Committente: European Committee of the Regions.
Periodo: 2016
URL: A New Skills Agenda for Europe
Descrizione:
‘A New Skills Agenda for Europe’ was published on 10 June 2016. Its focus is on equipping Europeans with the right skills in order to increase Europe’s workforce employability and to respond to changes in labour market requirements. The agenda is grounded on the evidence of the existence of skills gap and mismatch across the Union and within countries. There is a shortage of basic, digital, transversal, and entrepreneurial skills. A common understanding of key competences on the job is missing. Vocational education and training (VET) is undervalued and its attractiveness and opportunities may be enhanced. Overall, skills intelligence allowing for more informed choices is indispensable for skills policies to make a difference in addressing the extent of mismatch of supplied competences and the occurrence of gaps. All these aspects are relevant at the territorial level. In fact, the outlining of policies and/or interventions in the domains of education and training as well as of youth, employment and migration is not solely a prerogative of national governments. It also occurs at the local and regional level. Furthermore, it is at this same level that labour market needs meet the skills supply and that future trends of job opportunities as well as cooperative approaches among different stakeholders of the labour market are shaped. A first objective of the study is to provide an overview across Europe of the state of the art of skills (Part 1). While most of this information is available only at the national level, there is evidence of heterogeneous educational attainment of the economically active population across European regions. Differences occur between Member States but even largely within individual countries, as is the case for France, Denmark, Finland the Netherlands and the UK. This also applies to the importance given to VET and lifelong learning. Second, the study looks into the measure and progress of skills market misalignment, the future demand of skills, and the hypothetical socio-economic consequences that skills gap and mismatch may have at the territorial level (Part 2). Measure of skills mismatch and qualification mismatch is shown at the national and EU level through the description of the Beveridge curve and of the dispersion measures of employment and unemployment rates across skill groups, respectively. Instead, the situation within each country is analysed by looking at commonly used proxies of mismatch, i.e. the dispersion rates of regional unemployment and employment. This information shows, for example, that Italy and Belgium have a differentiated situation across their respective regions. The only comparable information available across the EU for the analysis of the future demand of skills is projected up to 2025 and once again it refers only to country level. Such analysis shows that the European workforce is expected to get older, with a substantial increase of workers in the age classes 55-64 and 65+; to be better qualified, with a substantial increase of highly qualified workers; to shift towards high level jobs for at least one quarter of the total job opportunities; and to supply mainly replacement demand rather than expansion demand. In terms of sectors, most of the new job opportunities in 2025 will be in the business and other services sector, followed by the distribution and transport sector, and, to a lesser extent, by the so called ‘nonmarketed services’ which mainly relate to the public sector. Part 2 concludes with an analysis of the potential socio-economic effect of skills gap and mismatch at the territorial level. To this aim, European regions are classified into six groups on the basis of unemployment and vacancy rates, and then analysed by means of some key indicators (disposable income of private households, regional labour productivity, early leavers from education and training, poverty levels, and attractiveness of the territory in terms of net migration) and from three different perspectives (workers, employers, and society). Low unemployment rates and high job vacancy rates distinguish best performing regions, while the occurrence of very high unemployment and low vacancies rates is found in apparently most impacted regions. Indeed, skills gap and mismatch in a territory are driven by several concomitant factors which are continuously shaping labour market skills requirements. This complex situation requires LRAs to respond to some key challenges with the uptake of diverse initiatives and solutions, some of which encompass innovative elements. It is through the analysis of an inventory of about 30 of these initiatives and the detailed description of 10 of these cases (Part 4) that within Part 3 challenges and initiatives by local and regional authorities (LRAs) are discussed and framed towards the achievement of three main objectives: filling the skills gap, reducing the skills mismatch, and improving skills intelligence and information sharing. More evidence from the local and regional level across the European Union (EU) is provided throughout the study with the inclusion of several informative boxes. Finally, recommendations are outlined in Part 5. They are framed within existing employment, education, migration and youth policies, where relevant, and take into account the existence of the several instruments and tools which have already been developed at the EU level to address labour market skillsrelated issues. The focus of the recommendations is on policy options by LRAs that may add value to what has been or is already commonly implemented, and that take into account recent policy and socio-economic developments (e.g. technological change and related digitalisation). These options relate to: Effectively using the skills of extra-EU migrants through enhanced LRAs’ awareness of existing EU instruments (including the upcoming Skills Profile Tool), of funding opportunities for the integration of thirdcountry nationals, and of local market skills requirements, all of which may translate into suitable local strategies and targeted measures. Promoting brain gain of intra-EU citizens at the regional level through an improved dissemination of job vacancy opportunities, an increased attractiveness of available posts, and innovative approaches creating multi-benefits for those involved (public authorities, higher education institutions and training providers, firms/organisations, and talented candidates). Improving the effectiveness and reputation of VET as an undervalued approach to address skills gap and mismatch, through increased interaction with potential employers, and production and dissemination of evidence on the outcomes of VET in terms of employability and individuals’ satisfaction. Promoting a more structured linking of education delivery within firms, for example through the definition of appropriate funding instruments for concerned businesses. Working towards the alignment of digital preparedness and recognition with ICT take-up, through the combination of broadband provision with ICT penetration initiatives and the adoption of certification schemes which properly signal competences of the labour force.
Committee of the Regions Report, 13 July 2016.