EIT Health launches the WorkInHealth Foundation

EIT Health – part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) – plans to collaborate with industry and tech leaders in a European initiative to harness emerging talent and prepare the healthcare sector for the future.

EIT Health is co-funded by the European Union and is launching the WorkInHealth Foundation to address concerns surrounding a labour shortage over the next ten years.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an accelerated a shift towards artificial intelligence (AI) and an increase in data-driven and digital-based jobs.

One of the key components of many national and EU-backed post-COVID-19 recovery plans has been recognising the need for upskilling, especially in digital skills and R&D. The French Government expects 130,000 new jobs to be created by health tech start-ups by 2030.

The central themes of the WorkInHealth Foundation will be to make healthcare careers more appealing, to help companies better define their needs and to make upskilling and reskilling education and training programmes available to graduates and professionals.

It is estimated that more than 120,000 new roles could be created in ten years’ time, as around 50% of existing work activities become automated in the pharmaceutical and medical-manufacturing industry.

More and more, biomanufacturing organisations are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit automation and bioprocess engineers, as well as manufacturing science and technology staff.

The Foundation will produce an AI-powered platform to match healthcare industry roles across Europe with skilled talent.

EIT Health aims to raise two million euros from the tech sector and corporate sponsors to fund campaigns to attract new recruits and upskill or reskill existing talent as Europe shifts towards digitally-focused healthcare. It will seek sponsorship from its existing partners, including Atos and Sanofi, alongside garnering support from bigger tech corporations like Apple, Microsoft and Amazon.

Celine Carrera, director of education at EIT Health and chairperson of the WorkInHealth Foundation, said: “If Europe is to maintain a vibrant and sustainable healthcare sector that can lead in innovation, we must rise to the challenge of recruiting and educating the best talent.

“It’s going to take a collective effort to develop flexible and exciting career paths and find the best talent to fill them, and we are proud to be pioneering a long-term collective solution that can strengthen our approach.”