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European Year of Skills
  • 2 July 2024

The European Year of Skills – What Comes Next?

Welcome to The European Year of Skills – What Comes Next?, the closing event of the European Year of Skills. It took place on the 30 April in Brussels and online. The event report is now available.

“The European Year of Skills – what comes next?” is a large-scale conference where hundreds of participants will come together to share successful skills stories and discuss the legacy of the European Year of Skills. During the event, we will look back at the achievements of the Year and reflect on the road ahead. After all, the European Year of Skills does not really end here – connecting the dots and delivering in practice remain a top priority.  

The conference will feature prominent political and stakeholder panels, inspiring speeches, insightful conversations, and interactive discussion groups on specific topics. Join us to discuss effective skills policies and how to ensure that skills remain a top priority across Europe. 

When?

30 April 2024 (8:30 – 19:00 CEST)  

Where?

THE EGG Brussels  

Rue Bara 175, 1070 Brussels, Belgium 

EMPL-EU-EYS-CLOSING-EVENTatec [dot] europa [dot] eu (CONTACT US)

Pictures

Check out our media gallery.

Join us online!

Online participation is open to all! Online participation will be available from 9h30 to 12h30 and 16h to 17h30. To sign up, please register via the link below and complete the registration form:

REGISTER HERE

Agenda of "the European Year of Skills - what comes next?"

Digital agenda of the event

Timeslot

Session

8:30 – 9:30

Registration and morning coffee

9:30 – 9:45

Opening speech

  • Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President of the European Commission for a Europe fit for the Digital Age

9:45 – 10:40

National Coordinators: Conversation on skills

  • Belgium: Guibert Debroux, Head of Department “Skills & Training, Business Services and Operational Partnerships” - Le Forem (Walloon Public Employment and Vocational Training Service)
  • Bulgaria: Natalia Efremova, Deputy Minister – Ministry of Labour and Social Policy 
  • Finland: Teea Oja, Chief Specialist – Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland
  • France: Marianne de Brunhoff, Project Director – Ministry of Labour
  • Spain: Maria Antonia Agudo, Deputy Director General for Institutional Relations and Judicial Assistance – Spanish Public Employment Service (SEPE)

10:40 – 11:10

Coffee break

11:10 – 12:10

The European Year of Skills: a stepping-stone towards Europe’s skills revolution

  • Caroline Mancel, Chair of the European Network of Public Employment Services  and Deputy Director General of Actiris (Brussels Public Employment Service)
  • Paolo Nardi, Executive Director of the European Forum for Vocational Education and Training (EfVET)
  • Fernando Sigchos Jimenez, Secretary General of the European Builders Confederation (EBC)
  • Per Schrøder, Executive Vice President of Operations of the Danish State Railways (DSB) 
  • Giuseppina Tucci, Representative of the European Apprentices Network (EAN) & Secretary General of the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU)
  • Brikena Xhomaqi, Director of Lifelong Learning Platform (LLLP)

12:10 – 12:20

Spotlight: The ‘Pact for Skills’ in action

  • The Skills Partnership for Offshore Renewable Energy: Mariana Batista (Senior Advisor Education & Skills) & Elisabete Pinto da Silva (Steel structures specialist), WindEurope
  • 2500th Pact member: Mike Kaminiaris, Project and Communications Manager at AGENSO

12:20 – 12:30

Spotlight: EU Agencies driving progress and impact

  • Manuela Prina, Head of Skills Identification and Development Unit, European Training Foundation (ETF)
  • Jürgen Siebel, Executive Director of Cedefop

12:30 – 13:45

Lunch

13:45 – 14:00

Inspirational moment

14:00 – 14:15

Explanation of discussion groups and transition time

14:15 – 15:45

Discussion groups: The European Year of Skills: what comes next?

  • Skills-first approaches
  • Better skills intelligence and smarter use of it 
  • Upskilling and reskilling approaches: empowering individuals 
  • Investment in skills: agile funding approaches for public-private partnerships
  • Addressing skills shortages: which innovative solutions?
  • The Human Edge: leveraging transversal skills in the AI-driven workplace

15:45 – 16:15

Coffee break / transition time to plenary

16:15 – 17:15

Skills revolution: an imperative for the Europe of today and tomorrow

  • Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights
  • João Albuquerque, Member of the European Parliament, Member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
  • Maxime Cerutti, Director of Social Affairs of Business Europe
  • Tea Jarc, Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
  • Christie Morreale, Vice-President of the Walloon Government and Minister for Employment, Training, Health, Social Action, Social Economy, Equal Opportunities and Women’s Rights (Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU)
  • Valeria Ronzitti, General Secretary of SGI Europe
  • Véronique Willems, Secretary General of SME United

17:15 – 17:30

Closing remarks

  • Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights

17:30 – 19:00

Networking with a cocktail

 

