Discover the Banco Santander & Harvard Courses: the skills and know-how that companies need

Did you know that 50% of employees will need to retrain by 2025? And that the skills that companies will need over the coming five years differ significantly from those that are currently prized by most organisations? These are the two most important conclusions drawn by the recent Report on the Future of Employment by the World Economic Forum, which notes that productivity and business management models passed down since the Industrial Revolution have become obsolete in the current age of information.

The profound technological, social and economic transformation that we are experiencing requires the implementation of new business strategies, a less top-down and more agile business culture, performance indicators based on real productivity and new means of communication and leadership to ensure profits can still be made.

To do all that, it's vital to understand the role of the new competencies that will facilitate these changes, as well as "resetting" skills and abilities. With this in mind, Banco Santander, together with Harvard Business Publishing is launching the Santander Course | Business for All 2024. If you want to know more about the Banco Santander & Harvard scholarship, keep reading.

Why should you participate in this Banco Santander and Harvard Business Publishing Course to develop new skills?

According to the Global Forum and reports such as one by McKinsey, the skills most sought-after by companies in 2025 will be: analytical and critical thinking, complex problem-solving, active learning and the development of learning strategies; creativity, initiative, leadership and social influence, basic digital skills, project management, computer programming, resilience, stress management and flexibility. 

These competencies, as well as others connected to them, form the core of the Banco Santander and Harvard Business Publishing scholarship programme, one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world, educating future leaders since 1908. Thus, these Santander Course | Business for All 2024 serve as a springboard to multiplying your opportunities in the world of work.

What are the Santander Open Academy Skills | Business for All - Harvard Business Publishing?

The call for Santander Open Academy Skills | Business for All 2023, launched by Banco Santander in collaboration with Harvard Business Publishing, consists of a 100% online, 9-week training course, on which you can acquire new knowledge and key skills in a range of areas, such as negotiations, marketing, finance or customer management, to take on the world of work and further your career.

In total, there are 5,000 scholarships, and you can choose which language to take them in: English, Spanish or Brazilian Portuguese. Note that they will require an average commitment of 3-4 hours a week, and on finishing the course, you will receive a certificate of completion issued by Harvard Business Publishing. 

This Scholarship programme by Harvard Business Publishing and Banco Santander offers a flexible approach that allows you to work on all of the areas that will enhance your professional profile through on-demand content, such as video lectures, infographics or podcasts. Likewise, the course's knowledge transfer methodology includes live sessions and discussions with mentors and top-tier experts, as well as interaction with your colleagues and the application of the skills and know-how acquired in practical exercises, preparing you to be able to transfer these to your workplace.

Moreover, in order for you to enhance specific skills that will help further your career in line with your professional objectives, you will choose from one of three available courses, each of them designed by experts and free to participants. Specifically, the courses available are: 

Business Fundamentals: acquire skills in marketing, finance, negotiation and customer management

On this course you will have the opportunity to learn the following:

• Finance and marketing fundamentals in order to make effective decisions, communicate with other units and consistently align your work with business practices.
• Setting targets, collecting and analyze data, and using measurement to better understand and manage individual and team performance.
• Better understanding of customers in order to meet their needs, how to conduct fruitful negotiations and how to balance competing interests.

Managing Yourself: learn more about decision making, time management and influence

Lastly, if you choose the Managing Yourself course, you will pick up the necessary skills to:

• Manage a successful career, understanding yourself, identifying opportunities in setbacks to your career, and making lifelong learning a habit.
• Make smarter and more decisive decisions, evaluate alternatives that will produce more beneficial results, manage your time productively and mitigate any harmful stress in your day.
• Build trust with others, handle yourself appropriately in complex interactions, persuade, and put your ability to influence into practice. 

How can you apply for this course from Harvard Business Publishing and Banco Santander?

To apply, you must be a professional over 18 years old who wants to acquire or enhance their skills and knowledge to further their career. Additionally, you must have a suitable level of Spanish, English or Brazilian Portuguese to attend the course and live in Argentina, Germany, Chile, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Poland, United Kingdom, United States or Uruguay. Note, however, that you don't need to have a degree or be a customer of Banco Santander in order to participate in this course from Harvard Business Publishing and Banco Santander.

If you fulfil the requirements and would like to apply, then do the following:

1. Create an account at the Santander Open Academy website, sign up for Santander Course | Business for All 2024 and complete the application form. As you will see, it's very easy to complete the forms and will only take a couple of minutes. You have until June 10th, 2024, to do so. And don't forget to choose the language you want to study in!
2. Once you have submitted the completed form, you will receive an email link to complete an assessment which you must take before the closing date for application. Make sure you don't miss the deadline and check your spam folder!
3. Harvard Business Publishing will notify you by email if you have been awarded, then you will have seven working days to accept your place. You can also check the outcome on the Santander Open Academy website. 

Are you over 18 and want to develop key skills to get ahead in the workplace? Sign up for Santander Course | Business for All 2024 and whether you get a place or not, remember: never stop learning.