Natacha Gama Pereira

Five years after its foundation, Lisbon Digital School enters a new phase. “Learn faster, look forward” is the new motto. Lisbon Digital School seeks to diversify its training offer as much as possible.

In a market that is looking for qualified profiles with digital skills, Natacha Pereira, Lisbon Digital School‘s CEO, considers that the academic portfolio still falls short of responding to this challenge, so it is essential to always be one step ahead and to be agile in the training offer.

The speed of the evolution of technological transformation makes training future professionals with qualified skills relevant to the job market a real challenge. Therefore, Lisbon Digital School seeks to diversify its training offer as much as possible, whether for teams or tailor-made for companies, with intensive courses, masterclasses, workshops, digital sprints, a self-paced training model, and a new methodology, LearnSprint. The objective is to train professionals, today and in the future, in the areas of Digital Marketing and Innovation.

[HR] Lisbon Digital School was created in 2018. What main milestones do you highlight in its evolution?

I would start with the founder. The Lisbon Digital School (LDS) was founded by Virgínia Coutinho in 2018, and arose from a desire to return to Portugal, as she had been away for many years at Socialbakers, Facebook, etc. She wanted to do anything she was passionate about, and education was one of her passions. With the many contacts in the area, I had also very well-identified what could make the difference for a project like this to be a success: all the trainers being experienced professionals, the school is focused on a well-defined area, and the training is very practical.

Thus, the Lisbon Digital School was born, a training school entirely dedicated to teaching Digital Marketing. The project was born with the contribution of professionals in the field, invited to teach different Digital Marketing subjects at our school, to help Marketing and Communication professionals become increasingly better professionally, to do more and better in their brands and companies, elevating Marketing in Portugal and beyond borders.

At this stage, training was exclusively in-person, in coworking spaces in Lisbon, with a partnership with IDEA Spaces, where short intensive courses, masterclasses with international speakers, and events to promote digital literacy were held. And further on, a long-term course, our Specialized Digital Marketing & Strategy.

Another milestone was, of course, the pandemic and the opportunity. We held in-person courses until March 2020, when we were surprised by a pandemic that took us all home. With an exclusively in-person format, we wondered if the school would survive. In one week, we managed to set up a live, online training model, exceeding all expectations we had regarding adherence to this new product. The results were exceptional. Despite remaining online, with the development and adaptation of training programs, we tried, whenever the DGS numbers pointed to an improvement, to maintain face-to-face courses, especially the Long-Term Specialized Courses, a fact that we only effectively achieved in October 2021.

During Covid, we developed a long-term online course model with the same seal of quality as the previous one, but with a substantially lower price, and this product was a success. Within a year, we had 10 groups of Specialized Courses. It was the moment when many companies became aware that they had to invest in the digitalization of their businesses and the training of their people. This has allowed us to be alongside many brands and agencies in this digital transformation process.

The founder’s illness was another defining moment. Virgínia Coutinho was hospitalized in February 2021 and received the news that she had little time to live. Despite everything, she took care of everything, so that not only did the brand and the project have someone who could continue to give them life and a future, but also ensured that the team, which interpreted the school’s values so well, could remain in function. In April 2021, Virgínia left abruptly, and we maintained all the projects, training, events, and consultancies we had until then, in an extreme spirit of sacrifice and pride for having the dream of a lifetime in our hands.

I also highlight the integration into WYgroup. During the six months it took to complete the deal, we continued to grow in revenue, but above all in ideas for the future, projects, and the reorganization of our house. In September 2021 we were integrated into WYgroup, with Pedro Janela taking on the role of caretaker of this project, inviting me to take over the direction of the School. With this integration, we saw the possibility of growing in a guided and strategic way, with the right tools, and autonomously, towards a future that Virginia still sowed during its lifetime.

Over the last two years, Lisbon Digital School has gained credibility and market recognition, becoming a reference in this area. This year is marked by the upgrade we made to the Lisbon Digital School brand. We reformulated our brand and digital presence, intending to make it more appealing and closer. This change covers communication, brand design, and the use of a modern technological solution on the new website, to access all the information on the different courses.

