Ericsson inaugurates the fifth Digital Lab: classes for students from participating schools kick off

The fifth edition of Digital Lab, the training project promoted by Ericsson to provide secondary school students with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills, has officially kicked off. After the selection of participating schools, several institutes in Rome, Milan, Genoa, Naples and Pagani are starting lessons, kicking off a path that will accompany about 400 young people to discover advanced digital technologies until May 2025.

Robotics, electronics and artificial intelligence will be the central themes of this edition, chosen to meet the needs of an increasingly digitally oriented market. The aim of the project is twofold: on the one hand, to supplement traditional school education with practical and concrete skills; on the other hand, to inspire students to consider post-diploma paths in STEM fields, helping to reduce the digital skills gap.

Compared to school-based training, the programme is characterised by its practical approach to teaching, which is of fundamental importance as it enables students to apply theoretical knowledge in real projects, thus stimulating the development of critical thinking, problem solving, and the ability to find creative and innovative solutions within a context that promotes collaboration and teamwork. The activities will take place at Ericsson premises and the participating students will be supervised by more than 110 volunteer employees of the company, highly qualified professionals, who will provide their know-how to guide the young people in a stimulating learning path.
"We want to give young people the tools not only to adapt to technological changes, but to become protagonists of them," said Laura Nocerino, head of people at Ericsson Italy. "Through the Digital Lab, we aim to inspire a new generation of talents and professionals, capable of contributing to positive change in society and technological progress. It is essential to promote greater student interest in STEM disciplines, considering the current job market, which is strongly shaped by digital transformation and continuous technological advances."
The Digital Lab programme continues this year on the strength of the success recounted by the numbers of past editions, which have involved more than 20 schools, training more than 1,000 students and confirming itself as a point of reference for school-to-work alternation courses and Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e per l'Orientamento (PCTO). Italy was also the first country, after Sweden, to adopt the global Digital Lab programme, part of Ericsson's Connect to Learn initiative, which has reached more than 485,000 students in 43 countries since 2010. With the fifth edition of the Digital Lab Ericsson renews its commitment to support the new generations, preparing them for a future of opportunity, innovation and sustainability.