Eduardo Sanz Lovatón calls for workforce training in high-tech sectors

Eduardo Sanz Lovatón, the Dominican Republic’s Minister of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs, has called for increased worker training to meet technological shifts and access higher-value jobs. He emphasized the need for specialized training in English, engineering, computing, and electronics to support more advanced manufacturing sectors.

Sanz Lovatón noted a significant shift in the country’s free zone exports. While textiles once accounted for over half of exports, medical devices and electronic products now represent 35% and 15% respectively. He identified the semiconductor industry as a key area for future growth requiring specialized talent.

To support these efforts, the minister highlighted the Talent Up program, a regional initiative by the Inter-American Development Bank in partnership with Google Cloud and Cisco Networking Academy. The program offers 15,000 scholarships and has already received over 14,000 applications. He also noted interest from companies such as Google and Nvidia in Dominican technological projects.