The European Skills Pact, one of the key initiatives of the Skills Agenda presented by the European Commission last July 1, was officially announced last week. The pact – in the framework of the double green and digital transition – is designed to mobilise resources and encourage stakeholders to invest effectively and sustainably in the upskilling and reskilling of the EU workforce.
The agreement involves the setting up of a series of large-scale partnerships in strategic industrial ecosystems strongly affected by the current crisis and in the priority areas identified by the Green Deal. These include the automotive sector, aerospace and defence. The ultimate goal is to promote joint action to maximise the impact of investment in improving existing skills (upskilling) and training in new ones (reskilling). However, it will also create a system whereby industry, business, chambers of commerce and public authorities can identify the tools and resources to invest in training throughout the Union.
In order to ensure the involvement of all stakeholders concerned, the Pact introduces a number of tools that will be operational from the beginning of the new year. Firstly, an exchange platform will be created bridging supply and demand and providing access to the information, tools and funding programmes made available to facilitate the process along the entire value chain.
In addition, the Pact aims to be a real support tool for exchanges between the various partnerships and the authorities of the Member States, especially in terms of financial support. All this to ensure both a cross-cutting (between different business and industrial realities) and vertical (between national and local authorities) dialogue.
Part of the initiative includes the launch of a series of high-level roundtables with representatives from the relevant industrial ecosystems, government authorities, civil society and the world of education.
In addition to the launch of the European Skills Pact, the Commissioner for Labour and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, and the Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, also announced a further tool to complement the Commission’s skills initiative – European Charter for Skills. This charter will take up all the targets set out in the Pact and is designed to stimulate all the actors involved so as to develop and strengthen the common values and priorities for the achievement of these shared objectives.
