Skills crisis in the EU: Commission launches the “Union of skills” to combat it

Brussels – The twelve-star competitiveness crisis also affects European students’ and workers’ skills and knowledge. The picture is far from rosy: there is a shortage of skills, from the most basic to those in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). There are 18 million under-productive learners while one in three 15-year-olds fail to apply math in daily life. The continent’s aging population will reduce the number of working-age people by 7 million in 2030 compared to three years ago, further exacerbating the skills crisis.

The European Commission‘s response to these challenges is the “Union of Skills,” launched this morning (March 5) by Roxana Mînzatu, the Executive Vice President for social rights and skills. The strategy aims to support the development of human capital through programmes for supporting young people in acquiring basic skills (Basic Skill Support Scheme), incentives for upskilling for workers at risk of unemployment or involved in restructuring processes (starting with the automotive sector), facilities for the recognition of qualifications from one EU country to another.

To attract talent from around the world, the Commission will launch “Choose Europe,” a pilot program with a €22.5 million budget aimed at offering job prospects and study and employment conditions for non-EU nationals. If adopted, the project (on trial as early as next April) will be assisted by an “EU talent pool” to recruit the best students, researchers, and workers, and a visa facilitation strategy will be unveiled this year. The Union of skills will rest on the participation of member states. It will use a dedicated European Skills Observatory and a Board responsible for taking action and coordinating objectives.

Commissioner Mînzatu concluded her announcement by emphasizing that “the success of every person in learning, at work and in life, is essential for competitiveness and for a stable and resilient Union,” and by announcing that the Commission intends to introduce a new recommendation EU-27 on education and skills in the European Semester cycle, to direct member states and address the problem of fragmented funding for the sector.