The scheme for employees will be worked out in cooperation with trade unions, Viktor Orbán said, adding that it is planned to improve the digital skills of around 260,000 job holders. The government has already introduced a scheme offering grants in vocational training in trades hit by shortage of skilled manpower, he said.

Students specialising in IT will be offered preferential grants, he said at the event organised for the 10th time by the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MKIK).

“The message of the economy today is that there will be demand for well-trained, modern people prepared to work in a digital age and committed towards European culture and work ethics,” Orbán said, adding that there would be need of several tens of thousands of new IT experts.

László Parragh, the head of MKIK, said that this year’s competition covers 41 trades with 15,000 students competing.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.

MTI photo: Koszticsák Szilárd