NEWS

By 2025, people and machines will work the same number of hours. Automation will displace or modify around 85 million jobs, primarily those dominated by manual and routine repetitive tasks, according to a report by the World Economic Forum.

The need for a massive increase in digital skills has also been confirmed by a global survey conducted by HR company Adecco Group. In the survey, 69% of respondents expressed a desire for additional opportunities for upskilling in this area.

The global talent shortage further emphasizes the increasing importance of enhancing digital skills. The lack of qualified personnel with specific skills affects many industries, from manufacturing to supply chains and accounting.

Based on significant labor market changes and technological advancements, Adecco Group predicts that knowledge in the following ten areas will be most sought after by 2025:

• Data analysis and cloud services (from architects and developers to data scientists)
• Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)
• Big Data Science (data analytics on large datasets)
• Digital marketing and strategy development in this field
• Process automation
• Business development
• Digital transformation
• Information security (including cybersecurity)
• Software and application development (UX/UI, blockchain programming)
• Internet of Things (IoT)

However, the most sought-after skills are a combination of hard and soft skills. Therefore, in addition to technological skills, the list also includes skills such as:

• Problem-solving
• Emotional intelligence – the ability to understand oneself and others
• Entrepreneurship and risk-taking
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Networking
• Maintaining mental well-being – coping with stress, depression, and anxiety

“More than ever, people need to realize that their own development primarily depends on themselves. Upskilling and reskilling are the responsibility of both companies and employees,” emphasized Dr. Irina Yoncheva, HR Director at Adecco Bulgaria.

The use of rapidly evolving digital tools, applications, and systems is crucial for adapting to the modern demands of the labor market. At the same time, it is a challenge that stands before each of us and the entire society to keep up with technological advancements. In recent years, it has reached such dimensions globally that possessing digital skills has become important in every aspect of our lives.

That is why KNSB is closely monitoring the data on the level of digital skills in Bulgaria. According to Eurostat, our country ranks fourth from the bottom in the EU (behind Italy, Poland, and Romania) in terms of the percentage of the population with basic digital skills – 23.4%, compared to the EU average of 27.5%. Only 7.8% of individuals possess skills beyond the basic level (EU average: 26.5%). In terms of the share of individuals without any digital competencies, we only fare better than Romania (10.13%) – in Bulgaria, their share is 6.2%, while the EU average is 3%. Bulgaria also tops the negative ranking in terms of the share of the population that has not used the internet in the last three months and thus cannot have their digital skills and competencies evaluated – 24.7% compared to the EU average of 11%.

According to the National Statistical Institute (NSI), around 13% of Bulgarians have never used the internet, with the Northwestern region at 16% and the Southwestern region at 7.6%. An analysis of digital skills in 16 economic sectors in the country showed that only 19% of the workforce has digital competence for their respective positions. Against this backdrop, over 90% of job positions require specific types of digital skills.

The challenges of lifelong learning and limited investment in education delay the efforts of the EU to bridge the digital skills gap by 2030, according to representatives and experts from the EU who advocate for urgent support in enhancing skills and requalification for people of all ages. According to an OECD study, education remains low in many countries due to high costs and differences in quality, emphasizing the need for increased public investment in lifelong learning.

In light of all these data highlighting the critically low level of digital skills among Bulgarian citizens and the dramatic mismatch with the needs of the labor market, the government recently approved the possibility of funding digital and other key competencies. For the first time, training programs to acquire a specific level of digital competence will be financed.

With their experience, knowledge, and skills, KNSB (Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria) and the Institute for Social and Syndicate Research and Training will support the Bulgarian workforce in the process of acquiring these essential digital skills. The confederation will provide free training opportunities to all its members as well as anyone interested, across the entire country.

An expert team within the project “Ready for Digital Transformation,” implemented by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) in partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP) and the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), has developed eighty-seven standards for digital skills and competencies required for key positions in enterprises across sixteen sectors of the economy, as announced by the Chamber.

The project is funded by the Operational Programme “Human Resources Development” 2014-2020 and aims to enhance specific digital skills of the workforce in sixteen economic activities/sub-activities according to the Classification of Economic Activities 2008.

The development of competency profiles was preceded by analyses of the needs for digital skills in the sixteen sectors included in the project. The analyses revealed that only 19% of employees meet the required level of digital competence for their key positions.

Studies show that 53% of employers seek workers with an advanced level of basic digital competencies, while 14% require a highly specialized level. 31% would accept workers with a moderate level of basic digital competencies, and only 2% with a basic level. Regarding specific digital competencies, 59% of employers require an advanced level, 16% require a highly specialized level, 20% require a moderate level, and 5% require a basic level.

In other words, nearly 70% of the required proficiency levels in the profiles are for “advanced” and “highly specialized” levels of digital competence. This indicates the changing nature of work, the evolving nature of tasks performed in the workplace, and the increasing demands for digital skills in the transition to digitized jobs.

Against this backdrop, 38% of employees in the surveyed economic sectors possess only basic digital competence – minimal digital skills associated with the use of widely applicable standardized software products and digital technologies such as Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, internet use, digital communication platforms, etc. This reflects the quality and outcomes of basic education and vocational training.

Over 40% of the surveyed individuals have some degree of difficulty with digital skills, which inevitably affects the quality of their work, employability, and their ability to successfully transition in the labor market. Around 15% of the surveyed individuals face deepening problems with digital skills, which brings them closer to labor market exclusion, digital isolation, social and digital inequality.

According to the experts engaged in the BCCI project, the requirements for digital competence will continue to increase. The level of digital skills lags behind the pace and dynamics of the rising labor market demands. Mass training in basic digital competencies will somewhat improve the situation but will not meet the real needs of enterprises and employees.