Great success for the networking events held by Bizkaia Talent in Colombia
- The association fostered by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia has organized a number of meetings in Bogotá, Medellín and Pereira, linking up with over 200 professionals who are in search of opportunities for developing their professional careers in Europe.
It is of vital importance to reduce the existing gap between the increasing demand for STEM profiles and the supply of qualified professionals. Along these lines, Bizkaia continues to reinforce its strategy for the generation, development, attraction and retention of talent as a key factor with respect to enterprise competitiveness in the province.
Most recently, in the week of the 11th March, a Bizkaia Talent delegation travelled to Colombia with a mission to explore new talent markets and present the opportunities offered by the Basque Country with the goal of attracting highly qualified profiles not only with a view to professional development, but also in terms of developing a life project in our region.
Over a one-week period, representatives of the Basque association visited the cities of Bogotá, Medellín and Pereira, establishing contact with 210 active professionals in fields such as science, mathematics, engineering and the information technologies (ICT’s), who claimed that they could see themselves working in the Basque Country within the next five years.
The participants were informed about the work opportunities offered by the Basque enterprise ecosystem, with an outstanding industrial framework featuring key sectors such as automotive, aeronautics, energy, biosciences or machine tools, amongst others. Worth emphasising is the participation of the Basque Country Energy Cluster and GAIA Cluster (Association of Applied Knowledge and Technology Industries in the Basque Country).
One of the subjects which was covered was the “Study & Work in the Basque Country” programme, developed in collaboration with the three Basque universities (UPV/EHU Public University, Deusto University and Mondragon University) and designed for Latin American graduates. This programme offers the opportunity of university master’s degrees with work placements in cutting-edge companies in Bizkaia – Basque Country.
At the events emphasis was also placed on the tax incentives which the Basque Country offers to displaced working people, as well as on the support which Bizkaia Talent offers to professionals through its services, providing help in career orientation, creating links with companies and assisting people in the arrival process (permits and authorizations, official recognition of qualifications, social and work-place integration etc.).
“We are impressed with the talent which we have encountered and with the way in which the events carried out have been welcomed” stated Mr Ivan Jimenez, Managing Director of Bizkaia Talent, who added that “our aim is not just to attract these people to the Basque Country, but also to offer them a stimulating working environment and a welcoming community in which they can prosper on both the personal and professional levels”.
Collaborations with different agents
During the stay in Colombia, Bizkaia Talent also consolidated important collaborations with the public institutions of the country, establishing links with the Colombian Regional Director of Migration and the Territorial Manager of the Ministry of Labour in Risaralda. Furthermore, the delegation’s agenda included strategic meetings with local universities (University of Quindío, IU Digital – Digital University Institution of Antioquía) and other agents (ACOFI – Colombian Association of Engineering Faculties, REDTT – Colombian network of collaboration between Higher Education Institutes), thus strengthening the educational and professional links between Colombia and the Basque Country.
