Date: 20-22/04/2021
The European Commission has declared the coming years to be Europe’s ‘Digital Decade’. This means significantly accelerating the uptake of new technologies, while growing the region’s IT talent pool.
One of the EU targets is to have 20 million IT professionals working by 2030, which revitalises the current initiatives for professionalising the European IT workforce and calls on all stakeholders to increase their efforts and cooperation. To address current and new challenges, IT Professionalism Europe, eSkills Malta Foundation and the Irish Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition held the ‘IT Professionalism Conference 2021’, taking place during three half-day online sessions on 20-22 April.
We gathered perspectives from Europe, as well as those from other continents, to identify the necessary steps that will help meet the new EU target goals, covering political initiatives, developing technologies and the outlook for young IT professionals. The days of the conference were separated by the following themes:
20 April – ‘The Challenge of Professionalism in Europe and Beyond’
- Join to hear from representatives of the Commission on the latest EU policies related to IT professionalism. The panel discussion will feature speakers from different parts of the world sharing their experience on the topic.
21 April – ‘IT Professionalism in Practice’
- This day will focus on tackling skills gaps in the sectors of software and blockchain.
22 April – ‘Becoming an IT Professional’
- Are you studying to work in IT? Or are you considering choosing this career path? Then this day is for you. During the panel discussion, experiences and skills needed to start a career in IT will be discussed. We will also hold a ‘CV clinic’, exploring how to improve your application to get hired. Send us your CV and motivation letter and get live feedback during the event.
Presentations and recordings are available below. If you have any questions, get in touch with us at events@itprofessionalism.org
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Programme
20 April: The Challenge of Professionalism in Europe and Beyond
Introduction
14:20-14:30
- Austeja Trinkunaite, IT Professionalism Europe
The European Skills Agenda and the Pact for Skills
14:30-14:40
- André Richier, European Commission, DG GROW.D1 (Skills, Services and Professions) – see slides
The Digital Education Action Plan
14:40-14:50
- Anusca Ferrari, European Commission, DG EAC.C4 (Digital Education)
CEN – IT Professionalism: European standards
14:50-15:10
- Mary Cleary, CEN/TC428, Irish Computer Society and Irish Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition – see slides
IT Professionalism Europe Activities and Progress
15:10-15:25
- Austeja Trinkunaite, IT Professionalism Europe – see slides
Findings of the study on IT Professionals skills gaps in Malta
15:25-15:40
- Carm Cachia, eSkills Malta Foundation and Maltese Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition – see slides
Break
15:40-15:50
New I-DESI report: IT Professionals Supply and Demand (where Europe stands globally?)
15:50-16:05
- Balazs Zorenyi, European Commission, DG CNECT.F4 (Digital Economy and Skills) – see slides
Panel discussion. What is done in other countries on IT professionalism?
16:05-17:05
- Conrad Attard, IEEE
- John Higgins, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT (UK)
- Mike Hinchey, International Federation for Information Processing, IFIP
- Terry Coatta, ACM (US)
- Yaoko Nakagawa, IPSJ (Japan)
Moderator: Mary Cleary, Irish National Coalition
Closing remarks
17:05 – 17:15
- Mary Cleary, CEN/TC428, Irish Computer Society and Irish Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition
21 April: IT Professionalism in Practice: Software and Blockchain
Introduction
09:50-10:00
- Austeja Trinkunaite, IT Professionalism Europe
Blockchain and its relevance in Europe
10:00-10:15
- Pierre Marro, European Commission, DG CNECT.F3 (Digital Innovation and Blockchain) – see slides
Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills – Blockchain
10:15-10:30
- Parisa Ghodous, Project Leader, University of Lyon I
Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills – Software
10:30-10:45
- Helena Lovegrove, Project Leader, Digital Europe
Regulating Blockchain and AI at the national level – A Maltese Perspective
10:45-11:00
- Joshua Ellul, Chairman of Malta Digital Innovation Authority and Director of Centre for DLTs, University of Malta – see slides
Break
11:00-11:15
Panel discussion. Increasing European technological sovereignty and business competitiveness
11:15-12:15
- Helena Lovegrove, Digital Europe
- Joshua Ellul, Chairman of Malta Digital Innovation Authority and Director of Centre for DLTs, University of Malta
- Justina Bieliauskaite, European DIGITAL SME Alliance
- Jutta Breyer, Independent Consultant in ICT Professionalism for Europe
- Parisa Ghodous, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1
Moderator: Carm Cachia, eSkills Malta Foundation and Maltese Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition
Closing remarks
12:15-12:30
- Carm Cachia, eSkills Malta Foundation and Maltese Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition
22 April: Becoming an IT Professional: Session for young people
Introduction
14:20-14:30
- Austeja Trinkunaite, IT Professionalism Europe
Panel: Young IT professionals – what to expect?
14:30-15:30
- Anna Stépanoff, Wild Code School
- Carmel Somers, Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet
- Charlotte Mummery, Ascent Software
- Jakub Minarik, Deutsche Telekom Pan-Net
- Olivier Cail, Maïsadour
Moderator: Austeja Trinkunaite, IT Professionalism Europe
Break
15:30-15:45
Why should you join an IT professional body and what does it bring to you and your career?
15:45-16:10
- Daniel Krupka, German Informatics Society – see slides
- Mary Cleary, Irish Computer Society – see slides
CV Clinic: Improve your CV based on the e-Competence Framework
16:10-17:10
- Katarina Pazur Anicic, University of Zagreb – see slides
Closing remarks
17:10-17:20
- Austeja Trinkunaite, IT Professionalism Europe – ITPE
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