INA and Ericsson Sign an Agreement to Promote Digital Skills in Costa Rica

Ericsson and the National Institute of Learning of Costa Rica announced that they have signed a General Collaboration Agreement in order to promote digital skills in the country. The objectives of this alliance include promoting collaboration between experts, teachers, students, and the industry to harness the full potential of 5G technology, contribute to the development of talent with digital skills, facilitate the exploration of various use cases, and provide tools for digital transformation to entrepreneurs and the general population.

As part of this collaboration agreement, Ericsson will implement various programs from the Connect to Learn portfolio, the company's flagship educational program, in partnership with INA. The main objective of this program is to support different actors in society in reducing the digital divide and developing digital skills to improve the quality of life and create new opportunities for the population and businesses through widely available connectivity and access to inclusive and quality educational content.

One of these programs is the Ericsson 5G University, which aims to provide educators with a deep understanding of 5G technology, improving their high-level digital skills. The ultimate purpose of this training is for teachers to include the concepts and fundamentals of wireless communication technology, with a focus on 5G, in relevant programs and classes, to enhance the knowledge and digital skills of students, thereby better preparing them for future employment in the telecommunications and information technology sectors.

Additionally, the 21st Century Technologies program will provide students and teachers with access to online self-learning materials and training in key technologies. This initiative offers a wide variety of content including telecommunications, artificial intelligence, automation, IoT, and 5G. In addition to online content, as part of this program, a series of lectures and masterclasses will be conducted by Ericsson experts in collaboration with academic institutions.

These lectures will focus on topics relevant to INA students and their extended community, and will seek to facilitate exchange between students, teachers, and industry experts on how new technologies can be applied to specific issues and opportunities for Costa Rica, based on regional and global experiences and trends. In this context, the first lecture will be open to the public and the media and will focus on the fundamental concepts of 5G technology and its transformative potential. The session will take place on August at the INA facilities.

This agreement supports INA's commitment to promote and develop training and professional development for men and women in all sectors of production to promote economic development and contribute to the improvement of living and working conditions for the people of Costa Rica, through training, certification, and accreditation for productive, sustainable, equitable, high-quality, and competitive work.

Juan Alfaro López, Executive President of INA highlighted the promotion of technologies in national education. "INA is an institution that must understand training at the same speed at which the world moves, and thus, agreements of this type allow us to stay at the forefront and even lead in the region," celebrated Alfaro.

According to the National Survey of Jobs in Commerce and Other Sectors in 2021, 78% of the surveyed organizations had at least one vacancy for information and communications technology installers and repairers that was considered difficult to fill. This was due to most applicants lacking the required digital skills for the position.

"We are very proud to contribute to the digital transformation process of Costa Rica, through the development of the necessary skills for current and future talent. We see INA as an excellent ally who shares our commitment to providing the necessary tools to accelerate the adoption of 5G in Costa Rica and enable the greatest benefit of connectivity for the development of communities, industries, and the country," said Fabian Monge, Acting President of Ericsson for LATAM  North and the Caribbean.

The collaboration enabled by this agreement aims to promote the digital skills demanded by the Costa Rican labor market, as well as to strengthen the digital ecosystem in Costa Rica, which includes participants such as Ericsson and INA, committed to the digital transformation of the country and its communities.

Source: Ericsson and the National Institute of Learning of Costa Rica media announcement