Change that seeks to respond to the growth in training offers, the feedback received from professionals who used LDS to gain essential digital skills for the current job market, and the advanced educational formats already implemented.

Today, we are a Training School focused on teaching Digital Marketing and innovation, recognized in our market, by professionals in the field and by companies, and also a solution for young graduates who are finishing their academic career, but who are faced with a demanding market full of digital challenges for which they are not prepared. At Lisbon Digital School we provide this training. We digitally train future professionals in our country.

Our school was a pioneer in launching a disruptive training offer in 2018. After this cycle of growth and consolidation, this new phase we are now entering will broaden LDS’s horizons to attract more professionals. From an internationalized offer to personalized offers for teams and companies, we seek to address all the challenges that organizations and professionals face to be successful.

[HR] How has your teaching method evolved?

Brands are being challenged by technological stimuli, with consumers increasingly demanding and attentive, with universities and training schools having the responsibility of being able to keep up with this transformation, always being one step ahead.

We must anticipate trends, and cutting-edge methodologies, and have the agility to train future Communication and Marketing professionals with skills that make them qualified for the job market and, consequently, contribute to more competitive companies.

At Lisbon Digital School we seek to anticipate these needs through a complete and disruptive training offer. Therefore, our teaching methodology includes practical training, with real cases, and, to this end, we have experienced professionals in our training team, active in the market, with more than 10 years of experience in this area, who deal daily with challenges in their daily professional lives, and this allows us to be very attentive to the real needs of companies and brands.

The work we have been developing more closely with companies, in tailor-made training, has also allowed us to innovate in the themes of our courses and in training models that are more flexible and adaptable to the needs of these professionals and team dynamics.

Today, we can have an offer that responds to the different needs of our market: intensive courses, live online, with trainers who closely monitor our students’ doubts, in-person masterclasses, which promote networking and the discussion of disruptive topics, workshops in-person to explore hands-on tools, digital sprints, a self-paced training model, which breathes this innovation that is necessary in teaching: a hybrid training very focused on the trainee’s rhythm, self-paced, and inspired by the Agile methodology. And tailor-made training for companies.

As we are a training school focused on Digital Marketing and with a training body of excellent professionals, a promoter of knowledge-sharing events and current content, it allows us to be one step ahead: we also look at what is done out there and we can be proud of constantly creating offers that would also be our first training options as Marketing professionals.

[HR] You are now entering a new stage. Why did you feel the need for a renewal?

The image of Lisbon Digital School remained the same for four years, since its birth. In these four years, a lot has changed. The world. The market. The companies. People. As LDS is a training school dedicated to teaching digital marketing, it would not be coherent for us to remain the same when, in this area, there is constant transformation. We are experiencing a pandemic that has transformed the world. Individual and organizational culture has transformed. This renewal was necessary to be able to keep up with market developments and the global transformation we are witnessing. Renewal of our image, offer, teaching methodology, and our strategic vision. Thinking about the challenges for the future of knowledge. A renovation in which we sought to safeguard the values of our School: proximity, attention to detail, and excellence.

With a fresher, more dynamic image, we reformulated our brand and digital presence, intending to make it more appealing and closer. This change covers communication, brand design, and the use of a modern technological solution on the new website, to access all the information on the different courses.

This change seeks to respond to the growth of the training offer, which allows us to position ourselves, today, as a Training School focused on teaching Digital Marketing & Innovation, and not just Digital Marketing. “Learn faster, look forward” is the new motto of Lisbon Digital School.

In this sense, the objective of LDS is to launch itself towards a promising future, assuming its historical heritage. Furthermore, they also focus their actions on internationalization and the potential to provide training for clients who have operations spread across different geographies.

[HR] What are your objectives in the short/medium term?

It is important to always be aware of the main market trends and the needs of companies so that we can develop digital skills and train professionals so that they can integrate into the job market and respond to its demands. In this way, we are training professionals and contributing to the digital transformation process of companies. This is our mission.

