The obsolescence of technical skills threatens business competitiveness in Peru

The accelerated adoption of technologies has generated an unexpected challenge: technical knowledge is losing validity at an increasingly accelerated rate. According to BCG, The average useful life of a technical skill has been significantly reduced: it is currently less than five yearsand half of that time in some specific technological fields such as software development, cybersecurity and data science.

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In Peru, this phenomenon takes on a strategic dimension in the context of the growth of the technology sector and nearshoring. According to data from the Central Reserve Bank of Peru (BCRP), the country attracted USD $6.89 billion in foreign direct investment during 2024a significant increase compared to the USD $4.2 billion recorded in 2023.

This growth has increased the demand for technical profiles capable of quickly adapting to international standards and new technologies. Peru stands out in the region with approximately 30% of its college graduates in STEM careersaccording to data from Alcor, leading in technical training according to analysis of the nearshoring industry.

“We find ourselves in the era of unlearning. In the context of nearshoring, a Peruvian company that does not update the technical skills of its team every 18 months is operating with a human technological liability that sooner or later will affect its profitability and its ability to compete globally”explains Pedro AbadCEO of Elev8 Latam, digital training school of the VIKO group.

Technological acceleration is also transforming talent expectations. According to a study by TalentLMS and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 76% of employees are more likely to stay in companies that offer continuous training.

In response, they have begun to consolidate corporate training models based on continuous learningwith content that is updated periodically, short practical sessions and active trainers in the industry.

Various corporate training initiatives operate under this logic, such as Elev8, which develops training programs. Lifelong Learning in areas such as applied artificial intelligence, e-commerce, digital marketing and cybersecurity for companies in Spanish-speaking countries.

“It is not about replacing formal education, but rather complementing it with a pace of updating aligned to the market”adds Abad. “Lifelong Learning is not an additional benefit; it is the critical infrastructure that sustains growth in this decade”.

Beyond models and platforms, the underlying challenge is cultural. In an environment where technology evolves in months, companies are increasingly beginning to value the ability to adapt and continuously learn more than static credentials.

For Peruvian organizations seeking to consolidate themselves as a preferred destination for technological nearshoring and compete in a globalized market, designing training strategies as dynamic as the context in which they operate is emerging not as an advantage, but as a minimum condition to sustain their growth.