“It is the labor engine of the future,” experts agree. It’s about the knowledge economy, technically defined as Knowledge-Based Services (KBS). The sector’s focus is on intangible assets. Nothing physical is produced; or it is an application, or it is a data process, or it is an improvement of an existing process, etc. The industry responds with quality services and consolidates itself as one of the sectors with the greatest sustained growth despite the ups and downs of the local economy.
Last year, technology companies had record hiring in the first half, with a year-on-year increase of 5.9%, an addition of almost 30,000 new workers in white. The data comes from a report by Argencon, the chamber that brings together technology companies. The sector employs 486,000 qualified workers and represents 7.4% of total national private employment. Sebastián Mocorrea, president of the entity, pointed out that the sector is one of the five main exporters in Argentina.
By 2024, exports linked to the knowledge economy are expected to grow by 30% and reach US$10 billion, increasingly demanding the creation of jobs, a point that Mocorrea considers key. “This industry has a central role for the local market, not only in international companies that invest in the country but fundamentally reinforces national ones,” explained the head of Argencon.
The advantages of looking for work in the knowledge economy are several. In addition to the insured home office, a global market opens up where one is not subject to working in Argentina, but rather provides services abroad, that is, charges in dollars. The variety of salaries in the area is very great. But on average, a worker without much experience who offers data services abroad can be earning $1,000 a month, a minimum wage for the field.
There is no specific or restrictive age to enter the sector, but generally the people who begin to dedicate themselves to this are young, from 16 to 30 years old, on average. The most in-demand positions are Data Analyst, Programmer and Web Developer. University degrees such as systems engineer, computer engineer or data major help a lot when putting together a CV. But there may also be people who specialize in the knowledge economy with a prior background in something else. For example, an economist can use data science to improve processes within the world of finance. As? Generating a Bot that makes investments in the stock market, a dashboard that makes visible a trend in the market or an application that alerts when to buy and sell.
Some basic concepts that should be considered to get started in this digital world consist of having a high level of English, a programming language (R and Python), database management languages (SQL), and some intermediate knowledge of programming tools. data visualization (Power BI, Tableau Locker).
According to data from the former Secretariat of Knowledge Economy, the technology sector has a constant demand for qualified personnel estimated at a minimum of 10,000 annual searches within the country, with great opportunities for job opportunities for technology students. Besides, The industry offers salaries up to 84% higher than the national average. Professional and technical profiles, both in the areas of software and computer services, as well as in biotechnology, biochemistry, microbiology, bioinformatics and technology applied to agriculture, are among those most required by companies.
Applications and potential of the sector
One of the main characteristics of the services linked to the knowledge economy is the high training of the employees who work in these companies. “The services executed from Argentina are recognized as ‘best in class’ due to the expert teams in the latest technologies, their solid management capacity, their cultural integration and their good level of languages, especially English,” explained Verónica Asla, director of EY GDS Argentina.
Argentina can position itself as a global supplier in this industry thanks to its “competitiveness in prices, its industrial knowledge hubs, cultural proximity to Europe, and a high level of English proficiency,” said Joaquín Basanta, president of Agro Sustentable, a company dedicated to to the manufacturing and marketing of organic inputs for agriculture through technological services. The company offers the service of applying bioinputs using drones under its “Agro Tech” business unit, a workforce typical of the knowledge economy.
“Having the appropriate structure will allow us to take advantage of the advantages that Argentina has in relation to other countries,” added Basanta, who also focused on the need to “resolve the digital divide between rural and urban areas so that technology reaches everyone.” sides.”
The growth that this sector of the economy will have could face some difficulties in the coming years. From the consulting firm IDC they warned that due to the limits in the infrastructure of companies “by 2026, there may be a gap between the supply of opportunities in AI and the market’s ability to adapt, impacting everything from devices and software to data centers. data”.
The key to maintaining sustained growth in the IT industries, experts agree, is to increase the number of workers with a high level of training and to bet on innovation and growth through investments and tax benefits that allow increasing the structure necessary to accompany the expansion of the sector in the context of an orderly macroeconomy.
The sector also has its own law, that of the Knowledge Economy Promotion Regime known as the Knowledge Economy Law (LEC). Marcos Galperin, creator of Mercado Libre, a company he directs, obtained tax reductions of US$140 million thanks to this regulation. The businessman maintained that the law “should be extended to the entire economy.” This legislation encourages tax relief for companies that are dedicated to exporting in this area and in turn encourages hiring.
Source: Ambito