Our purpose is to combat digital illiteracy and the responsibility of training future Digital Marketing professionals in our country, as well as supporting companies in the Digital Transformation process. To do this with excellence, we constantly identify needs so that we have an offer that responds, always focusing on innovation. One of our objectives is international expansion, and we have already carried out some programs with multinationals.

[HR] What other initiatives will you develop?

Today, we can have a diverse and complete offer, which responds to the different needs of our market: intensive courses, live online and in-person, with trainers who closely monitor our students’ doubts, face-to-face masterclasses, which promote networking and discussion of disruptive themes, face-to-face workshops to explore hands-on tools, digital sprints, self-paced training, intra-company training, tailored to the needs and reality of our customers.

We also invest in free events to promote digital knowledge, with excellent guests. Every year we hold three to four free online events, and this year will be no exception. We are designing an in-person event, a Digital Conference, with international and national speakers, sharing cases, with impact and relevance.

[HR] What does a “Learnsprint” consist of?

The world is changing faster and faster, and digital transformation is here, as we know. You need to absorb more, more quickly. Training models and education must be worked on in a more agile, more accessible, more efficient, and more practical way. This new training methodology comes as a response to all of this. Inspired by the Agile methodology, LearnSprint is a 100% online and self-paced program. Over three weeks, participants have access to video classes of up to 10 minutes, practical case studies, live sessions, a final project, and supporting platform and documentation. Everything was created from scratch and lectured by market experts.

A Learn Sprint is a self-paced training model, which breathes the innovation that is required in teaching. This is a hybrid training very focused on the trainee’s rhythm and inspired by the Agile methodology. At Lisbon Digital School, we have already launched the Digital Transformation & Innovation sprint and the Digital Communication sprint, with the participation of several recognized companies in our business sector.

[HR] According to recent data from Eurostat, 15% of Portuguese workers have additional qualifications for the job they perform, however, the job market faces currently a high talent shortage. How do you analyze this reality?

These data reflect a gap between the qualifications of the Portuguese and the demands of the job market. The job market faces a talent shortage, which reflects low qualifications in many areas. This gap is mainly due to the global digital transformation experienced and the speed with which technology is advancing, not accompanied by the skills that universities and training schools develop in their students. It is work that is being done, but the path has been slow and still very reductive, considering the speed at which technologies advance, and the needs of our market.

Brands are being challenged by technological stimuli, with consumers increasingly demanding and attentive, with universities and schools have the responsibility of being able to keep up with this transformation, always being one step ahead.

What we see today is still our teaching trying to update itself and respond to a challenge that comes from behind, when what should be happening was teaching anticipating trends, cutting-edge methodologies, and having the agility to train future Communication and Marketing professionals with skills that make them qualified for the job market and, consequently, contributing to more competitive companies.

The market is looking for qualified profiles, with digital skills,, since the academic portfolio is still unable to respond to this challenge, we have seen a huge gap in young people leaving universities without preparation to face digital challenges, not being able to integrate the job market.

It is at this time that many young people turn to Lisbon Digital School so that we can help them complete their training by developing digital skills, making them more competitive when entering the job market.

Therefore, our teaching methodology includes practical training, with real cases, and, to this end, we have in our training team experienced professionals, active in the market, with more than 10 years of experience in this area, who deal daily with challenges in their daily professional lives, and this allows us to be very attentive to the real needs of companies and brands.

Faced with this reality presented by Eurostat data, government intervention is necessary, and concerted action between educational institutions and companies, with teaching policies and incentive programs to attract and capture talent, with adaptation of training programs and incentives for talent development to boost competitiveness and economic growth.

[HR] As a way of attracting and retaining talent, many companies are investing in upskilling and reskilling their employees. Is this the way forward?

Upskilling and reskilling employees is an important path to follow to attract and retain talent in companies. To maintain relevance, training your employees with skills that allow them to face market challenges and make the company relevant and competitive. Employees value opportunities for professional growth and development.

