The European Year of Skills – What Comes Next?

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

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.