The European Year of Skills continues: Europe powered by skills and workforce development

The European Year of Skills just ended, casting a light on the necessity and opportunity ahead to grow a skilled workforce fit for Europe’s multifaceted priorities.

We represent companies and professionals at the forefront of challenges ranging from reindustrialisation to digitalisation, energy transition and supply chain resilience. These megatrends are reshaping the labour market and creating new job opportunities. Despite our eagerness to recruit and train new talent, we are confronted with the following realities: the working-age population has decreased by nearly 10 million between 2009 and 2023, unemployment rates are at historic lows, and many workers experience a lack of purpose in their careers.

In this period of electoral and strategic redefinitions, we believe it is crucial to integrate further the labour agenda with the broader European agenda. Policymakers must address systemic skills and labour shortages as a top priority for Europe’s transformation, so that the labour market is an enabler rather than an obstacle to realise the objectives set in Europe for the past 5 years. Furthermore, focusing on skills and workforce development is a significant opportunity to respond to European citizens and residents’ aspiration to secure long-term, fulfilling careers.