The State Foundation for Employment Training (Fundae) held in Madrid the closing session of Universidad Pyme, the closing session of Universidad Pyme, a program developed alongside the Public State Employment Service (SEPE) that over the last four years has traveled across a large part of the country to bring digital training, technological skills and the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence to small and medium-sized businesses, professionals, and workers.
Under the title «Practical applications of AI in today’s society», the event gathered at Fundae’s Auditorium institutional representatives, social partners, training experts and leaders from some of the world’s leading technology companies to analyze how artificial intelligence is transforming work environments, business models and the needs for professional qualification.
The day also served to take stock of Universidad Pyme’s journey, an initiative that since its inception has held 36 events in 25 Spanish cities, with nearly 9,500 in-person attendees. Add to that more than 860 media appearances and a strong digital presence that surpasses one million impressions, reflecting the growing interest in training and updating skills in a context marked by rapid technological acceleration.
Understanding the needs of Spanish SMBs
During the opening, Fundae’s managing director, Antonio de Luis, recalled that Universidad Pyme was launched with the goal of learning firsthand the needs of companies and professionals in different parts of Spain and of strengthening the dissemination of public resources available to tackle digital transformation. “Going out, traveling the regions and listening to the needs of our citizens is fundamental to design useful responses,” he said.
De Luis also highlighted the role of public-private collaboration in developing digital training initiatives. He explained that Fundae currently has agreements with 61 technology companies that provide the public with more than 1,500 free training resources, forming one of the largest ecosystems of digital training driven from the public sector. He also underscored the impact of programs developed with companies such as Google and IBM, whose certifications are helping to improve the employability of thousands of people by directly connecting to labor market needs.
The gathering took place in a context especially relevant for Spanish small businesses. According to Fundae data, only 48.9% of companies with 10 to 49 employees currently participate in training programs, a figure that highlights the difficulties many SMEs still face in accessing skill-updating processes. This gap becomes even more pronounced at a time when artificial intelligence and digital technologies are redefining professional profiles and production processes.
Precisely these challenges guided the main sessions of the day. Carlos Iglesias, CEO of LabVoltaire, opened the program by analyzing the potential of AI agents to support management and decision-making in business. Subsequently, Sonia Marzo, Director of Digital Skills in AI at Microsoft, raised the need to drive continuous learning to take advantage of the opportunities AI offers within organizations, while Arturo Guerrero Díaz-Pintado, IBM Cloud & Power Technical Sales Manager for Spain, Portugal, Greece and Israel, shared real-world cases of technological application and reflected on the new skills the job market will demand.
The technological vision was complemented by the participation of social partners. Celia Domínguez Valverde, representative of Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) on the Fundae Board, reviewed the impact of artificial intelligence on the world of work, while Mª Carmen Van-Baumberghen López, head of Technical Assistance at UGT in Fundae, addressed the challenges these technologies pose for workers and the need to accompany the digital transformation with ongoing training and continuous updating of skills.
The program was completed with an interview by Carmen Prieto, Director of Innovation and Development at Fundae, with Isabel García Vargas, Head of Brand and Reputation for Google Spain and Portugal, focusing on the role of artificial intelligence in driving learning, boosting productivity and facilitating the adaptation of companies and professionals to an increasingly digital environment.
The closing also served to identify some of the challenges that will shape the coming years: expanding access to training in regions far from major urban centers, increasing the participation of small businesses and making it easier for groups with lower levels of qualification to benefit from the opportunities offered by the digital transformation.
