Addressing Europe's skills challenges
The European conference Re-Thinking Europe's Skill Needs: Reflections Following the European Year of Skills, held in Rome on 29 October 2024, provided a unique occasion to discuss Europe's evolving skill needs. The event was supported by the project SkillsPULSE: Skills – Predicting, Understanding, and Locating Shortages in Europe, funded through Horizon Europe and led by FGB, and marked an important step in addressing Europe's skills challenges, bringing together diverse perspectives to address this common challenge.
The conference also served as the official launch of the eponymous book, published by Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini, which represents a significant contribution to ongoing discussions around skills in Europe.
The conference was full of critical insights, where distinguished international experts and researchers shared their vision on Europe's emerging skill needs and skill imbalances.
All panels and discussions were introduced by Giancarlo Dente and me. The event was opened by Annamaria Simonazzi, president of FGB, followed by the talks of the two keynote speakers Glenda Quintini (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD), and Antonio Bonardo (World Employment Confederation).
The first keynote addressed the questions linked to the structural trends affecting skill demand and supply, including the impacts of demographic changes, digital and green transitions, and resulting skill mismatches across sectors.
Glenda Quintini emphasised policy approaches for addressing skill shortages, with countries implementing diverse upskilling and reskilling initiatives, especially in green and AI-related fields, often supported by financial incentives. Antonio Bonardo discussed changes in recruitment approaches, emphasising the growing reliance on agency workers to provide specific high-caliber skills that employers struggle to find through permanent hires, indicating a strategic reliance on agency workers to meet critical skill needs. He also addressed the dual pressures of rapid technological change and demographic shifts that are contributing to talent shortages.
In the first panel, titled Tackling Labour Shortages, Green Jobs, and AI-Driven Workforce Transformation, moderated by me, panelists Lukasz Arendt, Iván Diego Rodríguez, Eamonn Davern, and Matteo Sgarzi explored emerging needs and solutions across these topics. The discussion covered Europe's readiness for labour market transformation, including how AI is shaping job skills, the role of public employment services, the relevance of career guidance, and the intersection of entrepreneurship with green and digital transitions.
The second roundtable, moderated by Giuseppe Ciccarone, delved into Measuring Labour and Skill Shortages in Europe and their Social and Economic Impact, with valuable insights from Seamus McGuinness, Irene Mandl, Ilias Livanos, and Marcin Kocór. The panel explored the nuances of skill shortages across the EU, challenging the assumption of a widespread deficit.
Cedefop's forecasts offer insights into future demands shaped by digital and green transitions, emphasising a potentially under-discussed demographic shift that could lead to an EU labour force contraction. Looking ahead, sectors facing the highest vacancy rates may require adjustments in job quality and conditions to attract talent. The European Employment Services network (EURES) was presented as an important tool in addressing cross-border skill mismatches, helping jobseekers navigate EU job markets and facilitating movement between areas of high demand and high unemployment, often near borders.
The day continued with interactive sessions, where contributors to the book Re-Thinking Europe’s Skill Needs: Reflections Following the European Year of Skills discussed essential themes from the publication: Labour or Skills Shortages?, Honing in on Specific Skill Needs, Effective and Fair Skill Infrastructures in Europe, respectively moderated by Terence Hogarth, Maria Laura Fornaci and Iván Diego Rodríguez.
Keynote speaker Roberto Angotti opened the final session Skills for a sustainable future. Italy which was moderated by Luca Dordit, and featured Massimo Temussi, Ettore Russo, Eleonora Pisicchio, Raffaele Saccà, and Paola Vacchina. During the policy roundtable, the experts discussed the challenges facing the Italian labour market, particularly in terms of skills needs, as well as the policies designed to address skill mismatches related to the digital, green, and demographic transitions.
In his closing remarks, Giuseppe Forte gathered the day’s many insights and reflections, providing a cohesive summary and sharing key policy recommendations. With her speech, our director Manuelita Mancini concluded a day filled with impactful discussions, new collaborations, and a renewed commitment to reshaping Europe's skill landscape for the future.
