This Friday afternoon, the agreement that started Uruguay for Knowledge was signed, an initiative carried out by different organizations that aims to join efforts to promote scientific-technological training throughout the country.
The business chambers leading the initiative are: the Uruguayan Chamber of the Digital Economy (CEDU), the Uruguayan Chamber of Industries, the Uruguayan Chamber of Tourism, the Uruguayan Chamber of Information Technologies, the Chamber of Commerce and Services of the Uruguay, the Confederation of Business Chambers, the Chamber of Digital Economy of Uruguay and the Rural Association of Uruguay. During the event, its referents were accompanied by authorities such as the president of the Uruguay XXI institute, Jaime Miller, and the senator for the Broad Front Silvia Nane who currently chairs the Committee on Science, Innovation and Technology in Parliament.
The spokesperson for the initiative during the presentation was the director of the Uruguayan Chamber of Information Technology, Leonardo Loureiro. During his presentation, he assured that although all the business chambers present already have training tools, it is necessary to join these efforts. In this sense, they foresee the “Implementation of projects in conjunction with public organizations, agencies, ministries and public companies” and they intend to create, in addition, “a professional training and education institute that meets the needs of companies and unions.”
“We all work on this, but we understand that all these actions that have contributed to the development of many people, the performance of work and the performance of companies are not enough to meet the demand for qualified human capital for the productive transformation that the country of the future needs”. In this sense, Loureiro pointed out as a representative of the new institution: “We see with very good eyes the educational reform that was presented by Codicen, but we need more speed”, and added that the result of the new educational provisions will be seen within 10 or 15 years. “This type of action that we are starting today is what we need to do to accelerate these processes and create a bridge between today and the future of educational transformation,” Loureiro stressed.
Uruguay for Knowledge will work on three lines of action: the dissemination of the initiative, training —together with the academy— and the transformation of education for work.
Later, at a press conference, Loureiro stressed that “Today skills and abilities are required for work that are not available in the educational part”. In addition, he stressed that it is important that young people can see in practice how the knowledge they acquire is applied.
With your proposal, Uruguay for Knowledge will work with all the educational institutions that wish to do so with the intention of strengthening the baccalaureate and technical degrees that help work on the new knowledge that is required in the industry., and exemplified the need for specialists who can work on electric cars given the arrival of more and more vehicles of this type. “We want to show young people what the work of the future looks like,” he added.
Regarding the validation of their courses in the educational sphere, Loureiro pointed out that from the initiative they will offer training and that if, for example, “the UTU understands that this course is certifiable, it will certify it and add credits for its career” . “The difference is that we teach in our companies, but that doesn’t help the person to continue their studies,” he pointed out.