By offering upskilling and reskilling programs, companies demonstrate concern for the development of their people, which promotes retention. Offering upskilling and reskilling programs is a strategy to attract qualified talent. Companies that invest in developing skills and training their talents have a competitive advantage in attracting the most qualified resources on the market. In short, upskilling and reskilling employees are valuable strategies for attracting and retaining talent, promoting innovation and adaptation to changes, as well as increasing organizational agility. By investing in the continuous development of employees, companies can ensure a sustainable competitive advantage in the constantly evolving market.

If companies’ expectations (and demands) regarding their people have changed in recent years, the same has occurred on the workers’ side. How can organizations respond to this challenge?

To meet the challenge of changing worker expectations and demands, organizations must promote open communication, invest in employee development, offer flexibility, recognition, and rewards, promote diversity and inclusion, and align their purpose with their employees.

Organizations must align their mission and values with employees’ expectations, through clear and transparent communication. Employees are the best ambassadors of a brand, which means the company needs to invest in this relationship and its people.

[HR] How can educational institutions bring future professionals (and their skills) closer to companies (and their expectations)?

We have seen a growing demand for competent profiles in any area of Digital, and a scarcity of these profiles in the market. Digital is an ecosystem that is constantly changing and updating. Universities and training schools must include digital subjects in their offer and be able to keep up with this dynamic with continuous updating.

At Lisbon Digital School we have a network of partners, companies, and agencies, who come to us with the need to recruit profiles with digital skills, in the various areas: Social Media, Performance, Data, Predictive Marketing, and Digital Transformation.

This is one of the biggest challenges in our market! Due to the lack of training offer in this area. It is an area that has grown a lot and is characterized by some turnover, with companies constantly looking for talent in this area. The difficulty lies in obtaining qualified professionals, with solid training, and practical applicability.

At Lisbon Digital School, we have a training offer that allows professionals to carry out reskilling and upskilling in this area, boosting us in the job market. Our Digital Marketing & Strategy Specialization seeks to respond to this need. This is a 250-hour course, during which the main disciplines and tools of the digital ecosystem are explored, guided by experienced and recognized professionals in the field, who support students throughout this journey. With a high practical component, it allows the construction of a portfolio throughout the course, and even a final project with a real brand brief.

We are already a reference for those looking for our training offer, being referred to in recruitment processes by our students, making them differentiators, as well as for brands that want to hire resources in this area, which identifies our school as a partner in this referral. We have several success stories of students who entered the job market, in the area of Digital Marketing, with their time at the Lisbon Digital School being decisive. We are certain that we are training future professionals in this area.

[HR] How do you see the future of professional education?

The future of professional education will be shaped by a relevant, practical, and flexible approach. The partnership between companies and educational institutions, personalized, tailor-made teaching, and the continuous development of skills, with reskill and/or upskill training, will be key elements in preparing people for the challenges of the job market in constant evolution.

A holistic approach is essential, which values not only the development of technical skills but also the so-called “soft skills”. Vocational education will continue to play a crucial role in preparing individuals for the world of work, allowing for constant updating. Due to its importance, I consider the Government’s support with the development of support measures to be of crucial importance.

[HR] What main challenges and opportunities do you foresee for the world of work soon?

The main challenges facing the world of work soon involve adapting to technological changes, the growing technological advances we are witnessing, new developments every day, the development of relevant skills, flexibility at work, and the resolution of socio-economic issues.

These same challenges also give rise to new opportunities for the development of new skills, and the creation of emerging jobs in sectors such as artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, and application development, among others. These areas will offer promising career opportunities for those who qualify competently.

Automation and AI will continue to impact the world of work, replacing certain tasks and functions with machines and algorithms. This will require workers to develop complementary skills and adapt their competencies to take advantage of the opportunities created by automation.

With technological advancement, some skills will be increasingly valued, such as critical thinking, complex problem solving, creativity, emotional intelligence, collaboration, and social skills. Workers will need to adapt and develop these skills to remain relevant in the job market.

Interview originally published in Human Resources

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