while Fundacion Telefónica, Iberdrola, SAP and the CEOE are working together to lead the rollout in Spain.
José-Maria Alvarez-Pallete, Chairman of Telefónica and Chair of ERT’s Committee for Jobs, Skills & Impact highlights that
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Cláudia Azevedo, CEO of Sonae and Member of ERT said
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Anthony Gooch Gálvez, Secretary General, ERT, said
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Hamoon Ekhtiari, CEO of FutureFit AI commented that
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How it works
The platform allows the user to forge a more strategic and direct training route to employment, supported by tailored analysis from artificial intelligence tools. It then directly connects the candidate with comprehensive training and requalification programs from verified providers.
NCN is expected to increase the number of candidates prepared and accredited to avail of emerging digital jobs, as the training programs – accessible at any level of prior qualification – are based on contrasting competencies. In addition, and thanks to the design and follow-up of this oriented development plan, it is also possible to reduce the cost and time of hiring.
The platform, which has been in pilot phase since last September in Spain and Portugal, aims to create a framework of trust to attract the engagement of a larger number of companies, as well as benchmark business associations.
What kinds of reskilling does the platform facilitate?
With a catalogue of 39 specialised courses across various sectors — Digital, Agriculture, Industry, and Health — the NCN platform offers training in high-demand fields such as Data Science, Cybersecurity, Robotics and Industrial Maintenance. These courses are specifically designed to provide training for more in-demand roles at companies big and small. year ahead.
Candidates benefit from career definition assistance and high employability
The NCN is available in Portugal (here) and Spain (here) and positions itself as an innovative platform dedicated to vocational training, generating unique opportunities for its members.
According to the report Anatomy of the tech talent gap, from the DigitalES partnership, the tech and digital sector suffers from a widespread talent uptake problem. Concretely, in Spain, there are up to 120,000 vacancies of uncovered technological profiles, which poses a brake on growth, innovation and competitiveness.
Similarly, according to Eurostat (Sep’23), there are around 13 million unemployed in Europe, while paradoxically the rate of unfilled jobs has multiplied by two in ten years. The New Career Network leverages artificial intelligence technology to provide targeted training recommendations, tailored to an individual’s skillset and career aspirations. This personalised approach helps candidates connect with relevant courses and retraining programs from a carefully curated list of top training providers.
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Note to Editors:
*At present, companies led by Members of ERT championing the R4E programme include AstraZeneca, Volvo Group, Iberdrola, Leonardo, Nestlé, Nokia, SAP, Solvay, Sonae, Techint Group, Telefónica, and TITAN Cement. R4E is active in 8 countries.
Initially launched in May 2021 under the leadership of Paulo Azevedo, Chairman of Sonae, R4E has been developed by the European Round Table for Industry (ERT). In doing so, the high level forum of 60 CEOs & Chairs of European companies seeks to facilitate the creation of reskilling partnerships with the goal of connecting reskilling providers, employers and jobseekers.
The R4E website is at: https://reskilling4employment.eu/.
One of the biggest challenges we face is that talent, employability and the digital transition in which we are immersed go in step. In 2030, 85% of the most in-demand jobs will be in professions that do not yet exist. Therefore, requalification is a task that must involve all of us: countries, universities and training centres, and of course also industry. The NCN is part of our response. We are very proud to promote this ambitious initiative in Spain, together with Portugal under the umbrella of the European Round Table for Industry (ERT), to which we hope to add other companies and actors dedicated to employability.
We are excited to be early adopters of NCN – this platform can be a major step forward in addressing Europe’s skills shortage and fostering sustainable employment. NCN is an easy-to-use platform that provides a seamless journey from seeking to learning to employment, ensuring that individuals can fully equip themselves properly to avail of – and contribute to – the digital and green economy.”
Europe’s workforce, with its high level of skills and training, is a cornerstone for Europe’s competitiveness. The green and digital transition will only be successful if we ‘take people with us’ – and to do so, ‘reskilling’ has to become the ‘new normal’. ERT has launched R4E in 2021 to help create reskilling ecosystems that leverage companies’ expertise. The New Career Network takes scale and impact to the next level.
The launch of the New Career Network represents a pivotal step in the evolution of workforce solutions to build Europe's future economy. By harnessing the power of AI, this demand-driven initiative not only empowers job seekers to build meaningful career pathways but also enables employers to address critical skills gaps more effectively. We are proud to collaborate with R4E and leading partners like Sonae, Telefónica, Iberdrola, SAP and the CEOE to create a platform that transforms how talent, skills, and opportunities align, ensuring economic resilience and growth.