The industry demands innovation, schools may encourage it

In Italy, just like in many other countries, a great effort aimed at improving digital literacy is ongoing. Courses in schools and universities, doctorates and courses for companies are therefore increasing, using technical innovations to improve services and to form youngsters by means of new products and digital professions. Unfortunately in our country young persons employed in the digital sector are less than the European average (12% as opposed to 16%) and often their curricula do not correspond to the profiles requested by companies: according to a Modis research, 22% of digital vacancies in Italy find no candidates. So much so that the European commission envisages that by 2020 in the Old continent roughly 900,000 jobs will be vacant on account of the lack of specific competence.
The digital revolution is indeed creating new types of jobs. For instance, data analysts are needed to enhance the data available for companies, and directors of analytics are also needed to suggest the best ways of using these data. big data architects and web analysts, specialized in Internet metrics, are also in demand, Just like the growing use of smartphones and tablets increased the relevance of mobile developers, so is the need for user experience directors increasing; these professionals improve the experience of users with the company’s products and services, working on simplifying and optimizing spaces, be they virtual (such as websites) or physical (such as points of sale). The ongoing revolution also concerns the company’s top management: on the board of directors a chief technology officer is needed in order to draw out a plan to optimize products and services using new technologies.
The impact of Industry 4.0 is therefore remarkable at all levels, and it is necessary for our country’s system to get ready as soon as possible to prevent the creation of a gap which would be increasingly difficult to fill.