Speakers

  • Margarethe Vestager

    Margrethe Vestager

    Executive Vice President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age of the European Commission  

  • Nicolas Schmit

    Nicolas Schmit

    Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights  

  • Joao

    João Albuquerque

    Member of the European Parliament, Member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

  • Caroline Mancel

    Caroline Mancel

    Chair of the PES Network and Deputy Director General of Belgian PES Actiris

  • Paolo Nardi

    Paolo Nardi

    Executive Director of the European Forum for Vocational Education and Training 

  • Per Schrøder

    Per Schrøder

    Executive Vice President of Operations of the Danish State Railways (DSB)

  • Fernando Sigchos Jimenez

    Fernando Sigchos Jimenez

    Secretary General of the European Builders Confederation (EBC) 

  • Jürgen Siebel

    Jürgen Siebel

    Executive Director of Cedefop

  • Manuela Prina

    Manuela Prina

    Head of Skills Identification and Development of the European Training Foundation (ETF)

  • Giuseppina Tucci

    Giuseppina Tucci

    Representative of the European Apprentices Network (EAN) & Secretary General of the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU)

  • Brikena Xhomaqi

    Brikena Xhomaqi

    Director of Lifelong Learning Platform 

  • Christie Morreale

    Christie Morreale

    Vice-President of the Walloon Government and Minister for Employment, Training, Health, Social Action, Social Economy, Equal Opportunities and Women’s Rights (Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU) 

  • Valeria Ronzitti

    Valeria Ronzitti

    General Secretary of SGI Europe 

  • Véronique Willems

    Véronique Willems

    Secretary General of SMEunited  

  • Maxime Cerutti

    Maxime Cerutti

    Director of Social Affairs, Business Europe

  • Tea Jarc

    Tea Jarc

    Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) 

  • Mike Kaminaris

    Mike Kaminiaris

    Project and Communications Manager at AGENSO 

  • Elisabete

    Elisabete Pinto da Silva

    Steel structures specialist at WindEurope 

  • Mariana

    Mariana Batista

    Senior Advisor - Education & Skills at WindEurope

  • Marianne

    Marianne De Brunhoff

    Project Director – Ministry of Labour 

  • Maria

    Maria Antonia Agudo

    Deputy DG for Institutional Relations and Juridical Assistance – Spanish Public Service for Employment 

  • Oja

    Teea Oja

    Chief Specialist – Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland, Employment and Well-Functioning Markets Department 

  • Natalia

    Natalia Efremova

    Deputy Director General – DG European funds, programs and projects, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy 

  • Guibert

    Guibert Debroux

    Head of Department “Skills & Training, Business Services and Operational Partnerships” - Le Forem (Walloon Public Employment and Vocational Training Service) 

Discussion Groups

Teasers

Skills-first approaches 

co-created with: 

  • Jaana Kettunen, Professor, Finnish Institute for Educational Research of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland
  • Maud Sacquet, Senior Manager for Public Policy and Economic Graph, LinkedIn
  • Rik Bleeker, CSR Manager Europe North, CISCO
  • Laure Joachim, Head of Public Funding, the Adecco Group

Discussions held throughout the European Year of Skills have consistently highlighted the promising potential of skills-first approaches as a solution to the skills challenge Europe is facing. Discover diverse perspectives with four pitches from the viewpoint of individuals, companies, labour market intermediaries and education/training providers. Engage in thought-provoking discussions on empowering individuals to navigate career decisions amidst an increasingly complex landscape; on finding solutions for companies to tackle recruitment, resource management and technology challenges for future success; on the role of labour market intermediaries in connecting people with labour market opportunities, and on how education/training providers can prioritise skills development in curricular development and beyond initial education and training.  

 

Better skills intelligence and smarter use of it 

co-created with: 

  • John Edwards, Secretary General of EURASHE 
  • Spiros Protopsaltis, Governor and Chair of the BoD,DYPA - Public Service of Greece and President of the National Labour Force Skills council
  • Rolf Gehring, European Federation of Building and Woodworkers
  • Silvia Melegari, Secretary General European Confederation of Woodworking Industries (CEI-Bois) & European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry (EOS)
  • Noreen FitzPatrick, Manager Employee Development, SOLAS

The European Skills Agenda and the European Year of Skills have made clear the need to put people and their skills centre stage in the green and digital transitions, with sound skills intelligence. Without doubt, skills intelligence is fundamental - it helps tackle labour market shortages, supports education and training provision and programme and curricula design, informs career guidance, shapes training and support measures, and facilitates labour market integration. However, a key challenge identified by stakeholders is putting skills intelligence to practical use in order to capitalise on the potential impact it can have. How can skills intelligence be made more relevant to regions and sectors? How can skills intelligence insights be better used to overcome skills challenges in practice? To answer these questions, the discussion group will bring together national and regional policy makers, social partners, public employment services, vocational education and training providers, and other skills ecosystem stakeholders to map the gaps and missing links in skills intelligence. Join the discussion to help define actionable proposals to make skills intelligence more user-centred and powerful in different contexts and to broaden and mainstream its use! 

