The fourth edition of the Competitiveness Program for professionalism in Bizkaia begins

Competencies for professionalism are once again playing an important role within Bizkaia Talent’s programmes, since the association to attract, retain and engage talent in Bizkaia has recently started with the fourth edition of this initiative. A total of 440 students from the three Basque universities: 205 students from the University of the Basque Country, 140 from Deusto and some other 95 from Mondragon University will take part in various workshops such as time management, emotional intelligence, social action, teamwork, efficient communication, lectures, information on professional opportunities and coaching sessions.

This Programme is led by Bizkaia Talent and coordinated together with Bilbao Metropoli-30 as well as the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of the Basque Country, the Faculty of Law of Deusto and of the University of the Basque Country, the Deusto Business School of the University of Deusto, the Technical School of Engineering of the University of the Basque Country, the School of Engineering of Deusto (ESIDE), the Polytechnic School of Mondragon University, the Faculty of Business Studies of Mondragon University, the Faculty of Economics and Business Studies of the University of the Basque Country as well as nine professional associations: Economists; Chemists and Chemical Engineers of the Basque Country; Civil Engineers of the Basque Country, Lawyers, Industrial Engineers, Geologists and Psychologists of the Basque Country.

The managing director of Bizkaia Talent, Ivan Jimenez, said that “the main aim of the programme is to lay the foundations for a people-based movement of professionalism to take shape, propose strategies, develop them and monitor the results with a view to achieving the goals set to promote and to work on the value of professionalism in the Basque Country and enabling our companies to be more productive, innovative and competitive”. Moreover, “this initiative also aims to provide professional support for the development of talent in our Country”, he added.

University students are offered personalized support to develop the key skills that the labour market is demanding at present, and consideration will be given to values, attitudes and skills, which are nowadays being valued over technical knowledge itself. The factors to be assessed in order to be able to participate in this programme include a motivation letter, the curriculum vitae, a personal interview and a skills profile.

Jimenez pointed out that “after the good reception it had last year, the workshop to introduce Technological Skills will also take place this year, as they are being demanded with increasing interest and insistence by the labour market”. Acquiring knowledge in the field of the renowned Big Data, Intelligence and Smart Industry 4.0 will be possible thanks to various workshops.

“Furthermore, the participants from the second and fourth years will take a self-perception test so as to be able to assess their evolution throughout the Programme with greater objectivity and accuracy”, the managing director of Bizkaia Talent concluded.