Susa aims to upskill more than 7,000 professionals in the healthcare industry by 2028.

Skillnet Ireland – the national talent development agency – in collaboration with a consortium of 20 other European academic institutions, research centres and industry stakeholders has launched an initiative aimed at addressing the gap in digital skills in the healthcare sector.

The Sustainable Healthcare with Digital Health Data Competence initiative, also called Susa, will aim to prepare more than 7,000 professionals to navigate the rapidly evolving digital landscape in healthcare by 2028.

According to European Union estimates, the health and social care sectors will together comprise of nearly 30m workers by 2030 with Susa aiming to provide 30 bachelor’s and 26 master’s degree programmes, as well as 16 standalone advanced modules in digital skills for healthcare workers.

Coordinated by the University of Oulu in Finland, the framework will produce a flexible curriculum on data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, Internet of Things, sustainability, regulation, and global health in 12 higher education institutions spread across nine European countries.

In Ireland, the programmes will be available at University College Dublin, University of Limerick and Trinity College Dublin, while educational institutions across Finland, Greece, Spain, Poland, Türkiye, Slovakia, the Netherlands and Croatia are also taking part in the initiative. Moreover, five SMEs, a hospital, a research centre and two networking organisations are taking part in the consortium as well.

The initiative, funded through the Digital Europe Programme, is designed to produce 6,558 graduates and upskill 660 professionals in “diverse” career paths including medical professionals, care providers and technical staff with digital competencies “critical” to advancing healthcare practices across Europe.

Mark Jordan, the chief strategy officer at Skillnet Ireland, said: “This landmark initiative will have far-reaching benefits for the healthcare sector across Europe. The leading-edge upskilling provided through the Susa project will enable healthcare professionals to harness innovative technologies, ultimately enhancing patient care and operational efficiency.

“As healthcare undergoes a rapid digital transformation, equipping workers with the necessary digital skills ensures they can effectively navigate new tools and processes, bridging critical skills gaps in key areas like artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.”

In 2024, Skillnet Ireland was ranked first in the world by the European Commission for practices in upskilling initiatives for enterprises.

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