ICON is proud to become part of the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition for which the eSkills Foundation is the Maltese national contact point. ICON joined this initiative with the intention of further developing the digital skills required in the local digital economy as well as focusing on training to increase the skills of its labour force.

An initiative proposed by the Commission under the New Skills Agenda for Europe, the Coalition brings together member states, companies, social partners, NGOs and education providers to further reduce the digital skill gaps as a partnership. With notable members such as the European Digital SME Alliance, ECDL and Google, the coalition is committed to tackling the skill gaps at all levels, from high-level ICT specialist skills to the skills needed by all European citizens to work in a digital economy and society. Members are encouraged to pledge for action to train more digital experts, re-skill and up-skill the labour force and provide citizens with the digital skills needed for their lives.

The Coalition has set goals to be achieved by 2020 such as:

• Training one million young unemployed people.
• Support the upskilling and retraining of the workforce.
• Modernise training education and training.
• Reorient and make use of available funding.

 

ICON's pledge is to ensure that employees are sent on training programmes to remain at the forefront of technology and to increase staff retention as well as increase levels of job satisfaction.

In order to lift levels of innovation with these newly acquired skills, a new product is set to be released to the market at the start of 2018. Also, in recognition of a struggle encountered by many, ICON will focus on promoting ICT skills among the female population. Through participating in various talks and workshops, we aim to encourage more women to take an interest in ICT education and pursue a career in this growing sector.

The company will also be offering new internships. This will be a great opportunity for any student who wishes to gain hands-on experience and jumpstart their career within the industry. The internship roles will be within the company's services, which are software services, web development and digital marketing. Finally, a whitepaper will be published on data analysis which will be free to the public. This in-depth report will help both students and companies who wish to learn how to harness the power of big data and analytics.

Commenting on the membership, Mrs Francesca Falco, Secretariat of the DSJC, said: "We are delighted that ICON has endorsed the objectives and principles of the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition Charter and we take pride that you have agreed to make a contribution to boost digital skills in Europe."

Dr Gege Gatt, Director at ICON, said: "The Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition brings together member states, companies, social partners, non-profit organisations and education providers who take action to tackle the lack of digital skills in Europe. Developing a digital talent pool is crucial for the Digital Single Market, for European competitiveness and for our digital society to remain inclusive. ICON is committed to help the coalition reach its goals through proactive activities for Malta's labour force. In this regard, ICON assists in the development of digital skills for the digital economy and assists the continuous professional development of its team."