Digitization and work in Almedalen 2016
The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the elms are green. And Visby's inner city has been invaded by politicians, rulers, representatives from corporations municipalities, county councils and regions, private individuals and others for almost fifty years. You can hardly walk a meter without seeing any "celebrity" (type Marcus Oscarsson or Belinda Olsson), get a free pen or run straight into an exciting seminar.
The entire city boils with experience, knowledge and hopes for the future. Some experience from last year's Almedals week, which was also my first, I have carefully prepared which seminars to attend. Unfortunately, I realize my limitations when I would have to clone myself in at least twelve copies to catch up with everything I really wanted. I must therefore prioritize and decide to invest in the areas of digitalisation, eHealth and integration and work.
digitization
How can we reconcile a modern world with outdated and old-fashioned systems? Our social development is driven by digitalisation and gives us the opportunity to improve both society and business. In 2011, the government stated that Sweden should be "the best in the world in using the possibilities of digitalisation". We are far from there yet and it is high time to act so as not to lose sight of other countries. Several organizations, companies and municipalities deal with this issue and it is evident that much needs to be done before the government's vision is a reality. The digital transformation should not be an option but a matter of course. Much digital support has already been developed, but it must be used as well!
eHealth
Digitization is, as mentioned, important and not least in health care linked to eHealth. The demands of patients are increasing and having access to their journal online is seen as a matter of course by many. The Government and SKL have jointly decided that Sweden will be the best in Europe on eHealth 2025. To succeed in this, concrete action plans, a clear and proactive leadership, well-functioning IT system and not least - training for the staff are required. Here, too, the debates go hot and we are offered examples of actors who have come a long way in their work but also many good thoughts and ideas how to meet the need that is based on the idea of patient-centered care.
Integration and work
Following last year's wave of refugees, integration policy and ideas on how to find jobs for our new Swedes have become increasingly important. A number of seminars deal with this theme and it is noticed that it is an issue that engages many. Labor market Adult education, City of Gothenburg, held an interesting seminar on how simpler work tasks can become important, real jobs. The discussions were about how those who are outside the labor market should be able to get in, and how they can then make incremental movements as skills increase. We at Ekan Management, together with Guller's group, held a roundtable on the same theme. Twelve selected people discussed how we together can create jobs and increase integration. The conversation involved engaged discussions with a willingness to see solutions instead of obstacles and cross-industry collaboration.
After three full days I have my head full of new knowledge and spinning thoughts. I am now looking forward to laying in the hammock and thinking about how I can use my experiences from this year's Almedals week during all the exciting assignments of the autumn! Wish you all a nice summer and are already looking forward to next year's edition of Almedalen!