Does it make sense to learn for a certain period of time, the one dictated by the school, the degree and the master’s degree? Train for 16, 18, 23 or 25 years and never do it again? This somewhat rigid and somewhat arbitrary conception of education is becoming obsolete, at least when it comes to professional growth. Continuing education is a necessity, experts say. This is how, for example, technological advances such as artificial intelligence do not overtake us on the right. Or because the market requires more and more diversity and multidisciplinarity. An awareness that is taking hold in Spain: seven out of ten interviewed in the report Skills of the futuredrawn up by Banco Santander on a sample of 15,000 people from 15 countries, believe that lifelong learning will be essential and fundamental to remaining competitive in the world of work.
In this scenario, Banco Santander doubles its commitment to constant training with the Santander Open Academy project, a free, accessible and flexible platform that offers different training paths for students, professionals or companies of any educational level, whether customers of the entity or not. More than a thousand high-level programs are offered on this platform in collaboration with some of the most prestigious academic institutions in the world, such as Harvard Business Publishing, the University of Cambridge, MIT or the British Council.
The courses offered cover areas as diverse as artificial intelligence, data science, business, sustainability, languages or transversal skills (soft skills, those related to social issues). Students from all over the world can register on the platform. In the case of countries such as Spain, Germany, Poland, Portugal or the United Kingdom, Banco Santander promotes local programs which, in addition to training, also include scholarships for financial aid, Erasmus mobility aid or language courses.
Banco Santander, 30 years of commitment to education
- 2.4 billion euros to provide scholarships and aid
- 3.7 million of people and companies have benefited from it
- 1,200 universities and institutions
Source: Santander
The contents provided by the platform address today’s business issues, those of the utmost relevance. For example, the Santander W50 programme, in collaboration with the London School of Economics, targets women managers from more than a dozen countries. A Business Fundamentals course is available in collaboration with Harvard Business Publishing. Google and the University of Chicago offer cutting-edge training in artificial intelligence and digital skills. Cambridge Judge Business School, sustainability initiatives. Udemy, topics related to the latest technological innovations, such as ChatGPT. Coursera, 50 thousand places offered to access more than 80 courses on the skills most requested by the job market. And the British Council offers 10 thousand places until 2 December 2025 to learn English in a way online.
Microcredentials, a path to regulated and express training
Banco Santander has another recipe, this time on a small scale, to promote continuing education: microcredentials, scholarships to finance short-term courses designed by Spanish universities and aimed at people between 18 and 65 years old. This program joins the Microcreds Plan, promoted by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and University, in the philosophy of promoting continuous training, professional retraining of the adult population and social inclusion with express, but regulated and certified training, usable in onlinein person or hybrids, which gives them great versatility.
Scholarships and aid in 2025, in numbers
More than 2.4 million euros to scholarships covering microcredentials designed by more than 40 universities and the country’s academic institutions
More than 2,000 scholarships of 300 euros acquire 380 microcredentials in ‘online’ (47%), in person (32%) and hybrid (21%) modes
Another 5,000 scholarships offered in the last call
Source: Santander
Among the most sought-after microcredentials are those in computer science and technology, with courses such as data analysis with Python; IT security; data science or AI in its different applications. Other fields are making inroads, such as healthcare, where progress in neurodegenerative diseases is studied; well-being and emotional regulation in adolescence; neuroeducation or clinical ultrasound. And some of the most popular ones are still valid. such as languages, skills and knowledge in the area of social sciences, with specializations in effective communication, sustainability, marketing, narration or entrepreneurship.
“Continuous learning has become a fundamental tool for adapting to an ever-changing job market”
Susana Garcia Espinel
Director of the Universities of Santander and Universia España
A training offer, at any age, which connects with an increasingly complex professional reality. Susana García Espinel, director of the Universities of Santander and the Universia España, highlights how this need for training has grown in recent years: “Continuous learning has become a key tool for adapting to an ever-changing job market,” she explains. Therefore, it becomes even more important to have training tools of this type, adaptable to students of all ages and conditions.
Banco Santander’s commitment to education, employability and entrepreneurship has now lasted 30 years. A moment in which more than 2.4 billion euros were invested in scholarships and aid for more than 3.7 million people and companies, in alliances with almost 1,200 universities and institutions. Training as a distinctive and essential value for professional development, as Espinel explains: “Thanks to our experience in this field, we know how important it is to offer opportunities for professional recycling and learning new skills”.
