The EIT Health (part of the EIT, a European Union body) seeks to work with industrial and technological giants. This programme, called WorkInHealth, is a pan-European initiative to secure new talent and prepare the healthcare sector for the future.

The EU's institution to support innovation in health launches the WorkInHealth foundation. It aims to dispel fears of a labour shortage in the coming decade.

The pandemic has accelerated the shift towards artificial intelligence and jobs that require expertise in digital environments, data and resources.

More than 120,000 new jobs could be created in the next 10 years. This is because about 50% of the already existing positions in industrial production in the medical sector will be replaced by automated systems.

At the same time, in the biomanufacturing industry, organizations are struggling to hire:

• bioprocess engineers
• automation engineers
• talents in construction science and technologies

However, only a third of companies in the healthcare industry have started efforts to upskill the workforce. The average investment is much lower than companies such as Amazon or AT&T. Investment of these companies can amount to up to 27,000 euros per employee.

WorkInHealth Foundation

The WorkInHealth Foundation is going to create a platform based on artificial intelligence. The platform will match specialised talent to healthcare jobs across Europe.

It seeks to raise two million euros from the technology sector and corporate sponsorships to:

• financially boost campaigns to attract new talent
• upgrade the skills of today's workers as Europe moves towards the digitalisation of the healthcare sector

The search for donors will be carried out within the existing network of partners of the EIT Health. This network which includes companies such as Sanofi and Atos. The search will also be conducted by supporters outside the health sector. These companies include technology giants such as Amazon, Apple and Microsoft.

Celine Carrera, Director of Education at EIT Health and President of the WorkInHealth Foundation

"If Europe wants to maintain a strong and sustainable healthcare sector that excels in innovation, it must rise to the challenge of recruiting and training of the best talents. There is a clear need for the industry to attract and retain new talent from various disciplines; while adapting and upgrading the skills of today's employees of the industry. A collective effort is needed to develop flexible and exciting career options, and to identify brilliant talent to use them. We are proud to be leading the way in a long-term collective solution that can enhance our reach."

Retraining – especially in digital skills and R&D activities – is the basis of several national and European recovery plans for the post-pandemic period. The French Government expects 130,000 new jobs to be created by startups and scale-ups in the health and technology sector by 2030.

The main topics on which WorkInHealth will work are:

• improving the image and reputation of the healthcare sector
• attracting employees working in the sector
• helping organisations to better identify their needs
• the creation of training programs for the development and upgrading of skills for employees and graduates

Cedric Volanti, VP General Manager, Viral Vector Services EU at Thermo Fisher Scientific

"In the biomanufacturing sector, there are several vacancies as there is a shortage of talent, which creates disruption in the industry. It is a critical obstacle that must be overcome. From now on, we must do everything we can to ensure that we do not find ourselves in the same situation in the coming years with regard to jobs involving digital procedures and data in the health sector. We need to act now."