 

Investment in skills: agile funding approaches for public-private partnerships

co-created with: 

  • Boudewijn Grievink, Program Manager Internationalization, Katapult   
  • Zvonimir Ratkovski, Head of MFI, Alternative lenders and fintech division, European Investment Fund (EIF)
  • Valerie Rousselin Somerville, EU Funding Manager, Skillnet Ireland

Despite increasing awareness of the importance of a skilled workforce, financing training remains a challenge in the EU – in terms of the amounts invested, the effectiveness of the funding, and the broader framework and mechanisms for funding. In the face of a rapidly changing world of work, flexible and innovative approaches are needed to ensure more and better investment in skills. Responsibility for upskilling the workforce is a shared one, involving a multitude of stakeholders. The European Skills Agenda and the European Year of Skills seek to promote public-private partnerships as one of the solutions to upskilling the workforce. What are the necessary components and conditions for such partnerships to succeed? Which forms of support do they need? To answer these questions, the discussion group will discuss real-world examples of successful public-private partnerships for skills, identifying key factors contributing to their success and drawing inspiration for their own work and new ideas for the future.    

 

Upskilling and reskilling approaches: empowering individuals 

co-created with:

  • Hanne Shapiro, Skill Policy Researcher and Advisor - freelance 
  • Sandrine Portier, Deputy Director & Head of Benchmark and Communication Unit at France Travail 
  • Cathérine Dolhain, Department of Work and Social Economy – Flanders – Belgium, Policy officer working on training incentives and the Flemish individual learning account
  • Dario Baron, Senior Expert Advisor at the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy of Croatia 
  • Mandy Mifsud, Education Officer - Lifelong Learning, Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation 

In the constantly evolving world of work, the need for training can arise unexpectedly for anyone, regardless of qualification level, employment status or sector of activity. Explore how universal support measures, such as Individual Learning Accounts (ILA) and micro-credentials, can ignite a culture shift towards engaging all working age adults in up- and re-skilling. At the same time, discuss how the skills systems need to be inclusive and able to provide differentiated support to those with specific needs, such as the low-skilled, jobseekers, young people not in employment, education or training, migrants, or people changing jobs from sectors in decline to sectors in demand. Be inspired by two examples of universal but differentiated support and contribute to the group’s ideas providing inspiration to policy makers! 

 

Addressing skills shortages: which innovative solutions?  

Organised by:

  • Ceemet
  • EBF
  • ECEG
  • ECSA
  • Eurocommerce
  • FIEC
  • Geopa
  • Hotrec
  • IRU 

As European companies from all sectors of the economy undergo rapid and tremendous green and digital transformations, they are facing an unprecedented challenge in finding the skilled workforce they need to successfully address the twin transition. Discuss from different perspectives which solutions can be found to upskill and reskill the workforce, to increase the skills match with third country nationals, to attract young people and women to STEM and vocational education and training systems, to convince and support SMEs and workers of the importance of lifelong learning. To explore these issues, the discussion group will showcase what employers from nine major sectors of the economy are doing at European and national level, to ensure companies are skills-fit for the future.  

 

The Human Edge: leveraging transversal skills in the AI-driven workplace 

Organised by: the National Skills Council, Malta 

In the evolving landscape of the modern workplace, dominated by digital technologies and generative AI, the significance of transversal skills—abilities spanning all roles and sectors is essential. These skills, including critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving, represent the human advantage in a progressively automated environment.  Transversal skills enable individuals to leverage technology for innovative and solution-driven outcomes, which can be weaved with stakeholder feedback. 

As we navigate through the age of AI, the unique value of human intuition, emotional intelligence, and adaptability is underscored. Our capacity for nuanced understanding, complex emotional engagement, and abstract thinking are indispensable in fields where technology acts as an aid rather than a substitute. These human qualities facilitate enhanced decision-making, context-sensitive solutions, and personalised experiences. 

This workshop will examine the complementary relationship between transversal skills and digital advancements, and the value of transversal skillsets. It will guide participants in identifying their transversal skills, exploring evidence-based approaches and best practices. Research will be showcased, the importance of competency frameworks highlighted, and small group discussions on future skills and misinformation fostered.  

Web streaming

Thank you for joining the European Year of Skills: What Comes Next? event!

Online participation will be available from 9h30 to 12h30 and 16h to 17h30. Please find the agenda here

For online viewers, the inspirational moment will stream from 16-16h15h. Don't forget to tune in!