Contracting Party: European Committee of the Regions (CoR) (as part of the framework contract No CDR/2021/C3/1/SEDEC/LOT2/1)
Period: 2024
URL: The role of local and regional authorities in fostering regional partnerships for up and reskilling within the framework of the pact for skills
Description:
The present study aims to analyse the role of Local and Regional Authorities (LRAs) within the framework of the Pact for Skills, a new initiative of the European Union (EU). The initiative promotes the upskilling and reskilling efforts across Europe to create a workforce equipped for the green and digital transformation. LRAs play a vital role in promoting regional partnerships under the Pact for Skills, leveraging their proximity to local needs and sectors. The research delves into the involvement of LRAs in the initiative, exploring their current participation in skills development programmes and identifying their future requirements in response to a changing economy. The study offers valuable insights to fully understand the role of LRAs in promoting regional skills partnerships within the Pact for Skills. The report, therefore, offers practical recommendations to equip LRAs for upcoming trends in skills development.
Based on this analysis, this study is structured in five parts.
In Part 1, the report examines the current experiences of LRAs in relation to the Pact for Skills considering skills partnerships and funding opportunities. It outlines the advantages that LRAs receive upon adhering to the initiative, such as gaining access to information about upskilling and reskilling programmes, establishing more partnerships and networks with various stakeholders, and obtaining resources and tools to implement skills policies and strategies. Furthermore, the report explores the willingness of LRAs to adhere to the principles of the Pact for Skills and their contribution to their implementation.
In Part 2, the report highlights the current skills challenges and bottlenecks faced by LRAs and their needs to address them effectively. LRAs encounter difficulties in securing skills funds to meet skills demand, establishing public-private partnerships, and using systems to predict and monitor skills development. Several barriers related to the implementation of the Pact for Skills are thus provided, including limited awareness of the opportunity to join and insufficient information about available services to assist LRAs.
In Part 3, the research examines the nuances of local and regional implementation by conducting six in-depth case studies. By comparatively analysing these cases, the study provides an overview of the patterns, success factors, and areas for improvement across diverse local and regional contexts that contribute to the implementation of the Pact for Skills at local and regional level. Amongst them are skills intelligence to inform training development, the importance of collaboration amongst stakeholders, and the utilisation of project-based learning to foster innovation.
In Part 4, a foresight analysis is provided to examine future developments in skills advancement and future labour market. This analysis concerns existing skills policies with regards to the principles of the Pact for Skills, with the goal of developing impactful policy tools to predict and meet skills requirements. The rapid technological progress, changes in industry, and shifts in the economy emphasise the need for greater investment in training programmes to prevent skills mismatches and shortages.
Finally, Part 5 presents a number of recommendations for LRAs, national governments, and EU institutions. They aim to optimise skills development policies and future strategies.