All Jobs are Software Jobs - Preparing Germany's Workforce for the Digital Economy (DE)
March 12, 2019
Berlin, Germany

Jobs have always evolved, but today technology is making leaps and bounds at ever-shorter intervals. BSA | The Software Alliance and Fraunhofer-IUK hosted an event on how individuals in Germany can succeed in the digital economy and how employers can equip their employees - and the next generation of our workforce - with digital skills.

To kick off the event, BSA’s President and CEO Victoria Espinel launched the Policy Agenda to Build Tomorrow’s Workforce in Germany explaining that while today the software industry employs more than 2 million people in Germany, with the right strategy for workforce development, this figure could be much higher.

A pitching session featuring Michael Mühlegg presenting Mobile Learning in Smart Factories, a partnership with Autodesk, Thomas Schmidt presenting Code Your Life, a partnership between Microsoft and Helliwood, and Dr. Nils Hullen presenting IBM’s Job-2-Job Strategy, discussed real world examples of how various projects and solutions are preparing Germany workforce for tomorrow’s economy. Dr. Barbara Dorn of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA) led a Q&A session where issues like cultural barriers to new concepts to tackle workforce development were discussed.

A panel dove into how policymakers in Germany and across Europe can craft policies that help produce and retain a competitive workforce. Speakers joining Victoria Espinel included Ronja Kemmer, Member of the Bundestag (CDU/CSU), Danyal Bayaz, Member of the Bundestag (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Mario Brandenburg, Member of the Bundestag (FDP), Prof. Dr. Ina Schieferdecker, Director Fraunhofer FOKUS, and Jürgen Siebel, Head of International Business, Siemens Professional Education. The panel discussed how, in the new economy, technical schools, apprenticeships, boot camps, and other alternative pathways can be just as effective as traditional classrooms in generating the skills and interests necessary to thrive in 21st century careers.

Speakers

Opening - Alexander Nouak, Managing Director, Fraunhofer-IUK
Keynote Lecture - Victoria Espinel, President and CEO of BSA | The Software Alliance

Future Pitches - Practical Examples

• Mobile Learning in Smart Factories - Michael Mühlegg, Site Manager South, Nachwuchsstiftung Maschinenbau gGmbH
• Code Your Life - Thomas Schmidt, Managing Director and Board Member, fjs e.V.
• Job-2-Job Strategy - Dr. Nils Hullen, Government and Regulatory Affairs, IBM

Discussion: New Skills, New Challenges for Vocational Training

• Dr. Barbara Dorn, Head of Department for Education and Vocational Training of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA)
• Michael Mühlegg, Standortleiter Süd, Nachwuchsstiftung Maschinenbau gGmbH
• Thomas Schmidt, Managing Director and Board Member, fjs e.V.
• Dr. Nils Hullen, Government and Regulatory Affairs, IBM

Panel Discussion: Innovative Visions for Germany’s Workforce

• Ronja Kemmer, Member of the Bundestag (CDU/CSU)
• Danyal Bayaz, Member of the Bundestag (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
• Mario Brandenburg, Member of the Bundestag (FDP)
• Victoria Espinel, President and CEO, BSA | The Software Alliance
• Prof. Dr. Ina Schieferdecker, Director Fraunhofer FOKUS
• Jürgen Siebel, Head of International Business, Siemens Professional Education

More Information: Event Event Photos